The Journal
Field Notes
Moments from the outdoors, grounded in observation, movement and everyday encounters.
Where what is seen and experienced begins to form into stories, ideas and inspiration.
Featured
Moments from the outdoors, grounded in observation, movement and everyday encounters.
Where what is seen and experienced begins to form into stories, ideas and inspiration.
My garden wasn't supposed to look like this.
The weeds arrived faster than I could pull them. The ants claimed every patch of soil. Plants I'd carefully nurtured began to wilt beneath a relentless sun.
Standing there, surrounded by chaos, I realised I wasn't just looking at my vegetable patch.
I was looking at my year.
Because gardens, much like people, don't fall apart overnight. They quietly draw from what they've already been given, stretching every last reserve until one day, a little water is no longer enough.
But even in the mess, something was still growing.
From a desperate need for a habitual connection to nature, Wild Cottage Works grew as a quiet reminder that creativity, nature and everyday life are closely connected and that even the smallest moments outdoors can shape the way we live. It isn’t about prescribing a particular or ideal way of living, but gently sharing ways to weave a connection to nature into your everyday life, wherever you are.
1) Expensive
Often, nature can become stylised, especially online. The images we see on social media are frequently wrapped in a particular aesthetic, beautiful large countryside homes, winding lanes, baskets filled at farm shops, and slow afternoons that appear effortlessly idyllic. Over time, certain parts of countryside living have begun to carry a kind of cultural identity of their own, where appreciation for nature can appear intertwined with a specific aesthetic or affluent way of life.