As the heat rises and the colours in the garden increase in their vibrancy, summer brings with it bountiful fruit, and with that, the simple joy of making jam. Stubborn as I am, I enjoy these anchor points of the year. They offer us a sense of continuity, of maintaining a tradition from the days when it was an essential life skill. It is a reminder that our lives can be so richly blessed by living within and alongside the changing seasons.

Kasannah Greely, the owner of Kindly Grown Designs, a wedding floral and garden design studio in the Midwestern United States, shares how motherhood and the beauty of local flowers inspired her to seek a simple and seasonal life.

Helen Izzard has a soft furnishing and interior designer business based in Somerset. She loves working with natural fabrics and colours that are inspired by nature and the landscape around us, and in this Slow Spotlight, she shares more of her own journey towards a slower, simpler and more seasonal life.

Whether it’s at the start of a new year, or indeed, anytime, if you’re looking to find inspiration for a slower, simpler and more seasonal life, then here are some books which I have found especially inspiring over the years.

Mindful, emerge, voyage and present. I’ve been choosing a word of the year since 2020, but what is it, and why would I encourage you to do the same?

Slow living. Simple living. Seasonal living. In many respects, these three are inextricably linked. I think I can pinpoint the exact moment when they clicked for me, and it all began with a book.

I’m thrilled that you’re joining me on this journey. If you’re wondering where to start, here are some suggestions.