Home & Garden Updates For Autumn
This year the Autumn Equinox, marking the end of the astronomical summer and the start of the new season, falls on Wednesday 22 September. The moment when the sun is directly above the equator and day and night are of equal lengths, the equinox in Britain heralds the start of the golden season as nature’s palette shifts towards richer hues of sepia, burgundy and amber. It’s also the perfect time to reflect on the change of season and prepare for the many celebrations the end of the year brings. Here are some ideas to help make your home cosy and inviting during the months ahead.
1. Be Prepared
Try to keep the heating off for as long as possible by layering beds and sofas with cosy blankets. Now is also the perfect time to check the heating is working for the winter ahead and to stock up on candles and logs. It’s also important to ensure guttering is clear of debris before the wetter weather arrives.
2. In Good Light
Think about the ambient or mood lighting in your home and how you could use lamps to add warmth and glow. Lamps placed on tables next to sofas and chairs, beside the bed or even on a kitchen worktop give a pocket of warm light. Fairy lights or rope lights are a wonderful way of dressing a ceiling, mantel, mirror or picture and you don’t need to wait until you have guests to light a candle – why not light your favourite candle at breakfast to give the start of the day a warm, relaxing glow or place a candle on your desk as you work? Our Whisky & Water Candle with its smooth and spicy notes of Davana Blossom, Tonka Bean and Amber is an autumn favourite.
3. Bring the Outside In
Even a well-lit office provides only around 500 lux compared with 100,000 lux in natural daylight so it’s important to continue to get outside every day to reap the benefits. There may be fewer flowers around, but you can bring nature into your home by collecting and pressing autumn leaves to string onto cotton to make an autumn garland or create an autumn wreath from leaves, seed pods and flower heads. Rosehips make a tasty winter tonic that’s high in vitamin C and antioxidants. There’s a River Cottage recipe here
4. Let’s Switch
The change in season provides the perfect reason for a home transformation. As well as getting out blankets, you could add sheepskins to benches and chairs, change cushion covers or adjust the arrangement of furniture to suit more time spent indoors. This is also a great time to declutter – and if the idea is overwhelming, why not start with a single drawer or surface?
5. Winter Warmers
Take advantage of the remaining warm days to wash your woollens and let them dry outside (ideally flat) as part of a review of your winter wardrobe. To help deter moths, it’s worth vacuuming and wiping down the inside of your drawers and hanging space. Finish by adding lavender bags or cedar balls for scent and as a further deterrent.
6. Think Ahead
Autumn is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs such as narcissi, tulips and alliums. You can also press or dry the last few of the season’s flowers to use over the winter. Hydrangea dry particularly well, hung upside down, and look beautiful in a vase or incorporated into a wreath.
7. Celebrate the Equinox
In Japan the equinox is traditionally the time to visit relatives and the graves of ancestors. Many cultures mark the season with a feast of seasonal foods to give thanks for and celebrate the harvest. Having a bonfire, preparing a special meal, decorating your home with leaves and berries or simply talking a walk to notice the changes the new season brings are just a few ways to celebrate.
8. Scents of the Season
Introduce warm, inviting scents to the home with reed diffusers and candles. Autumn lends itself to woody aromas with spicy undertones. Our Lightning Oak Candle, sourced from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, burns for up to 45 hours with a scent that balances smoky wood aromas with modern notes of crushed pink pepper and bergamot. This September we are also introducing a NEW Lightning Oak Hair & Body Wash – click here to find out more.