#Berkshire Botanical Garden

[cactguy]

Berkshire Botanical Garden

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

[capecodadventurepictures]

Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge 10/14/23

[obsessedwithceleste]

You’re Not Everyone Else

Lorenzo Berkshire x reader

Based on this request🫶🏽

Summary: Enz thought he knew everything there was to know when it came to wooing pretty witches, but it will take a lot more than the botanical gardens to win you over.

word count: 4.4k

©️ obsessedwithceleste. all works posted here belong to me and should not be reposted or copied in any way or form.

You glare menacingly at the offending bundle of flowers propped up perfectly against your pillow, practically glowing as the sunlight streams onto them through the window. As if it were a sign that the flowers were bloody heaven sent.

Daphne’s mouth is practically on the floor as she watches you dump the fresh bouquet of expensive looking tulips directly into the trash can.

The flowers had been waiting for you on your bed when you came back from class, and you didn’t need to read the note attached to guess who they were from.

You can tell that she wants to protest, but you cut her off before she’s able to even get a word in.

“Don’t. You know how I feel about Berkshire. It’s not going to happen.” You sigh, rolling your eyes at the mere thought of Lorenzo Berkshire actually managing to weasel his way into your heart.

That boy was no good. He had a pretty face and the charisma to go along with it. He was nothing but a womanizer and you had heard all the stories to prove it. In fact, there was probably an alphabetized list of all the girls that had fallen victim to Lorenzo Berkshire floating around somewhere. He practically had his pick of the litter when it came to the Hogwarts dating pool, and yet for some reason he had landed his sights on you.

You could remember the first time Daphne had brought you to the Parkinson estate, introducing you to all of her friends. He had been their. Young, but charming as ever. He had been kind then. And sweet. But that was just to lure you in. By Christmas that same year you had heard all about his escapades and wanted nothing to do with it.

Daphne, to her credit, had tried to dissuade you, vouching for her friend, but you could never quite see past the swirling whispers that seemed to damper the boy's shine. He was her friend. Fine. He had been her friend first after all, but that was all he'd ever be. A friend of a friend.

But it had been years at this point, of flowers being left in your dorm room, chocolates, even soppy love poems declaring his affection for you, but you were having none of it. And it seemed the more you pushed the boy away, the more determined he was to make you his.

“It’s so romantic though,” Daphne protests, looking like she’s debating fishing the flowers out of the trash can. It was the third bouquet this week. And it was only Tuesday.

“Pft. Manipulative is more like it. He only wants one thing Daph, and you know it,” you reply, collapsing onto your bed with an annoyed huff.

Your friend is silent for a moment, mulling over her words.

"You liked him at one point. You told me so," she says finally.

"Sure, when I was thirteen. He's only after me now cause he likes the chase. He'll get bored," you reply, rolling your eyes slightly and brushing off the girl's comment.

Your roommate lets out a sigh, wringing her hands as she takes a seat on her own bed across the room.

“Oh I don’t think Enz would do that to you. I’ve known him since we were kids. He seems so serious about this.” Daphne replies.

You’d heard Daph say that same thing what felt like a million times over since this whole thing started.

“Yeah, well. It’s going to take a lot more than the botanical gardens to win me over.”

Lorenzo Berkshire was infamously known around the halls of Hogwarts for his flirtatious tendencies. It didn’t bother him much, even though half the things being said about him weren’t true in the slightest. But really what was denying any of it going to do?

Let people think what they want was what he always thought. Only one person’s opinion really mattered anyway. Yours.

Lorenzo had always been the romantic of the group, not that there was really any competition for the title, but still. From the day he met you, he knew that you were the one. You were perfect. Funny, and smart, and kind, always playfully bantering with your friends.

He remembered the summer after third year when Daphne had introduced you to the group. All of you gathered at the Parkinson estate. You had swept Theo in chess and Lorenzo had just sat there staring at you. Completely mesmerized. After that everyone seemed to love you, and you seemed to get along with everyone too. Even him. At first.

