October: Pumpkin Spice & Gnomes or Mice?…

That’s me, a couple of years ago, embracing the October Sun. Holding it aloft! I never got bored with those Sunsets...

So, Welcome to October.....The month where the veil between the living and the dead gets thin, the garden gets tired of my constant shenanigans, and Pumpkin Spice invades everything like an aromatic dictator! My once vibrant summer garden has turned into a botanical retirement home of sorts, with the plants sitting around muttering, “I remember when I had green leaves…” It's almost like attending a plant funeral. You walk outside with a rake, look at the sad remains of what was once a lively garden, and think, “Should I just leave it like this and pretend it’s festive decay?” Well.....I could say leave the dead cucumber vines - they add to the spooky ambiance. But, for those of you who are still clinging to hope, like me, then October is the perfect time for planting garlic! Planting it now ensures you’ll have some ready to go by next summer, just in time to overdo it in every pasta dish you make.

I sort of feel like October is also the month when the spiritual world gets a little bit closer. You’ve got the full moon, crisp nights, and that mysterious something in the air, it feels like the perfect time to connect with the universe - or at least pretend to while you stand outside trying to remember why you went outside in the dark in the first place. I used to love to smoke a cigarette in the cold air, watching the smoke spiral up and away into the night sky, those days are gone, I'm 14 months clean of nicotine but I still miss the ritual of stepping outside to smoke. So now perhaps, I think, I'll light a candle, close my eyes, and set some intentions. Or maybe, I'll just end up scrolling Instagram in the moonlight. Both are valid October activities.

And if you’re feeling extra mystical, let’s not forget the Gnomes. Yes, those little garden statues you ignored all summer. October is when they get feisty. Legend has it that Garden Gnomes come alive during this time, especially if they sense your gardening negligence. Apparently, If you hear tiny footsteps at night, it’s either a Gnome stealing your last ripe tomato - or you have mice.

Then of course there's Pumpkin Mania - Because Why Not? Of course, I can’t talk about October without mentioning pumpkins. By the end of September, pumpkins take over the world like some kind of squash-based coup. They’re everywhere - on your porch, in your latte, and somehow in your shampoo.

But gardening in October doesn’t just mean tending to the plants you’ve neglected to pacify the Gnomes, It also means embracing your inner Stacey Solomon and setting up a pumpkin display that will make your neighbours jealous. This is where October gardening really shines. You can casually arrange some decorative gourds, throw in a few wilted leaves from your own neglected plants, and - voilà! You’ve created a Pinterest-worthy autumn garden display. It’s half festive, half failure, and entirely October. If you’re really feeling ambitious, you could carve one of those pumpkins into a lantern. But let’s be real: by the time you find a knife thats sharp enough but that you feel safe stabbing a Pumpkin with, spread out newspaper, and spend 45 minutes removing the innards, your enthusiasm has usually deflated. Just slap a witch hat on the pumpkin, call it “art,” and move on my friends.

October is the month where everything feels a little bit magical, a little bit haunted, but a whole lot of cosy. It’s the perfect time to sit outside with a cup of tea, wrapped in a blanket, and pretend you’re pondering the mysteries of life when really, you’re just wondering when it’s acceptable to start binge-watching Halloween movies. Your garden may be in decline, the Gnomes may be watching, and the pumpkins may have taken over, but that’s the charm of October.

It’s a month of transitions - between seasons, between worlds, and between your well-intentioned gardening plans and the reality of what your garden has become. So embrace the chaos. Let your garden look like a spooky haunted graveyard. Commune with your plants (or Gnomes, if they’ll have you). And enjoy the magic of a month where anything feels possible - especially pumpkin-flavoured everything.

Happy October, my friends. May your pumpkin spice latte never run cold 🎃

And if you've got this far... My song of the month: Green Day - When September Ends ❤️