Hi friends,

Is your garden exploding with heirloom chrysanthemums at the moment? If the answer is no… I think it should be!

Most people think of chrysanthemums, and they think of those dome-shaped plants that you can get at the grocery store this time of year. 🙄 Not my favs either.

But there is a whole world of chrysanthemums out there that are way more interesting. Watch this video from Floret to see the HUGE range of these puppies. It’s pretty remarkable.

They are pretty easy to grow, easy to propagate, and fairly consistently perennial in this area. I’ve got some very fun varieties I’m propagating for next year’s spring plant sale, like October-blooming ‘Cottage Apricot,’ ‘Bronze Fleece,’ ‘Pink Fleece,’ ‘Blush Strokes,’ and ‘Pumpkin Eyes.’ Or later-blooming ‘Mocha,’ ‘River City,’ ‘Crimson Tide,’ and ‘Coral Reef.’

What we are doing to settle deeper into the season.

Eating… Jamie Oliver’s Leek and Potato Soup. It’s so easy and so satisfying. Like drinking a baked potato. Pro tip: use homemade stock, add creme fraiche for extra silkiness, and drizzle mustard oil on top right before you tuck in. Yum.

Listening to…. The Moon Also Rises by Johnny Flynn and Robert Macfarlane explores myth, ritual, ancient burial sites, and the turning of the seasons. (Robert Macfarlane is an incredible nature writer and has written some of my favorites, including Underland, The Lost Words: A Spell Book, and Landmarks.) Listen to these two talk about the album on this great podcast called Folk on Foot.

A few weeks ago, we had so much fun making a She-Ra-inspired, color-blocked wedding for a sweet couple out at Treehouse Point in Snoqualmie. What an incredible venue! Right on the Snoqualmie River. It’s available for you to book for a little vacation. Fall City is nearby, and it’s so cute. Perfect weekend getaway.

Know someone getting married in 2027? We are now booking 2027 couples.

We also made a huge, textured hanging installation for the reception. I’d love to make more of these! So dramatic. Perfect for a more permanent indoor installation in a shop or restaurant.

Free community classifieds section

If you have something to share - a service, an event, an offering, or maybe even something for sale for the general Western Washington area - you can email me a couple of sentences for an ‘ad’ and a link. I’d love to connect my community with your work!

• All Hand Mending is offering a Mending Circle at her studio in Port Townsend on November 11th from 5-7 pm (I’ll be there!). And a Hand Mending for Knit class in Seattle on Saturday, November 15th at Mayest Art Center.

• Fabled Flora Beeswax Candle Dipping Class at Christianson’s Nursery on Saturday, November 21st, from 2-4 pm.

Sending you cozy, soup-filled rainy days,
Emmy and Kai