September Days

"September Blow Soft 'til the Fruits' in the Loft"

Many varieties of apples will be ready this month and pears too so it mustn't be too windy as windfalls are no good for keeping.

The September Page of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady colouring book.

Both Walnuts and Hazelnuts are ready this month. The ancient Romans and North American Indians used Walnuts to make a hair dye. Hazel bushes were very important in the country not only for their nuts but the coppiced wood was used for poles and sticks, for basketry,fencing and wattle and daub walls. Water diviners used forked twigs of hazel.

In medieval times tenants were given the right to gather firewood "by hook or by crook". That means they could gather wood by using only a shepherds crook and a billhook. This limited them to only cutting wood which could be reached from ground level but never-the-less it was important for them to find as much wood as possible at this time of year as wood would be their only source of heat and cooking.

29th of the month is St Michael's Day or Michaelmas........ the day with most weather sayings attached.
If St Michael brings many acorns (windy weather) Christmas will cover the fields with snow. 
is one saying - but unlikely nowadays I think.

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 We had an exhausting day yesterday - just looking after a 10 month old granddaughter for the day as Youngest Daughter's childminder was late back from holiday. How some grandparents look after grandchildren full time I have no idea. We are doing it again one day next week which gives me a few days to recover!

Thank you for all the comments - I knew if I said Hawthorn berries had no use except for the birds someone would come up with some ideas! But I think I'll pass.



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