As I begin writing this, a week short of the end in Late Summer, we are enjoying a pleasant jump in temperatures here in Edinburgh. It seems like summer has finally arrived! The Japanese term for this season is Greater Heat - somewhat fitting even here in Scotland.
Some of the highlights of this sekki has been the yellow dock, thistles, sunflowers, and cow parsley, which all appear withered and ready to release their seeds, preparing for the end of the summer. It gives an almost autumnal scene!
This is not to say that all the vibrant colours of the wildflowers have faded - it is a good time for the Rosebay Willowherb, Chamaenerion angustifolium.
I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be summer in Scotland - does summer mean high temperatures and sunshine, or is that more informed by our holidays abroad? Has summer really ‘just arrived’, or is it in its final moments?
This newsletter is coming out a bit early, on Lammas Day, at the midpoint between the solstice and the equinox. It is an end to summer in its own right, though this microseason system gives it another week. Whichever way you measure it, there is something bittersweet about this change in season so early in August.
Calendar Update
I’ve finished all six pages of Spring in the calendar now, which means I’m a quarter of the way there! Here is a picture of the Equinox period, featuring some daffodils, few-flowered leek, magnolia and chiffchaff.
I've also had some business-related successes, registering Berrypatchpainting and opening a business account!