Field Notes: April

Spring is in the air!

All of a sudden, everything is green and luscious and spring is here. The days are once again long and light, with plenty of time to enjoy gardening or long walks in the evening. Hedgerows are abundant in blossom and buds, the cherry trees bow under the weight of their marshmallow blossom, and the dawn chorus wakes me each morning. My favourite half of the year has begun.

The past month has been spent hurtling around the country for work (the Cotswolds, followed by London, and I’m off to Brighton this weekend) and toiling away in our garden. Work-wise, this month’s highlights include writing an article for a new travel website I’m excited about (I’ll share once they’re live) and a spring portrait shoot for nutritionist Nuri Camrass on Hampstead Heath, amidst the hawthorn blossom.

In the garden, we’ve been tidying up our huge front garden, reinstating our fire pit area and making plans for what we can do with this area. It’s large, but on a very steep slope which makes it a tricky space to work with. We also have a slope at the side of our house (from our greenhouse down to the front garden) that needs tidying up - the plan here is to eventually create a flat terrace for a hot tub and seating area, and to perhaps plant fruit trees down the side of our garage. I’ve also been busy weeding our veg and flower beds and planting some of our hardier crops: broad beans, lettuce and herbs are now planted in their beds, while our window sills are still crammed with seedlings inside. I’m really excited about our garden this year, and will be sharing updates and photos throughout the summer in this monthly newsletter.

The month ahead is an exciting one. I’m off to one of my favourite places (Brighton) this weekend, to visit one of my favourite people. I’m then heading to Greece for 12 days for my first ever solo trip. I’ll be staying in some very nice hotels for work, shooting for a couple of brands and researching for a handful of articles while I’m out there; but I’ll also be taking some time to unwind, read a big stack of books, eat lots of delicious food and spend as much time as possible in the sea. I then have a two day shoot for an interiors client at the end of the month. I’m planning on spending that final May bank holiday doing absolutely nothing, just sitting in my garden in the (fingers crossed) sunshine and relaxing after a busy month of travel.

Things I’m looking forward to in May: my first ever solo trip, island hopping in Greece; returning home to warmer temperatures, hawthorn blossom and cow parsley; planting out my seedlings in the garden; long walks to my favourite wild swimming spots; bare legs, bare arms and sandal weather making a welcome return.

Field Notes is quite a long read, and may cut off in your emails so is best viewed on the Substack app or website.

TRAVEL NOTES

I don’t have any exciting travel stories to tell from April, sadly - but bear with me! I’m excited to return home from Greece with thousands of photographs and plenty of tales to tell. I’ll fill you in on where exactly I am staying after my trip, but my itinerary is Athens - Andros - Mykonos - Syros - Athens. I’m sure I’m going to fall in love with Greece and am already pondering if I can book another trip there in the autumn.

The Greek islands on my radar for a future trip are: Amorgos, Tinos, Koufonisia, Foleganderos, Sifnos, Milos, Paros, Antiparos, Hydra, Paxos, Antipaxos, Ithaca, Lefkada, Dodecanese and Symi. I envision there being many, many more Greek adventures in my future!

SUBSTACK SUGGESTIONS

I have so many Substacks that I’m looking forward to sharing with you in this feature of my monthly newsletter. I’m enjoying discovering new newsletters each week on here, and I’d love your recommendations if there is anyone writing about travel, interiors, books or just general interesting ramblings that you think I would enjoy.

This month, I’m recommending

The Venetian Pantry

, who is one of my favourite people to follow on both here and Instagram. I first fell for Martina’s beautiful home, which she has expertly curated and designed to be both an inspiring and relaxing space, but she has branched out into content that covers recipes, travel and design.

On her newsletter, Martina shares monthly edits, delicious recipes, thoughtful essays, inspiring interviews with other creatives, and travel content that focuses on places she has visited and her native Italy.

I’m sure you will all love her writing, photography and her impeccable taste!

MONTHLY EDIT

Every month I’ll share what’s been inspiring and tempting me in the worlds of travel, fashion and interiors.

5 things: travel & accommodation

I’m currently planning a Cornwall trip for September, hoping to spend a couple of weeks exploring and working in my favourite part of the UK. Nothing is booked, but my dream plan would be to begin in north Cornwall with stays at Kudhva, The Scarlet Hotel and Atlanta Trevone Bay, before spending some time on the Helford River, popping into Penzance and then spending a couple of days at Carnacalla Cottage in Sennen.

I’ve decided that my dream job would be to photograph a book after seeing the beautiful imagery from Rebekah Peppler’s upcoming recipe book, Le Sud. This cookbook is firmly on my wish list not only for the recipes, but also for the dreamy photography from Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur. I’m also itching to visit the south of France now.

