March! The month of the Spring equinox, when night and day are equal. The sun is finally shining and daffodils and crocuses are adding a bit of colour to urban drabness. In this issue, I share my reviews of two Spring art exhibitions in London. And feature a French tradition
Today marks Imbolc, the Celtic festival celebrating the mid-point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. The trees lining city pavements still lack leaves but look closely and you’ll notice buds on their branches. Green shoots are appearing in unexpected cracks, bulbs stirring as days lengthen. But who owns
September is a month charged with new season energy after lazy summer days. It marks the end of the growing season, when fruit and veg are harvested for winter, and communities come together to thank the land and sea for its bounty. In cities, we’ve mostly lost that connection
Named after Maia, the Roman goddess of fertility and growth, May is a busy month for nature. Leaves are growing back on the trees, insects buzz tentatively after a long winter, and bank holidays abound. It can be tempting to get swept up in it all and be busier than
For centuries, Japan has been revering the annual bloom of cherry trees as a symbol of hope, renewal and transience by hosting "hanami", flower watching parties. Families, friends and strangers congregate under white or pink candyfloss-ladden trees to admire and celebrate the beauty and transience of the blossom.
Welcome to Seasons in the City, a newsletter written by me, Charlotte Cassedanne. You may have noticed the signs already. A handful of bright yellow daffodils bobbing precariously at the foot of trees imprisoned in concrete pavements. The scent of pale-pink magnolia wafting from people’s front gardens. Cotton-candy like