The first few months were bliss. Lorenzo loved making you laugh, seeing you smile. He knew then that he was down bad. But then, halfway through your fourth year, it was like a switch had flipped. He didn’t have the faintest clue as to why you suddenly seemed to have a certain level of hostility towards him. But he knew that he missed you.

“What in Salazar’s name could I have possibly done wrong?” Lorenzo groans, head falling back, face in hands as he leans back on the common room sofa. “I thought I was doing everything girls want. I send flowers. I send sweets. I even wrote her heart felt poems about how I feel about her!”

“That is disgusting. Have some dignity,” Draco snorts from his spot across from Lorenzo who just sticks his tongue out at the blonde boy in response.

“Oh hush Draco. I think it all sounds perfectly reasonable,” Pansy remarks, giving Enzo a nod of approval.

“Well it would be perfectly reasonable if it worked! She won’t even give me a second glance. She’s so nice to everyone. Bubbly and sweet and talkative. But as soon as I’m around she clams up! Did you know she’s helping Mattheo with charms right as we speak? Bloody traitor he is.” Lorenzo laments.

To be fair, you had had an upstanding tutoring session with Mattheo for weeks now, instituted my Professor Flitwick, but minor details.

“Well she is pretty talented when it comes to charms,” Daphne says awkwardly, lips pursed as she shifts uncomfortably in her seat, trying not to be noticed.

Pansy squints at her friend, squirming and fidgeting. It was entirely unlike her. She was usually the one with her head screwed on correctly.

“Hold on Daph. You know something. What is it?” She demands.

Daphne looks at the raven haired girl in alarm, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders not daring to utter a word.

“Daph, come on, look at this man. He’s utterly pathetic,” Draco adds, gesturing towards the distressed brunette. Enzo glares at his friend.

“Just spit it out,” Pansy orders.

“She thinks you’re just trying to use her for sex!” Daphne blurts out, crumbling under the pressure.

Lorenzo blinks once. Then again.

“What?”

Daphne just shrugs once more rather helplessly as the group just stares at her as if she would solve all of Enzo’s problems.

“To be perfectly fair, there are a lot of rumors about you that have been circulating for years. I think, you just might be coming off a bit- ah, disingenuous perhaps?” Daphne says finally.

She could practically see the gears working in Lorenzo’s head as he takes in her words. She’s a bit worried she’d broken him when he remains silent for what seems like forever.

“I have so much work to do,” he announces finally, standing up and marching off to his dormitory, a look of fierce determination sketched onto his face.

“Oh now look what you’ve done Daph,” Draco groans, looking at the retreating back of his friend.

“She’s the one who made me say something,” Daphne protests, pointing an accusatory finger at Pansy.

“Shush Draco. None of us wanted to hear him monologue about his undying love again anyway,” Pansy retorts.

To be quite honest, you were feeling a bit ambushed as none other than Lorenzo Berkshire plopped down beside you on the sofa that you had claimed in one of the rather abandoned corners of the library.

“Afternoon love,” he chirps happily, shooting you one of his famous smiles. The kind that normally made girls melt at the mere sight.

“Hello Lorenzo.”

“You never responded to my note,” the boy chatters on, ignoring your clear disinterest in his presence. You really weren’t sure if the boy didn’t notice, or didn’t care.

“What note?”

The boy blinks at you. “The note I sent with the tulips the other day?” He replies, as if it should have been obvious.

“Oh. I threw those away.”

“Oh, you threw them aw- what?” He asks, apparently caught off guard by your nonchalant answer.

“I threw them away, placed them in the trash can, sentenced them to eternal damnation. Do try to keep up Enz.”

“Wha- why?” He splutters, genuinely looking a bit hurt.

You look at the boy raising an eyebrow. "I throw away all of your flowers."

"All of them?"

"Are you daft?"