Talking of places I would love to visit (of which the list is very, very long), I keep reading about or admiring photographs of Madeira. I’ve seen this Portuguese island described as ‘the Hawaii of Europe’ a number of times, which is strangely how I depicted the nearby Azores after my visit there. On my Madeira list: whale watching, mountain hikes above the clouds, swim in tidal pools and take a traditional toboggan ride down a steep road. Funchal Cottages or Casa da Levada would be my choice for where to stay.

It’s always nice to stumble upon a photographer whose work I love (a sidenote - I’m thinking of sharing my favourite travel photographers in an upcoming newsletter, if this is something you’d be interested in?) and I recently discovered the work of Emma Croman. Her Menorca and Charleston House gardens galleries and stories on her website have inspired me to add both destinations to my travel wish list.

Along Dusty Roads is one of my favourite travel blogs. So many travel blogs exist mainly for SEO, whereas Andrew and Emily are clearly incredibly passionate about the places they visit, shoot and write about. Reading their in-depth articles and guides to destinations as varied as Guatemala and their beloved Italy is a joy.

5 things: fashion & beauty

Image: Faune

I love my You Swim bikini (Aplomb, a lovely rust colour that they no longer stock) so decided to update my swimwear collection with their Aplomb black one-piece ahead of my Greece trip. It’s such a flattering cut and I love the stretchy material. A classic black swimsuit has been on my wish list for years, and I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of this over the next six months.

I keep getting served adverts for Wilder Botanics on social media, and I really love the look of their natural, organic products made from herbal ingredients. I’m very picky with what I put on my skin and hair, and only opt for sustainable made from natural ingredients, hence my interest in this brand. Their healing spirit soak, restful sleep flower essence and Immortelle cleansing oil are at the top of my list of products I’d like to try.

One more beauty brand I’d like to share: I’ve been using Thank You Farmer’s Sun Project Water Sun Cream for a couple of years now, and it’s the only SPF I will let anywhere near my face. I wear SPF on my face all year round, regardless of the weather, and it has taken me years to find one that doesn’t feel tacky and greasy or make me break out in spots. This applies more like a moisturiser, and after cleansing it is the only thing I put on my face during the day. I’ve recently switched over to their Skin Relief Sun Cream (which I love even more) and am eyeing up the rest of their collection. Contrary to my previous paragraph, this isn’t a completely natural and sustainable skincare brand, but SPF is my one exception to that rule.

I’ve recently come across British brand, Faune, who technically sell sleepwear but it’s so pretty I would definitely wear their designs out and about during the day. It’s hard to pick a favourite of their ethereal gowns, but I keep daydreaming of the perfect pouffy sleeved cream dress for summer, so it’s a toss up between Marigold and Laurel.

Devon-based slow fashion brand, Kaely Russell is one of my favourite British designers, and I have my eye on a couple of pieces from her new collection. I can imagine myself wearing her white linen tie tee all summer long, and my quest for the perfect pair of gingham trousers could be closed with her green gingham design.

5 things: interiors & garden

When it comes to interiors, I’m obsessed with colour and pattern at the moment. Elizabeth Hay Design has been dominating my Instagram saves with her print-on-print designs - something I’m hoping to replicate in my bedroom when I discover the perfect curtain material and rug to complement my quilt. This image in particular has me charmed with all those rich colours and prints against the olive green walls.

I love a good lampshade, and it is my not-so-secret mission to have a beautifully crafted lamp in every corner of my home. Imogen Pope’s designs recently caught my eye with their timeless, pretty designs, crafted from embroidered cotton and the softest silk. I’d pair them with bold, colourful table lamps.

Sheffield-based Anna Potter aka Swallow & Damsons is one of my favourite florists. Everytime I visit the city I pop in to peruse her beautiful shop and purchase a bunch of stems. She recently shared this image on her Instagram and I now want to completely replant my garden solely in this colour scheme.

Atelier Ellis make the most beautiful paints, and I’ve been eyeing up their colours for future projects in my home. Their new colours, photography and marketing for their Garden Party collection is an absolute dream. The fresh and earth-toned colour palette feels timeless yet contemporary. I could move into their showroom in a heartbeat.

It’s not too late for you to grow dahlias this year! I’ve had my favourite summer flowers potted up on the window sill for the past month, but I’ve also made a couple of last minute purchases of ready-to-plant-out plants from Sarah Raven and Farmer Gracy (both brands currently have a discount on dahlias so be quick!) My dahlias were the pride of my garden last year, and I’m hoping to grow an even bigger display this year.

Coming this month …

Following my trip to Greece, I’ll be sharing my thoughts and advice on solo travel in the Greek islands. I’ll also be writing about my favourite spots I discover in Athens, and waxing lyrical about small boutique hotels.

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Emma x