DIY beeswraps, best gardens for autumn colour, equinox celebrations and finally new Christmas product news.

Here are some of my favorite places to visit around this time of Year:

• Sheffield Park & Gardens National Trust, Sussex. Great for blazing trees.
• Stourhead National Trust, Wiltshire. A large parkland with autumn colour reflected in the lake.
• Winkworth Arboretum National Trust, Surrey. Another place for tree colour.
• Great Dixter, Sussex. Christopher LLoyd was renound for his bright colours and the late summer planting here is delightful.
• The Piet Oudolf garden at Hauser and Wirth in Somerset. Typical Piet style grasses and prairie planting.
• The Vyne National Trust, Hampshire. The long dahlia border which is a riot of blooms. 

If the list of gardens above have got you planning your next day out why not make some colourful beeswax wraps to use for your picnic.

If you use beeswax wraps already you will know how handy they are for sandwiches, bowels, tin cans and all sorts of odds and ends in the kitchen. But it is also so easy and satisfying not to mention economical to make them yourself. You can also use this method if you want to refresh some cloths you already have.

I had some off cuts of cotton from a previous project and adapted a recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs.

20g of Pine resin

71g of beeswax

2 tbsp Jojoba oil

you will also need washed cotton fabric cut to your size, a jar for the mixture, a small pot, a flat bottomed jar/glass/ramikin, a brush, a metal baking tray and grease proof paper.

1. Put all the ingredients together in a jar and place it in a small pot of water. Bring the water to a simmer and melt the ingredients.
2. Get your baking tray and put a sheet of grease proof paper on top, then lay your fabric on top of that. Also pre heat your oven to 150c.
3. If you are doing multiple sheets you may need to put you jar of mixture back into the simmering water to remelt a few times.
4. When all the ingredients are melted start brushing the mixture onto the fabric. You don't need to completely cover it yet and its easier to put more on later than take it off.
5. Once you have a fairly even covering put your tray in the oven for a few minutes until it looks wet.
6. While its in the oven prepare another sheet of grease proof and a flat bottomed jar/ramekin/glass.
7. When its wet looking take the tray out, and working quickly before it solidifies, place the second grease proof sheet onto and with your flat bottomed jar rub the cloth and paper all over to distribute the wax mixture and push it into the cloth. 
8. Check the cloth for any patchy or dry sections and put some more wax mixture on if needed, then repeat the oven and rubbing steps.
9. When your cloth is fully saturated put your second cloth, if using, ontop to soak up any excess then peel apart and hang to dry the finished cloth, it only takes a couple of minutes.
10. Repeat all the steps with the fresh cloths until you are finished.

The time around the autumn equinox is wonderful for giving thanks to the earth for all the bounty and harvest she gave us this year. The days and nights are of equal length and in perfect balance.

I like to celebrate with a special afternoon tea- with all the apple, pear and blackberry baked goods, remembering of what went well in the garden this year and reading autumnal poetry. 

Now please don't shout me down, I am not suggesting carols and decorations out in September but I am saying that if you like to do homemade activities and a calm advent season- some planning and gentle preparations now might stand you in good stead.

Every year I put together handmade hampers for our friends and family and if you are interested in doing something similar I wrote a blog article last year which you can read here.

I am also preparing my Christmas collection for the shop and I am so exited for it. I am making the first batch of gold frankincense and myrrh soap this week. I am also making my first craft kit- where you can make your own beeswax rocking horse decorations. I'm also needle felting some adorable plant dyed star decorations which are perfect for a sustainable and cosy tree. Im hoping to be able to launch the collection at beginning/middle of October, but I will let you know when it is live.