Turning Toward Fall

By the beginning of September, I’m more than ready for fall to arrive.

I find myself patiently waiting to clean up the gardens, hoping the weather will finally break and give me a cool day to start cutting back the plants, turning over the soil to make room for a few fall beauties, and making mental notes about what earned a place in the garden next year ~ and what didn’t.

Most of the flowers made it through the season beautifully. The verbena and bacopa, however, took a beating in the summer sun, and I think we’ll be skipping both next year.

The geraniums did especially well, but the real standout was the euphorbia. Somehow, it still looks even better than the day I planted it. That one has officially earned staple status for next year.

I’m also planning to lean even more heavily into ornamental grasses. They proved themselves this summer, staying full and beautiful through the heat when so many other plants began to look tired. There’s something about the softness and movement they bring to the garden that feels especially right as we head toward fall.

September always feels a little like a reset to me. Summer isn’t quite gone, but the pace begins to change. The mornings start to feel different, the garden grows quieter, and I find myself naturally reaching for warmer scents and darker, moodier things.

That shift has found its way into the studio too, where I’ve been packaging Eldern, our new fall candle. Its autumn-leaves scent feels right for this time of year, reminding me of cool mornings, the first sweater pulled from the back of the closet, evenings with a warm cup of tea, and pumpkin coffee with cinnamon on top.

Eldern has made its way into the shop, along with a few other things I’ve been quietly working on for fall.

For now, though, I’m still watching the forecast and waiting for that first truly cool day ~ the kind that makes you open the windows and suddenly feel ready to trade the last lingering bits of summer for whatever fall has in store.

Currently Loving

• Pumpkin everything
• Hands in cool morning soil
• Cold Process Soap | Pyre
• Pandora ~ Govinda Radio