September, the Time Is Now

Nature must conserve energy to have the best chance of bouncing back when the soil stirs with warmth again. All around us it’s busy. Birds are feeding up on ripened seeds, nuts and berries, squirrels are going crazy, gathering in what they can and storing piles of food in secret places. Bumblebees are catching the last of the nectar – the Queens will hibernate over winter and emerge in spring, to go in search of early flowers.

Acorn gathering at Longshaw

A bucket full of seeds

It's a busy time

Nature shifts in September, turns its head towards winter. Preparations for shutting down begin. The time is now.

Finding space, spreading wings

Plants are pushing out their ripening seeds in so many forms with ingenious ways of finding space in which to grow. Thistledown floats on the breeze, rounded acorns and conkers fall heavily and roll away, berries are gorged on by birds, who will then spread the seeds in their droppings as they fly. Sycamore helicopters spin away from their parent tree. It’s amazing how nature has adapted to give itself the best chance of surviving. And look at us humans, doing the same, sending our children off to a new year at school, college, university, spreading their wings towards independence. It doesn’t have to be sad; it’s life-affirming.

And whilst the seeds are working their way from parent plant to soil, plants themselves are slowly shutting down, giving us a whole new palette of colour to look forward to over the next few months.

An autumn wander by Longshaw Pond

Autumnal trees

I remember wondering why it was that the leafy coats of trees turn gold at their farthest reaches first whilst the leaves closer to the trunk stay green for longer. Trees conserve their energy from within their core and suck life back down into their roots to wait for springtime warmth. It’s logical that the outside leaves are the first to lose their food and water. I’d never considered the energy of a tree before-autumn was always something visual to me, a delightful change of colour to enjoy on leafy woodland walks. Now I understand more about what’s happening.

A wander by the rowan trees, Edale

Magical rowan

One of my favourite trees is the rowan, also known as the mountain ash. Its slender trunk and delicately shaped leaves defy its resilience to grow in mountain and moorland climates, sometimes springing out of rock crevices. It was believed to be a magical tree, offering protection from witchcraft; a good tree to have growing next to your house. My Dad also loved rowan and when he died, we planted one next to him, not for the sake of protection but for the birds to gather and feed close by. I love its delicate leaves and at this time of year, the clusters of scarlet berries gleaming in the September sunlight. Through Autumn the leaves will turn gold and the whole tree will glow.

The time is now

The time is now for planting those early spring bulbs. Give the bumblebee queens a good start with some nectar when they emerge from hibernation in March.

A handful of wildflower meadow seeds

Get some summer wildflower seeds into bare soil; there’s no need for compost, they like poor quality soil. Just cut back some grasses, rake away the cuttings until you have some bare patches and tread in your seeds. We’ve started work on our road verges as a little community project already and will keep going this month.

Seed Gathering Season, promoted by the Tree Council runs from September 23rd to October 23rd to encourage everyone to join in with collecting tree seeds, fruits and nuts which can be nurtured to grow trees for the future. Get more information about Seed Gathering Season here.

If acorns float, they are not good for planting

Early starts

As summer temperatures drop, we’ll notice chillier mornings. One of the fantastic highlights of the shift from summer to autumn is the temperature inversions which can be easily seen from the hills around here. These happen when the air is colder on the ground than it is higher up, which is the opposite of what you’d normally expect. You might look out of your window and see thick cloud, but then climb up a hill and find yourself in bright sunshine under a blue sky, looking down on a world blanketed in fog. It’s worth getting up early for.

Temperature inversion over the Hope Valley, from Surprise View

Summer is at an end but Autumn is only just beginning. It’s beautiful and it’s nature doing what it does best. Give it a helping hand by doing some planting, then all we have to do is stand back and watch.

Rowan with berries and autumn colour, at the foot of Winnats Pass just as a temperature inversion lifts

3 comments

Clare Lardner

September 2, 2021 at 7:26 pm

So positive, as usual. Love the photo of Winnats Pass xx

Sara Hicklin

September 2, 2021 at 7:39 pm

A fantastic read, Autumn is my favourite time of year. Loved the harvest festival at school and now older I love preparing for the winter months by making chutney and foraging for damsons to make gin! X

Helen Wright

September 3, 2021 at 10:07 am

Thanks Sara, I love Autumn too - I like making plum jam and did make a delicious damson gin one year!