And...today we have snow! Just a little sprinkling and not sticking to sidewalks or roads, but jolly nevertheless. I guess I can call this my 'killing frost' even though we haven't really had a frost yet. For you new transplants, Halloween is typically my first hard frost, although the last couple years it has been really late (mid Nov to early Dec). I can grow salvias fine, but struggle with both rosemary and lavender. I think they like sharper drainage that I offer, my soil is rich but tends to puddle up. The funny thing with rosemary is it will over-winter just fine but for some reason just up and dies in early spring. I just grow them both as annuals.
I will 'second' Pistil's recommendation for Territorial Seed - great company, all their seed is tested in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and grows well in our short season. Their seed catalog is a mini-reference for growing vegetables, and they also offer mail order seedlings (I've never gone that route). I find their seeds at my feed store and local nurseries.
http://www.territorialseed.com
