One of the joys of gardening is to follow the focal points of beauty that march through our landscapes as the gardening season unfolds. I will fill today's space with brief descriptions of some of the shows I observe as we slide deep into October and away from the prime gardening season.

I'll confess that I did not add any hardy garden mums to my garden this year but I am still enjoying wonderful mum blooms in parts of my garden. No it's not a miracle and I did not suddenly unlock the secret that turns today's garden mums into wonderful long living perennials.

Instead, I added some of the century old varieties now traveling with the Latin name dendranthemum. The two I have in the ground are Manchurian Queen, a tall light purple and White Bomb that is quite short. Several others varieties can be readily found.

They are quite vigorous and will be in one of my long-range projects that call for a garden of vigorous plants. Timid plants need not apply for a position there. That garden will be a war but I anticipate wonderful displays.

Moving on, I can't help but sing the praises of two shrubs: Itea virginiana and Hydrangea quercifolia. Both are near the top of all lists of must have shrubs. They are truly four season plants. You get bloom, wonderful fall foliage and interesting bark. There are several standard cultivars of the native Itea. Henrys Garnet may be a bit larger than Little Henry, but in all honesty I would be hard pressed to recognize the difference in the landscape. One is listed at three to five feet the other at four to six feet.

Itea will grow in sun, heavy shade or anywhere in between. My efforts to grow them suggest that adequate moisture is a big plus.

There are many cultivars of the Oakleaf hydrangea reflecting the size of the bush. The large conical flowers open white, fade to pink and end up a tawny brown. I also believe that in the near future we will se some cultivars with some flower variation. This one is also easy to grow, but I would avoid heavy shade, and think about winter winds when picking a site.

Hurricane Isabel played havoc with some of the tall grasses but spared one of my shorter favorites. There is nothing that beats the bright red color and large white plums of Miscanthus purpurea at this time of the year. This one reaches my waist. It often looks dismayed in the nursery pots but seems adequately happy in any sunny landscape that isn't too wet.

The secret to this and many of our most ornamental grasses is to realize that they do not establish well in cold soil. In the fall look, and make plans. Plant them in May and early summer. Last on my list is the many fall asters. My favorite is October Sky. That suggests the color. Sizes range from less than knee high to head high. Asters are vigorous and easy to grow. Poor lower leaf foliage is the most frequent complaint with asters.

With the exception of the grasses, any of the above plants could be still planted. One tip to help late planting is to mulch lightly after the ground freezes.