Lorenzo's jaw is practically on the floor, his ego clearly being knocked down a peg or ten.

"Yes- I mean no- I mean- why are you throwing away my flowers?" He splutters.

Growing increasingly more frustrated, you glare at the boy.

"Can you quite down? And if I can be quite honest Lorenzo, I'm not exactly your biggest fan. It's nothing personal of course, you understand," you sigh, trying to get back to your reading.

Enzo is having none of it however as he tries to replay every interaction he could think of between the two of you. He simply doesn't understand. He thought he'd never been anything but a gentleman to you.

"You don't like me? Me specifically? But- you like everyone!"

It was true. Lorenzo had never heard a bad thing about you from anyone. Not even Draco had a bad word to say since you seemed to go out of your way to show kindness to everyone around you.

"Yes well, you're not everyone else Lorenzo."

Lorenzo's mind races as he stares at you in shock. You looked awfully lovely today. Damn it, stay focused. He just wanted you to see him. Was that too much to ask?

"I'm not just trying to use you for sex!" he blurts out, immediately slapping a hand over his mouth, staring at you wide eyed. Real smooth Berkshire.

With a groan, you snap your book shut, closing your eyes in frustration as you realize that you're not going to be getting any reading done with Lorenzo sitting next to you.

Taking a slow inhale, you turn to get a good look at the boy beside you. Fluffy brown hair, warm, earnest eyes, only marred by the subtle pout adorning his lips.

“Let’s just say I were to give you a chance-“ you start.

“You won’t regret it. Pick you up at 8 tomorrow!” He replies, jumping in, the widest smile gracing his face.

Looking at the boy was like looking at a golden retriever puppy. You knew he was anything but, but how could you say no to that face?

“Alright Berkshire. One chance. Then, I never want to hear about this again.”

He was not going to blow this. He simply wouldn’t allow himself to. Everything that he had been working for these past months was leading up to this, he just couldn’t let it slip through his fingers. Enzo was giddy with anticipation as he lead you carefully down the cobblestone path.

“You better not be leading me out to the forest to murder me,” you call out to the boy behind you, his hands firmly in place over your eyes.

You were only half joking.

Before he even needs to respond, Enzo drops his hands and you’re immediately hit with bright sunlight.

“Where are we?” You ask in shocked amazement, staring around at the garden before you. It was straight out of a fairytale really. Bright, glowing green leaves, flowers of every color. There were even little, glittering sprites dancing about the flora.

“Hogwarts gardens. You never been?” Enzo asks, walking over to a spread on the lawn that you hadn’t even registered yet.

It was clear that he had put in some effort. The soft blanket laid out on the grass was littered with fruits and pastries, even a variety of little sandwiches.

“Didn’t even know this place existed,” you mutter, allowing the boy to guide you to a nice, sunny spot on the lawn.

“I’ve been working out here with Sprout for years. My favorite place,” Enzo tells you offhandedly, popping a strawberry into his mouth.

Under the warm sunlight, he looked unreal. Like an ethereal creature who took a wrong turn and somehow ended up sitting in front of you. You really could see what all the fuss was about when he was staring intently at you, a soft smile gracing his lips.

Wait.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you realize you’d been staring as well, but Enzo doesn’t seem to mind.

“I think Daph mentioned that you were some herbology buff,” you say in an attempt to recover a bit of your dignity.

Enzo smirks. “I suppose that’s one way to put it. I am top of the class.”

“I thought that honor went to Longbottom,” you reply, picking at the food in front of you.

Lorenzo's face turns to a grimace.

"He could be real competition if he weren't a such pyromaniac. Sprout is still giving him the cold shoulder after he almost burned her prized Cobra Lily. Thing deserved it though. Always hissing at me."

You don't know why, but you can't help but let out a laugh at the thought of the Lorenzo Berkshire having an ongoing feud with a plant.

