THE MAGICAL COTTAGE GARDEN, AND THE COLLECTION IT INSPIRED
Those of you that have been around here for a while now will know that Leaf Lane Studio is all about my love for nature. I really do have a deep rooted passion for all things nature related; being outside cleanses my soul and I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds us all every single day. I adore the seasons we have here in the U.K, from the new little shoots of spring, and the full blooms and vibrancy of summer, to the shriveling, colourful leaves of autumn and rawness of winter; there is so much beauty, so much to fall in love with and be grateful for.
It fills my heart with so much joy to make artwork that comes from what is around me, to create things that can not only be functional for your day, but also make you smile every day when you sit at your desk, or curl up with a cuppa to write in a journal. Each collection means a great deal to me, and that is why I want to share with you why this latest launch, the Cottage Garden Collection, is one of the most precious collections I have created yet.
I visited Cornwall for the first time in around 2007 and was instantly in love with it. It sounds cheesy to say this, but as soon as I drove into this magical county I felt like I was home, it felt like where I belonged and I had this deep set feeling that I had been here before, even though I most certainly hadn’t. Fast forward many years later and thousands of hours thinking about ‘living the dream’ and moving to Cornwall for good, it actually happened!
The feeling of driving to Cornwall, followed by a huge lorry full of everything you own in this world was so scary, but equally it was super exciting. Finding a house to rent in Cornwall, when you live hours and hours away, isn’t easy. You know that you are in for some wasted journeys in order to find the right place, and boy was it worth it!
We secured the most stunning cottage to live in for our first Cornish home, in a highly sought-after village, we felt like we had won the lottery. The sea was 100 metres from the back gate, you could hear waves crashing in at night and see the ocean from almost every window of the cottage… oh my, it was beyond magical.
Obviously, the cottage was to die for, but the garden was also perfect. It was clear that the owner loved gardening; it was a ‘proper’ cottage garden, with a mixture of wildflowers popping up everywhere and beautiful, well thought out plants and flowers too. Not one month went by without a new flower popping up and I just wanted to squeal with joy every single time I walked around the garden (which was daily)! I would sit on the wooden table that looked out to sea and just take deep breaths of salty air and think ‘how is this my life!’. It was the dream home (if only it wasn’t rented!).
When the owner sold up, we obviously had to move. We were so sad, but we do live in a lovely place now too! There was just something extra special about that specific place and I think about that garden every single day without fail. How could I not?
So, whilst planning some new products I knew I wanted to celebrate that amazing house and garden and started doodling on the iPad, drawing tulips, wildflowers, spring blooms… whatever I could think of that reminded me of wandering around that gorgeous place, in that magical village; and so, the Cottage Garden Collection was born.
For me, the end result is more than a pattern on some stationery. It is the sound of the sea, glimpsed from the window. It is the little birds nesting in the cottage roof and feeding their babies under the palm tree in the garden. It’s the smell of the lavender and honeysuckle, the gorgeous agapanthus outside the old front door, the daffodils in the hedgerows all around the cottage. It’s the fig tree that grew like wild-fire and constantly needed trimming, the crazy sweet-peas winding their way around every possible plant and tree, the snap-dragons sitting low under the windowsill. It’s endless nights sitting outside looking at the milky way arcing over the house.
When you have a piece from the collection on your desk, whether it is a notepad or a postcard or anything else, at the very least I hope it brings a little bit of spring to your life and makes you smile. But, if you have read this post, then I hope you can imagine that dreamy cottage garden by the sea too; a dream that became my reality.
The Cottage Garden Collection launches on Thursday 18th February at 6pm with more pieces to be added later in 2021.
If you would like to see behind the scenes of life here in Cornwall and how I design my collections, why not subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I post weekly Studio Vlogs!