Field Notes: September
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
September passed in a blur.
There was that one really week of summer at the beginning of the month, which was completely magical and somehow three weeks ago. I spent as much time as possible outdoors that week, soaking up the sun and swimming in all my favourite places. I spent a wonderful day in the Lake District with my friend Kym, swimming in three incredible spots, and enjoyed an entire day dipping in and out of my favourite reservoir, reading my book and relaxing with friends in the sun. While it felt bittersweet, that week felt like the perfect way to end a disappointing summer.
Autumn hasn’t arrived yet, but there is a definite change in the air and in the landscape. The bright vibrant greens of summer have gone, and the leaves of the trees are beginning to turn. Rather than mourning the end of my favourite warm, sunny days, I’m looking forward to wearing my favourite knitwear, daydreaming of snug cabins and making lists of everything I’m looking forward to this autumn. Cosy season is here, and I’m embracing it.
Upgrade to a paid subscription for just £5 a month to read all of my writing. This month I’ll be sharing my favourite autumn reads, musing about my dream travels, and much more.
Lessons learnt this month:
Get up earlier, to watch the sun rise and make the most of the mornings. You’ll feel better for it.
To believe in myself!
The end of my favourite season doesn’t have to be a sad time.
GARDEN UPDATE
I always find September a rather sad month in the garden, as most plants start to wither away and everything starts to look a bit empty. My dahlias have been blooming furiously all month. I’ve been picking up to 7 bouquets a week to fill my house and gift to friends, and still leaving enough flowers for the plants to look beautiful in my garden. In the past week I’ve noticed less new blooms, so sadly I only have a couple more weeks to enjoy my most beloved flowers.
Elsewhere in the garden, we have two mysterious squash plants which are growing by the day and producing plenty of fruit. We didn’t plant these, so I have my fingers crossed they are edible and delicious, and not some ornamental squash species. Our kale has also returned with a vengence (I eat kale with most meals and still can’t get through it fast enough).
The only slight bursts of colour now (other than my dahlias) are a couple of cosmos plants, an echinacea, a Japanese anenome and seemingly never-ending nasturtiums.
Next month will be all about tidying up the beds and preparing them for winter, and potentially planting tulip bulbs at the end of October (although I’m rotating tulips with my dahlias, so I’ll hold off until I dig up my tubers).
SEPTEMBER EDIT
Is anyone else just obsessed with knitwear at the moment? I’m looking forward to cosying up in my favourite knits from L’Envers, Nygardsanna and varius second-hand finds, but I’m also drooling over new season cardigans, jumpers and knitted vests by the likes of Shaina Mote, Ozma of California, Jaggery, Cordera and &Daughter. A snuggly bright red jumper was at the top of my wish list, and I luckily found the perfect Finisterre knit at a very, very good price on Vinted which I can’t wait to arrive. I’m also saving recipes that I’m planning on trying over the next few months. I’m not a good baker, but I will be trying @jess_elliot_dennison’s rosemary brown butter apple cake. @georgiahearn__ has me drooling over grilled leeks with spiced sweey hazelnut butter. @taniajoyfjane shared a delicious-looking pumpkin and chocolate loaf cake recipe last autumn that I’d like to try. And there are lots of bookmarked pages in my copy of Anna Jones’s One Pot, Pan, Planet.
My Instagram scrolling lately has been focused around travel, and I’ve discovered several new-to-me accounts who share breath-taking photos and videos of their discoveries around the world. If you want to incite serious wanderlust, give these people a follow:
@victo_somewhere / @ema_outsider
See you for more musings next month. If you enjoy these monthly newsletters and would like to read more of my writing, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
Emma xx