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Three days to October and it is already showing that the month will be irreplaceable.
Some say that it is one of the best months of the year for a reason.
First, the weather.
As the summer heat goes up and the air gets tropical, October gives us the best temperature to explore outdoors or just chill indoors.
Secondly, October is stunning.
If you are in Africa, especially in Zimbabwe, October is definitely a good month to have fun and be colourful.
But for those lost in the Northern Hemisphere, where there’s fall foliage, October is the month to catch the spectacular scenery.
In other, countries they call it fall.
Last but not least, Halloween.
It is no doubt the craziest and most fun day of the year, but here in Africa there is no Halloween.
It is easy to say the month is about thrills and ecstasy.
Holiday-makers with enough savings have already embraced the month with love.
Nature lovers are now in harmony with October as Jacaranda tree leaves decorate horizons during this time of the year.
The purple colour will be dominant everywhere.
In general, purple symbolises beauty, resilience and renewal.
The beauty of nature, which comes with falling Jacaranda tree leaves, is irresistible.
In life, remarkable personal growth and transitions are also marked during the 10th month of the calendar.
For learners in both primary and high school, October is a bit special to them as they sit for their end-of-year examinations.
The anxiety that comes with October is hard to ignore for students, especially candidates sitting for their final examinations.
In short, October’s fascinating significance differs with regions, cultures and ethnicities.
Locally, a series of cultural activities will mark this eventful month.
Themed parties and festivals have been lined up to celebrate the month of October.
A lot of travelling, fashion shows and picnics have become a common phenomenon in October.
A survey by The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle has revealed that from today, where there is one of the biggest summer-spring shows, October will start on a good note.
Today there is the annual garden show set to take centre stage at Greenhithe Lane, off Borrowdale Road running until tomorrow.
A florist arranges an allium display at the famous RHS Wisley flower show.
The event dubbed, ‘Garden Show’, is about home and garden showcase, offering gardeners a cutting-edge exposition to celebrate the art of gardening, landscaping, garden design and land architecture.
It is believed the idea of garden festivals originated in Germany’s Bundesgartenschau.
However, some schools of thought strongly believe that the first gardens were built for aesthetic purposes and were established in ancient Egypt around 2000BC.
They were mainly for the elite class who desired fresh produce and idealistically believed in beautifying their homes as a show of wealth.
The event follows the just-ended Zimbabwe Agricultural Show which was held last month.
This year’s edition is set to feature an awards ceremony, a tutorial on making a bird bath from scratch, orchid care and re-potting, selecting the best plant and pruning demonstration on roses plus a garden tools challenge looking for who will be the quickest to make a topiary.
Sunday has its own share of absolute inspirational gardening, starting with bonsai creations and demonstrations and stretching towards midday with fact and fiction about palm tastic palms rolls to the ground for fanatics.
It will wrap up with a topiary demonstration, which is a clipping of wooden plants into complex, geometric, organic or simple shapes creating clearly defined shapes and forms replicating living plant material.
The annual show, which has been running for over a decade, has been gathering momentum over the years enjoying its fair share of reception from novices and bonafide gardeners.
This year’s theme has been dubbed “get inspired get gardening”.
Fans have expressed great satisfaction over the event.
Horticulturalist Ennigrace Mutasa said it is quite a rare opportunity for them to participate.
“I am glad to be back home from South Africa and to be a part of this exciting event. A date with nature.
“I am a farmer, so had gone to sell my wares,” she said.
Topiarist, Nicholas Yakobe, who focuses on shaping and carving trees and hedges, said he is excited to participate for the first time as this will strengthen and sharpen his skills.
“This is a demonstration I can’t wait for. I have always been fascinated with this. It is a newly found passion which I am hoping to expand on the day,” he said.
According to the organisers, it will be a colourful and in-depth exploration of nature as palms, topiary, bonsai trees, orchids and roses define the order of the day.
For the fashion buffs, dressing for summer heat is not just about wearing less.
Scientists and stylists say it is about thoughtfully choosing fabrics, colours and fit.
When the temperature rises, many people feel the urge to shed as much clothing as possible to stay cool. While it is true that losing layers will trap less heat, scientists and stylists say dressing for the summer is not that simple.
Exposing more skin makes it easier for the sun to radiate heat directly into your body — and raises your risk of sunburn.
“So not wearing anything is not good. I wouldn’t recommend it,” said Larissa Marie Shepherd, an assistant professor of fibre science at Cornell University.
And stylists say stripping down may not fit with everyone’s sense of style or their level of comfort.
“There’s a summer move of just wearing no clothes — like, it’s just too hot for clothes and we’re just wearing our tiniest shorts and our tiniest tops,” said Heather Newberger, a stylist who wrote the book “How to Date Your Wardrobe”.
The good news, stylists say, is that baggy clothes are in — regardless of your age or gender.
“We’re in a great space right now where oversized is king.
One of the flower pot designs.
The coolest looks out there tend to be things that are more oversized,” said Newberger.
“It’s a great time to try new things because there’s really less pushback when it comes to that kind of look.”
She recommends, for instance, “an oversized shirt made with organic fibres and a wide-legged pant that moves the air through you and offers sun protection as well.”
People should know that darker clothes absorb more heat from the sun than lighter clothes, scientists say. That’s why stylists recommend switching to lighter colours in the summer.
On to music, topping the bill is the annual Jacaranda Music Festival scheduled for Thorn Park Polo Grounds in Harare from October 4-6.
The three-day event, which runs under the theme, “The Music, the People and the City”, will parade an array of both local and regional stars.
Top South African acts — Mi Casa and Dlala Thukzin — will headline the opening day of the festival.
Evolving Zim dancehall star, Sylvester “Freeman” Chizanga and the HKD Band have been included in the line-up.
Top South African rapper, Cassper Nyovest, is the major draw card of the festival on October 5.
He is billed to share the stage with Nutty O, Mbeu, Shaku Shante, Agga Nyabinde, Mary Anibal and many others.
On the closing day (October 6), all the attention will be on Musa Keys and Felo Lette. Local acts performing on the same night comprise Mokoomba and Master H.
Besides music, fashion enthusiasts get to showcase their best designs.
On the same weekend, Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platinumz will headline the annual Kadoma Music Festival at The Odyssey.
Superstars Alick Macheso, Jah Prayzah and Winky D will lead a contingent of local acts in Kadoma on October 5.
Festival debutants Chibadura Brothers — sons of the late James Chibadura — have been given a chance to shine at this musical extravaganza.
Chimurenga heir apparent Kurai Makore, Saintfloew and Gemma Griffiths. After the Kadoma Music Festival, attention will be on this year’s edition of Lake October Festival Masvingo.
All this fun has become a staple on the showbiz calendar as merry-makers from all walks of life come together to have fun with their peers.
The month of October is known for setting the right tone for what to expect during the last quarter of the year.
Online Reporter