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These September reflections are part of the Seasonal Reflections series — a year-long practice of living with the rhythm of nature.
Psst, can I tell you a secret? September is my favourite month – don’t tell the other months I said that! Whether it’s because of the cooler nights and vibrant colours of early autumn, the back-to-school energy boost, or simply because my birthday’s in September, I do not know. It’s probably the combination of all three. In fact, to me, September feels like a second May with clear, bright blue skies, fresh, vibrant greens and a promising new energy.
👉 In these September reflections, we’ll explore seasonal living in September — from the garden and kitchen to simple ways of making the most of late summer.
After the (more or less) unstructured days of endless summer heat, when we preferred to take a swim in the river, lake, or sea rather than tackle too many tasks, September’s more moderate temperatures bring back our sense of duty and responsibility. And just in time! The garden is still overflowing with ripe vegetables, the orchard is heavy with autumn fruit, and the elderberries are ready to be picked.
We’re on the home stretch of preserving all Mother Nature’s gifts. In a few weeks, the gardening season will come to an end, and September asks us to preserve this abundance before that particular harvesting window closes.
The days grow rapidly shorter now. When I get up in the morning for work, it’s dark again outside. Sometimes, when I drive to work, mists hover in the dips of meadows and fields, cloaking the familiar landscape in something mystic and unknown. On weekends, when I’m early in the garden, I find intricate spider webs on the fence that are embellished with dewdrops, like pearls on a string.
By the end of September (depending on the temperature), the first leaves on the trees will change their colour, ushering in a beautiful golden autumn. In Bavaria, we call those warm, sunny and golden autumn days “Altweibersommer”. This is often translated as “old wives’ summer”, yet another explanation is that it describes the time when fine spider threads float through the air, lending the season a magical gold-shimmering touch.
Nature in September
Now that the grain has been harvested and the last grass has been cut, the farmers are busy bringing the corn in. Later in the month, the potatoes are ready to be pulled from the earth. I remember when I was a child, coming back from school, having a quick lunch, and cycling out to the fields to help on the harvester till it was time to milk the cows.
Flower gardens overflow with an abundant, often second bloom. Roses and phlox take the stage again, while anemones, chrysanthemums and sedums make their first appearance, creating a burst of colour. When the first red and yellow leaves fall and mix with the flowers, I can’t get enough of that beautiful sight! It’s so full of life.
In the vegetable garden, we can still harvest tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, beans and lettuce. At the same time, early white and red cabbage heads are ripe, and we can make the first sauerkraut of the season. Never made it before? Don’t worry, in this easy recipe for homemade sauerkraut, I show you how it’s done.
September Garden Tasks
Now we help our vegetables get to the finish line (that is: harvest) without pests or diseases damaging them before their time. Yes, this is still a topic in September, and I check on my green friends every other day for signs of infection or infestation.
Whenever I harvest plants, I close the gaps by sowing spinach, radishes, lamb’s lettuce and rocket salad for a harvest in late autumn and winter. But that’s not all: we can even sow some plants like broad beans and cold-hardy salads now. In zones 6 – 8, they can overwinter in the garden and be ready for harvesting early next spring. Here’s a comprehensive list of vegetables you can sow in September for an abundant harvest year-round.
The greatest garden task in September, though, is harvesting! It’s so satisfying to fill my baskets and containers with loads of beans, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbages, corn ears, peppers, herbs and much more. At the end of the month, we can also harvest pumpkins, a second batch of kohlrabi, cauliflower and broccoli and the first autumn lettuce like radicchio, endives and chicory.
Having harvested what’s ripe now, I carry my full baskets into the kitchen.
September in the Kitchen and at Home
Preserving work in the kitchen hasn’t changed much compared to August or July; it’s still fermenting-freezing-drying-canning-making-jams season, my friends! Only the ingredients alter slightly.
From the orchard, blueberries slowly make way for blackberries and elderberries; pears and apples are joined by plums. I love making jam from the berries and freezing the rest. That way, I’ve always got some stock for a quick cake or as a healthy addition to a morning cereal bowl. The pears I love to preserve by canning them with sugar syrup in a water-bath canner or making jam from them. The method differs slightly from making jam from berries, but in this recipe for pear jam, I show you the basic steps. If you feel adventurous, why not try one of these pear jam variations?
Apples are mostly preserved in the form of apple sauce in my household, seeing as my boys consume at least one jar per week. But I make some jars of dry-canned apples for a quick Apfelstrudel or pie-filling. From the scraps, I make loads of apple vinegar each year.
Before temperatures drop too low, I harvest all my basil in the greenhouse in the garden and make a last batch of pesto. If the harvest is large enough, I dry some of the basil for tea. It tastes sweet and light and mixes well with lemon balm and calendula. I dry other herbs like mint, thyme and oregano on a rack for winter.
