Inspiration

‘In Your Garden’ by Vita Sackville-West, 1951 – a collection of poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West’s gardening columns written for the Observer between 1946 and 1950. Delightful writing and (still relevant) advice from the creator of the famous gardens at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent.

‘The Pebbles on the Beach’ by Clarence Ellis, 1954 – half the pleasure of collecting is in the thrill of the chase, which Clarence Ellis knows all too well and guides you through in this book. The new edition from Faber & Faber published in 2018 also has a fold-out jacket with a beautifully illustrated guide to pebble types.

‘Around the Kitchen Table’ by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron, May 2022 – a unique meeting of cooking (from Sophie) and art (from Annie), this is a book to inspire creativity in all forms. Set to be a truly joyful read with equally uplifting photography.

‘Stitch in Bloom’ by Lora Avedian, 2021 – textile artist Lora Avedian takes the traditional embroidery technique of ‘couching’ and reinvents it in a contemporary way with simple, stylised florals and a handful of projects for wardrobe and home, including a rudbeckia-adorned linen curtain, a foxglove wall hanging and a tulip beret.

‘The Land Gardeners: Cut Flowers’ by Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld, 2019 – Bridget and Henrietta, aka The Land Gardeners, tell the story of how they came to rejuvenate the cutting garden at Wardington Manor in Oxfordshire, as well as sharing their advice on cut flower varieties and how to get the most out of them. All mixed in amongst gloriously romantic photography to inspire your arrangements.

‘The Barn’ by Sally Coulthard, 2021 – author and smallholder Sally Coulthard tracks the history of the ancient stone barn that stands across from her Yorkshire farmhouse and, in turn, the history of the farm, those that have tended it and the country at large across two and a half centuries.

‘A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life’ by Mary Randolph Carter, 2010 – if you’ve ever looked at the houses pictured in magazines and interiors coffee table books and bemoaned the lack of ‘stuff’, this book is for you. A masterclass in how to live with all the imperfect clutter of life, but how to do so stylishly.

‘The Home of the Surrealists’ by Antony Penrose, 2019 – if you’ve read ‘Charleston: a Bloomsbury House & Garden’ then this is where we’d suggest heading next. It chronicles the lives of 20th-century surrealist artists Lee Miller and Roland Penrose at their home in Sussex, Farleys House (incidentally not far from Charleston), while taking in the colourful, creative interiors along the way.