Sparrowhawk: September 2023 bird of the month

It’s a tentative start. We crack open wet soil, slot the roots of a small birch tree into the gap and firm it in. The blessings of Mother Earth on you, little tree. The birch is a bare slip of a thing barely anchored in the ground. One down, 23,999 to go.

Indoor plants will instantly add some green to your living space, bringing the outside in and touching base with nature. And when it comes to plant pots to keep them in, there are plenty to choose from. 

Sowing seeds doesn’t need to be a tricky business. Whether you are planting vegetable seeds such as chillies and tomatoes, or colourful sweet pea flowers or cornflowers, a dibber will help you out.

From the curious Magpie to the majestic Sparrowhawk, the RSPB helps us identify what garden birds will be paying a visit to our gardens now the autumn leaves are falling.

With sloping hills that form a dramatic escarpment as they slip into the plain of the River Severn, the Cotswolds, spanning Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, epitomise rural charm. Rivers like the Windrush flow swiftly through pretty villages, gigantic yews fill the yards of churches built in the Middle Ages, and scattered across it are lovely gardens, both grand and modest, all of them embellished with beautiful flowers.

Whilst we huddle with cups of hot chocolate, wrapped in layers of wool, gearing ourselves up to make those first boot tracks in crisp frost, our wintry gardens are already being enjoyed by the birds. From the cunning Treecreeper to the bolshy Robin, the RSPB help us identify who will be paying your garden a visit in the cold season.

Spring is when wildlife reawakens in our countryside, parks and gardens. Despite the cold chill still in the air, signs of spring will be starting to appear and our garden birds will become more recognisable during the breeding season. From the noisy Willow Warbler to the colourful Siskin, the RSPB help us identify what birds will be paying a visit to your garden this spring.

Nerine ‘Sparkle’ is a hybrid derived from the more tender N. sarniensis, the original Guernsey Lily. Ideal for growing in a conservatory or glasshouse, the sarniensis hybrids have a wider colour range than the hardier species, and typically their flowers appear before their leaves, on a tall, elegant steam.

The impressive topiary-framed Italianate formal gardens at Mapperton

In 1752, Britain changed its calendar from the old “Julian” style to the Gregorian version that most of Europe was already using. People rioted, demanding back the 11 days of their lives that had gone “missing” in the switchover, but there would be far-reaching effects too. Any festivals set by the phases of the moon continued as ever, but set dates, such as Midsummer and Christmas, now fell on the “wrong” days. Plants didn’t know this, of course, but it muddled folklore, making some customs even stranger to modern eyes.

MARK BOURDILLON / Netflix

While supporting businesses from the Black, AAPI, Latinx, and other marginalized groups should be a year-round endeavor, we're happy to highlight some of our favorite Latine-owned brands to kickstart Hispanic Heritage Month. The month-long celebration is observed from September 15th to October 15th, celebrating the influences and contributions of those across the Hispanic and Latine diaspora (Latine and Latinx can be used interchangeably. However, Latinx is a term used predominately in the U.S. by English speakers while Latine is more in line with other gender-neutral Spanish words like presidente).