"Haha, yeah. You laugh now, but that bloody plant has been antagonizing me for weeks. I'm one hiss away from dropping the damn thing off of the astronomy tower." He responds sarcastically to your laughter, only causing you to fall into a further fit of giggles. The brunette boy just sticks his tongue out at you in defeat.

"Oh come on now, that's no way charm a witch," you tease, pulling yourself together as you grin at the boy in front of you.

"Yeah, well I've tried every other way I can think of, so it was worth a shot," Enz replies, his joking smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Your grin falters as Enzo's eyes drop to the grass surrounding the both of you and you take in the sudden silence of the gardens.

"It's hard to believe someone actually likes you when you're just another face in the crowd," you say finally, not willing to meet the boy's eyes.

"You don't have to believe me now. I'll wait."

It was a moment of sincerity that you weren't expecting out of the boy. Usually he was all jokiness and smiles. Not a bad quality by any means, but you were never sure when you could trust the boy's words. You felt like you could trust him now though, in that moment.

After that, you find yourself quite enjoying your afternoon. You had forgotten how easily the two of you actually got on when you weren't avoiding the boy like the plague. He had so many stories about the gardens, and it quickly became apparent that the particular spot he had brought you to was his sanctuary. It was nice getting to hear him talk, without all the extra noise and whispers, and off-putting looks from your classmates. You had missed him.

In the days following your garden excursion, Enzo keeps his word- backing off a bit from his pursuit for your affection. He was still around of course as you shared a friend group, but the excessive love poems had stopped and the next bouquet of tulips that appeared in your dorm was addressed to both you and Daph which she was thrilled about.

Over the next few weeks, it did not go unnoticed by you that your eyes had seemingly become magnetized to a certain brunette boy, quietly observing. He'd caught you watching a few times, tossing you one of his famous, dazzling smiles.

Slowly, you find yourself seeking the boy out on purpose as you found that you rather liked the way he had been able to make you laugh so easily that day in the garden. You had forgotten how much fun he was to be around. How warm and happy you felt when he looked at you. And he was rather sweet when he wanted to be. You had known the boy for years at this point. You thought you could read him like a book, but he still managed to surprise you.

In fact, you were as surprised as anyone to find yourself seated next to the boy in your astronomy class. It was a relatively new seating arrangement, but you found that he made the late night class significantly more tolerable. You didn't know what time it was now, but it was late, and you were tired.

"If you fall asleep, I'm not going to catch you if you fall out of the tower," Enz whispers in your ear as you fight to keep your eyes open and trained on the night sky.

"Yes you would, you’re too obsessed with me to let me fall," you respond, still able to feel his breath on the back of your neck.

You couldn't remember when the two of you got so comfortable with one another, but it had happened so quickly you almost didn't realize. Almost.

He hums in response, backing away and scribbling down the name of some constellation before gazing out at the sky once more.

“Whose idea even was it to let sleep deprived teenagers take a class at midnight in a tower without railings. They’re practically asking for a student to fall,” you grumble, slumping against Enz dramatically.

He lets out a soft snort of laughter this time as he continues to chart different constellations onto his parchment. You had finished the night's assignment ages ago and now had nothing to do but watch him quietly, resting your chin on his shoulder as he draws perfect little stars.

“What’s that?” You ask, reaching over the boys shoulder to pull something out of the notebook.

The soft pink color had caught your eye, peeking out of the pages, and a gentle tug reveals the petals of a tulip, followed by a green step. The flower isn’t as vibrant as it should be, and is flattened like a book page.

Enzo pauses, looking at the flower carefully.

“That’s from the first time we met.” He says, trying hard to sound casual. He continues to stare down at his notebook, but the stiffness in his arm makes it clear that he isn’t focused on stars anymore.

You scrunch your eyebrows in confusion.

“Pansy doesn’t have tulips at the estate,” you reply, suddenly feeling more awake.

“No. But the greenhouse here does.”

Feeling even more confused, you tilt your head, waiting for Enzo to go on.

He carefully plucks the flower out of your hand, tucking it safely back into his notebook.

