AUTUMNTIDE

It is unquestionable in my mind that autumn is my favourite season of the year.

As a florist the change of season from summer to autumn is both visual and visceral. 

Our growers start arriving with harvests that are beginning to marinate into warm, cosy tones;  the brightness of summer flowers fading into themselves and and the landscapes around them.  The plants have done loads of work over spring and summer, they've withstood the harshest sunbeams and whipping summer winds to get through to March, continually pushing out flowers until the pushing is just about done.  The soil is spent, often desperate for nitrogen-drenched rain to get the last bit of energy out of every single stem.

The magic of autumn is in watching the shift from petals to seed, from vibrancy to paleness and the shift in the position of the sun sitting lower in the sky, casting longer shadows over the earth and the footpaths on our march home.  Rather than compete with each other, the sun and clouds merge like a Neapolitan ice cream ocean, melting and swirling, inviting us to dive right in.  Preparation for shorter daylight hours begins without any compromise to the end of days; autumn sunsets are unlike those of other seasons, they're seductive, fiery and magically reflective.

Autumn is always my time for reflection, considering the bounty that the warmer months has bought and the abundance of activity that has come before.  Autumn forces us to slow our pace, the crunch of leaves underfoot is nature's handbrake being applied, a reminder to relish the remainder of the sun, the daylight, the warmth and zest before mildness and restraint arrives.

Autumn is subtle at a time when we need it, it invites us to dial back, cosy up, lighten the tone and seek comfort in our homes and in each other.  As the layers come out from the back of the wardrobe, so too do the thoughts of moments spent marvelling at turning of leaves from green, to orange, to yellow, to brown before baredness. 

The hint to cherishing this autumn slideshow, is to unhurry your eyes, your steps your breath.  Autumn neap tides are smaller and more moderate to help us make time for, time. 

Autumntime.