September splendours include; beautiful bulbs, succulent scent, daring deer, pots of potatoes, and seeking out free art.

Gardening tips for September

One packet of bulbs for a pot of spring joy

Yes, just one packet of bulbs. Which is about a handful. Popped, pointy ends up, into a container of peat-free compost and plonked on a sunny balcony/terrace/patio/doorstep.

Wait, watch, and hope.

Fragrant musings from the library of scent: Healing Berry by Jorum Studio

Bramble leaves as umbrellas, toadstools as tiny tables, raspberries gleam redly,

blackberry squish and ooze and juice

with sweet spice, violet petals, a surprising spear of vanilla

all tumbled among a late blooming rose hedge.

Nature notes for September

A bold young deer skewers me with their eyes as I wander along the path, mouth chewing carelessly, head slowly turning to follow me and my footsteps - careful, careful, mind that crackling twig, I think -

swallows congregate noisily, catching up on the summer’s gossip before their long, long flight south.

Rugosa roses still bloom, exhaling sweetly fresh apple into the warm air, bats swoop gleefully,

jinking and diving for the biggest, tastiest, furriest moths—much obliged, I’m sure.

Tasting home-grown potatoes

In my quest to discover the most satisfying and easiest things to grow, I decided to have a go at growing potatoes this year.

Growing vegetables has usually been a challenge too far for me, what with the faffing around that accompanies seed growing, plus battling slugs. But I love the idea of growing, cooking and eating your own produce, so I researched seed potatoes in early spring.

After much deliberation, I went for three varieties to grow in six large containers. Chitting in egg boxes indoors marked the start of our journey in April, then they were planted outside at the beginning of June. We had some very late frosts here, so I had to wait until the overnight temperatures were warm enough not to damage the young shoots.

I watered them well, watched the green shoots grow sturdy and tall, then chucked more compost in to protect the developing tubers from being exposed to the light. More watering, plus more compost gradually added over 12 weeks or so, and we have a bumper crop of terrific tatties.

Now, they’re not effortless, in the way an apple tree pretty much just gets on with fruiting. But nurturing them isn’t difficult or time-consuming.

And wow, the flavour and texture of them is superb. The variety in the photos is Maris Bard; a Scottish new potato, chosen by me as it’s reliable, heavy cropping and has an excellent flavour.

These were firm, creamy, buttery, smooth, and very slightly nutty. Truly delicious.

Which goes to show you definitely can grow your own food, even if you don’t have a garden. Remember, I grew these in a container! Potatoes love a sunny spot, but that could equally well be a balcony or a doorstep.

Would you give growing potatoes a go?

Simple wellbeing tips: free art galleries and museums

The boon of some fine weather has had me lacing up my shoes and going for longer-than-usual walks lately. But I know it can’t last. So I’ve been thinking about things I can do to fill my creative cup when the storms return.

One of my favourite activities, ever since I was a child, is wandering around art galleries. The beauty of the paintings, coupled with a sense of awe at the skill involved creating them lifts me up every time.

There are lots of free galleries in Scotland - some owned by local councils - for which I’m very grateful. Are there any near you, for a dose of peace and inspiration?

On the blog:

I got asked about how to enjoy holidays locally without spending loads of money, so I wrote a piece on cheap, fun things to do in SW Scotland.

⭐ As ever, all wonky words and photos are by me, Rowan Ambrose. Then perfume was bought by me, as were the seed potatoes. Thanks for spending this time with me! ⭐