“The first time we met was in second year. We were learning the Herbivicus charm and I just couldn’t get it. But you got it so quick. You helped me, and that’s the flower we grew.”

You don’t know what to say. You don’t even remember that day. It seemed so insignificant to you at the time.

“And you kept it?” You ask, your confusion amplified by your sleepy haze.

“I liked you,” is all you get in response.

You’re quiet after that, watching silently as Enzo scratches away at his parchment. His eyes flickering over to you nervously every so often. It was strange seeing him without his usual confident smirk.

As class eventually wraps up, the two of you slowly make your way down the winding staircase, quickly falling behind the other students who were racing off to get some much needed rest.

Your feet reach the final step with a muffled thud as you come to a hesitant stop. Normally this is where you and Enzo would split off for the night, but looking up at the boy, rays of moonlight glowing across his face, you can’t find it in yourself to move away.

With a sudden wave a confidence, impulsiveness, and probably a fair bit of deliriousness, you find yourself grabbing onto the collar of Enzo’s shirt, pulling down, and crashing his lips onto yours.

It takes a moment for realization to fully hit Enz, but you quickly find yourself back against the cold stone wall, Enzo’s lips still firmly on yours, deepening the kiss as he boxes you in. He moves against you with sheer lust, years of pining pouring out.

You vaguely feel his hand moving up your thigh, gripping tightly at your waist before moving up to cup your face, thumb brushing against your cheek softly tilting your head up further as his lips move against yours.

It’s hot, and dizzying, and just, right. You’re not quite sure how to describe it.

When Enz finally pulls away, you can feel his breath against your lips from his soft pants as he looms over you.

“I think a like you too,” you murmur, lips just barely brushing his with every word.

That’s apparently all Enzo needed to hear before he’s practically carrying you back to his dorm.

It’s a blurry haze as you find yourself pulling him onto the bed, lips connecting once more as your bodies move methodically against each other. It’s as if you’d simply turned off your brain, any worries or doubts scattering to the winds as Enzo’s warmth overtakes you.

The next morning a wave of icey cold fear washes over you as you realize what you’d done. What had you been thinking? All these years of avoiding him and for what? Rolling over in the tangle of sheets, Enz is still fast asleep, bathed in streams of sunlight peaking through the curtains. He really was gorgeous.

“Mornin love,” his voice shaking you from your thoughts.

“Hi,” you reply cautiously, turning to meet the boy’s eyes.

His eyes shine as he grins contentedly at you, pulling you closer so your noses are practically touching.

“I can tell what you’re thinking. Stop it. You’re stuck with me now,” he says, pressing a quick peck onto your lips.

Your face grows warm as he continues to pepper your face with kisses.

“I don’t ever want to leave this moment,” you sigh.

You can feel Enzo’s smile.

“I’m that good am I?” He asks cockily.

You snort. “Don’t want to have to admit to Daph that I can actually tolerate you for extended periods of time.”

“Aw, c’mon now love, don’t be like that,” Enz chuckles, tapping your nose lightly with his finger.

You can’t help but let out a small laugh as you feign annoyance, batting his hand away.

“I’m going back to sleep. I don’t want to deal with you anymore,” you tease, rolling over.

Enz just laughs, snaking his arm around you and pulling you close, pressing a kiss on the back of your head.

“Now that I have you, I’m not letting you go,” he murmurs as you allow your eyes to flutter shut once more.

“Wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.”

Did I start writing this way back in April? Yes. Do I remember what the original plot was going to be? No. Is this edited? Also no.

Anyway, Live Laugh Love Lorenzo Berkshire🤪

[engin-program]

🌟 We’re back with Part 2 of our 3-part “Meet an ENGin Member” series, introducing ENGin champions who are helping our program thrive! ✨

👩‍🦳 Sahajananda Saraswati is a retired yoga teacher who has lived all over the United States. Originally from Manhattan, she recently moved to The Berkshires, Massachusetts. Sahajananda has a long history of helping others in her profession and even spent ten years living at an Ashram.