The last of my homegrown peppers and chillies are fermented now into a spicy hot sauce, and the first jars of homemade sauerkraut hold the remains of early cabbages.
September Self-Care
The back-to-school, it’s-a-home-stretch, let’s-do-this-before-winter-comes energy of September is certainly very helpful for all that simply must be done now. I’m grateful for my newly-found motivation and focus now, don’t get me wrong. It’s almost like in March when I felt my energy levels rise anew and couldn’t wait to get out into the garden.
However, it’s easy to load too much onto our task plates now. With shorter days, I find it more demanding to work long hours. While it was easy to stay up late in July, I get tired by nine now when it has already been dark for almost an hour. Maybe I was a chicken in a former life, craving to snuggle in as soon as the sun sets… Anyway, to accomplish all I want, I know I have to set aside time for myself to make sure I can keep going at my self-induced pace. Let me show you what I do:
Self-Care for Body…
With shorter days and cooler temperatures, I suddenly crave more hearty dishes. A bowl of hot potato soup, roasted root vegetables or simply some cooked beans and cabbage from the garden are what I want now. While cold food like cucumbers and tomatoes were fine during the summer months, I now want something hot and nourishing in September.
To balance that kind of healthy meal, I love some apple pie or plum cake for dessert. Nothing like a large piece of “Augsburger Zwetschgendatschi”, a plum cake with yeast dough and a crumb topping that’s Augsburg’s signature cake, with a healthy dollop of whipped cream to ward off any autumn blues!
I also love making time for exercise. Whether it’s jogging, lifting weights or simply a long stroll through the woods, movement is my key to staying healthy and fit and keeping my energy up. If I can take that movement outside and take in as much sunlight and fresh air as I can get, all the better.
…For Mind…
I’ve got my hands full already with harvesting and preserving in September, and now that school starts again, the load at work increases as well. Everyday routines haven’t established themselves yet, and sometimes it seems as if hundreds of invisible hands were tugging at me and pulling me apart.
To stay calm and keep a level head, I usually try to keep my mind as “clean” as possible. No audiobooks, no mindless scrolling, no challenging books. I’ve learned the hard way that getting too distracted and too “full” now will inevitably lead to irritation, bad sleep and making mistakes.
For that reason, I take the September weeks for a digital detox where I only check my phone twice a day to read my e-mails and respond to texts. And as hard as it is at the beginning, I realise how much calmer I am after a few days.
… And Soul
As often as I can, I go outside to get as much sunlight and fresh air as I can. It’s funny how these easy, free things can do us so much good.
When I realise that my mind is hopping from topic to topic, I sometimes grab my camera, head out and try to capture every aspect of autumn life I can see. That way, I’m not only completely “in the moment”, but I also have some good photos I can print out later for a photo board.
September is also a great time to (re-)connect with friends. In summer, everybody is either on vacation or on some beach or other, but now life has us back, and it’s lovely to meet up, sharing holiday stories or complaining about having to get back to work again 😏. I like it best to organise a gathering where everybody brings something to eat. That way, there’s plenty of food and the workload is manageable.
A New Energy
The summer heat did its best to slow us down, and, to be frank, I quite enjoyed the break. In September, however, life is starting again, and the pace accelerates once more. It’s ok, though, as our energy increases as well.
While August asked us to reflect on the year, September makes us move forward. After all, the year’s got only a few months left, and there’s still so much to do. To keep up with our own expectations, it’s important that we make time for ourselves, new energy or not. Whether it’s taking a stroll outdoors during our lunch break, deeply inhaling the fresh, crisp autumn air, or consciously watching the changes in Nature, doesn’t matter. What matters is that we take those short, conscious breaks from life’s pace to keep our energy levels sufficiently high for the next few months.
Let’s enjoy the sunny days while they last, smell the flowers, eat fresh produce from our gardens and wave summer goodbye. Autumn has arrived and with it an abundance of colour, fragrance and harvest second to none that invites us to a last fabulous dance on the stage of seasons.
Stay in Season
September may bring new energy, but the seasons never stand still for long. If you’d like a little inspiration for making the most of each one, join me in the Seasonal Simple Life newsletter.
Every few weeks, I share seasonal ideas from the garden, kitchen and pantry, along with new articles and simple projects for living a little closer to the rhythm of the year.
Come along, and let’s see what the next season brings.
Every month has its own rhythm — from quiet winter days and the first stirrings of spring to abundant summers and the slow return of autumn.
If you’d like to continue through the year with me, explore the Seasonal Reflections series and discover the small changes, seasonal rituals and everyday moments that make each month different.
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