September Seasonal Plans

I mentioned in my last post that I had been doing a bit of seasonal planning for September and that I would post my plans. Well here they are. These I put together on a Word document and then printed out so that I have them on hand every day – lots of lovely plans but I don’t want to forget them which I am apt to do if they are left on my computer 🙂

Season of mists and
mellow fruitfulness.

This month marks the
end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Towards the end of the month the
leaves of deciduous trees begin to change colour. Children go back to school,
and life returns to humdrum normality. For the farming community this is the
climax of the grain harvest, a time of hard work followed by the celebrations
of Harvest.

Folklaw:

Full moon this month –
Harvest or Corn moon (closest to equinox)

Saying: If St Michael brings many acorns, Christmas will cover
the fields with snow

Country lore predicts a hard winter if spiders are
plentiful in September.

Gem: Sapphire

Flower: Aster

Conkers – a
traditional game played by children with the fruit of the horse-chestnut tree
(Eng. Trad.)

Nature:

Hedgerows
full of ripe blackberries

Apple
Season – go pick apples and process at home

Start
of misty mornings

Autumn
Equinox (23)

Shortening
days

Smell
of wood smoke in the air

Birds
migrating

Leaves
changing colour

Busy
squirrels

Harvest
time

Rutting
deer

Conkers

Creepy
Crawlies are on the move!

Snails
are laying eggs this month. See garden notes

Garden Jobs This Month

Dig
over veggie beds and compost

Plan
and plant out spring bulbs (not tulips yet, that’s for October)

Sow
lamb’s lettuce and spinach for winter harvesting by no later than mid-Sept.

Put
out a few boards for snails to lay their eggs on – dispose of eggs later on

Buy
a few Hellebores (Christmas and Lenten Rose) and plant out.

Home:

Sort out clothing
cupboards, donate clothes that no longer fit

Make a list of winter
clothing needs

Add Autumn touches to
decorate home mid-September

Have boiler and
central heating system serviced

Preserve garden
harvest

Deep clean kitchen cupboards
ready for winter pantry stockpile

Food:

Apple and Blackberry
pies

Homemade soups

Cook and bake with
apples – Landlove 2013 pg 43 (traybake apple buns, apple puffs, apple sauce,
apple fritters with icing sugar, apple and potato puffs) See Pinterest board
too.

One-pot wonders –
Landlove 2013 pg 50 and Pinterest crockpot ideas

Rosehip Jam

Life:

Blackberry picking –
Countryside Nature Walk

Rosehip picking –
Countryside Nature Walk – make rosehip jam

Apple and Sunflower
picking – Visit a Pick-Your-Own farm

Faith:

Holy Rood (cross) day
(14) – traditionally children let off school to gather nuts

Michaelmas Day (29)

In the Schoolroom

                                                  Read Aloud:                                                 

Nature
Topics:  House Sparrow, Seasonal
Tree Study Begins, Chestnut, Leaves in Autumn, Insects

Field Trips: Apple
Orchard, Autumn Colour Woodland (late Sept), (check out NT events in our area)

Schoolroom
Display: Seasonal book basket, Autumn displays, World Affairs Board,

Composer:

 Art
Appreciation:        

                                                                                                 

Poetry:  We are going to focus on autumnal
poetry over the next two months. Add to nature journals and enjoy reading
together. 

                                                                                               

Arts, Craft and Nature Activities

Leaf covered
candle’s/holders to mark the start of Autumn

Make a nature’s
bounty mobile for the schoolroom. See Landlove 2014 page 80

Start an Autumn Leaf
collection – identify the tree and label.

Weave a basket from
gathered materials

Michaelmas craft off
Pinterest

Build a Bug Hotel for
the insects to overwinter in

Explore an autumn
forest/woodland

Seasonal
Decorating Ideas

Nature-Walk
Wreath

Jars
of leaves and seeds (Fill glass jars with fall leaves and seeds to display)

Autumn
leaf Garlands

Sew
up some fabric corncobs

Mums
at the front door

Cross
Stitch Autumn cushions for decoration

Collect
Conkers and display

Autumnal
wreath on the front door.

Check
out some of the autumnal display ideas from the Landlove Mags.

That’s it from me today friends. See you back here very soon.