The September Harvest
Reflections on the month that was and inspiration for the month ahead.
I've had to look through the photos on my phone just to remind myself of what was. September passed by in a blur, and suddenly, we're navigating the slow shift from warm days to cooler ones, and reaching for well-worn jumpers buried at the bottom of the wardrobe.
September began with perfect weather for beach days with the dogs, dancing under the stars in the neighbour's paddock at their wedding and playing Scrabble in the garden with a nice glass of white. The second half of the month has been spent tidying up the veg beds and harvesting cooking apples, along with one lone pear from one of the Doyenne du Comice trees we planted earlier this year. The days have turned a bit grey, but dog walks are more enjoyable now that I've discovered a nearby blackthorn shrub, laden with sloe berries. I’m planning to harvest a modest amount to make a small bottle of sloe gin for Christmas. The chilies have been moved indoors to my parents' old Welsh dresser to finish ripening, and we wrapped up the month celebrating my mum. It’s been a couple of years now since she left us so we had a bonfire, drank boozy cocoa, lit sparklers, and made her famous sherry trifle.
Collect ripe seeds Now's the perfect time to gather seeds from your flowering annuals! Many plants, like marigolds, poppies, zinnias, and sunflowers, have finished their life cycle, and their seeds are ready for harvesting.
Let the flowers dry out on the plant until they turn brown and brittle. Then, remove the heads and gently shake or pull out the seeds.
Spread them on a paper towel in a warm, dry spot for about a week which will let any tiny insects scurry away. Once dry, store them in a cool, dark and dry place - ready for next years sowings!
From the gardening community:
Learn how to divide perrenials to create extra FREE plants for your garden next year - Pollyanna Wilkinson
Make a seasonal shrub drink to jazz up your weekend tipple - Robs Allotment
Plant garlic from your own grown bulbs - Charles Dowding
Our tomato harvest this year was pretty pitiful. Alas, we have enough stubborn green tomatoes to make chutney, of sorts. This recipe is enough for roughly two jars and is delicious dolloped on the side of cheese toastie.
A Thousand Feasts - Nigel Slater
Flower Tote Bag - Sowvital
Cinnamon Hot Chocolate - Harth
Bulb Planter from - Wolf-Garten Tools
Outdoor Swimmer Magazine - Pics and Ink
Sparkling Gold Yuzu Scentsual Incense - Nippon Kodo
Camping Popcorn Maker - Graham and Green
The Outrun - Adapted from Amy Liptrot's best-selling memoir, The Outrun takes place in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. This raw and powerful drama explores themes of addiction, recovery, resilience and survival, while highlighting the healing influence of the sea, the land and of people to restore life and renew hope.
Starve Acre - Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark lead this stylish adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s folk horror novel. Set in 1970s rural Yorkshire, the story follows Richard and Juliette Willoughby, whose peaceful family life unravels when their young son Owen begins displaying disturbing, uncharacteristic behavior.
My Favourite Cake - A beautifully delicate and nuanced film, co-written and directed by Iranian filmmakers Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha. With grace and subtlety, it delves into themes of love, regret, and second chances, all set against the backdrop of a country governed by strict rules and limitations.
Timestalker - follows hapless heroine Agnes (Alice Lowe) through time as she repeatedly falls for the wrong guy, dies a grim death and gets reincarnated a century later - before meeting him again and starting the cycle anew. It is one story told over many periods, with all the messy thrills and spills that come with daring to follow your heart. Or maybe your loins... Â
Make a bay leaf wreath for the kitchen from @aboutgarden
Daily yoga sequence before you start the day from @divine_yoga.vibes
The walnut hack shared by @locationhouseofbeau
Clay floral ghosts by @therurallegend
Thank you for the love on my last post, chums. I find today’s style of post so much easier to create, but it’s the real stuff that drew me to Substack in the first place.
If you enjoyed or found this post helpful, I’d truly appreciate it if you shared, liked or commented below. It helps others discover the Things of That Nature community. Thank you from me, and from these two squabbling over a gnarled stick.