💻 She found out about ENGin after a long search for the right opportunity and decided to apply. Sahajananda said she was nervous at first, unsure if she would know how to help someone learn English. That anxiety quickly dissipated when she met her student Alina.

💬 “We both love to talk with each other and share parts of our lives with pictures and stories… Often, we get so caught up in talking about our lives that the other projects we talk about go by the wayside.”

🌟 The program has been incredibly rewarding for both student and teacher.

💬 “I feel so honored to be involved in Alina’s life and share my life with her. I never thought something like talking with someone would be so rewarding. The idea that all I had to do was talk to someone, and not be trained in ESL was a major draw for me to take the initial step and get involved.”

👩‍💻 Beyond her sessions with Alina, Sahajananda organized a Facebook fundraiser for ENGin and recently became an ENGin member in March. She says that having direct experience of how powerful ENGin is inspired her to donate.

💬 “I support organizations that I believe in…I honestly don’t see why anyone would not jump at the chance to converse with someone who wants to improve their life by improving their English. I get so frustrated and often feel hopeless about what I can do to support the citizens of Ukraine in this awful war. I feel so blessed that I can do even this little bit.”

🧘‍♀️ Outside of volunteering, Sahajananda still teaches some yoga and volunteers at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens and another local community garden. As her student’s mother is also passionate about gardening, they regularly swap photos of flowers and plants. “It’s a very sweet relationship with both of them.”

🤩 Has Sahajananda’s story inspired you?

🌎 For more information on ways to support ENGin, including enrolling in our membership program, please visit https://www.enginprogram.org/donate-page. 💻

You can also reach out to egross@enginprogram.org with questions about membership benefits and how to enroll.

[webionaire]

In 1996, Gregory Crewdson spent a summer photographing fireflies each evening at his family’s cabin in the Berkshires. While the resulting body of work was a departure from his elaborately staged large-scale cinematic pictures, Fireflies speaks to the most elemental features of photography itself: beauty and meaning derived through light. Twenty-five years later, a selection of these small-scale black-and-white images have returned to the Berkshires, on display in a specially darkened exhibition space at the Botanical Garden.

[petergerakaris]

Spotted Owl Mosaic — A Site-Specific Installation by Peter D. Gerakaris for the Berkshire Botanical Garden, translated into mosaic by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios. Curated by Beth Rudin DeWoody. 81 in. x 92 in. x 12 in, Glass Mosaic on stucco wall w/ live plants. 2021. Permanent Collection of the Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG). Photos Courtesy: BBG, the Artist, & Mary Gerakaris Spotted Owl Mosaic translates Peter D. Gerakaris’ vibrant original painting into a site-specific garden mosaic installation, presenting these endangered owls as  Neo-Byzantine icons of our contemporary environment.  Enveloped by plants, the architectural garden folly welcomes the public through a nostalgic sense of place — like a fragment of civilization reclaimed by nature. The mosaic process itself — which literally creates new imagery from broken fragments — underscores notions of rebirth and the mending of society’s fractured relationship with the environment.

Artwork & images ©Peter D. Gerakaris. All Rights Reserved More about this public artwork: Project portfolio: https://www.petergerakaris.com/spotted-owl-mosaic-berkshire-botanical-garden Short video doc: https://youtu.be/dL_jhKzl68Y Article: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/southern_berkshires/berkshire-botanical-garden-art-first-grade-teacher-reaction/article_8cd3e084-2847-11ec-8e41-436efd31b5d4.html

[devonellington]

Thurs. June 16, 2022: Garden Visit

Thurs. June 16, 2022: Garden Visit

Fountain at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Phobo by Devon Ellington Thursday, June 16, 2022 Waning Moon Third Quarter in Capricorn Pluto & Saturn Retrograde Cloudy and humid There’s quite a bit to write about this week. The hanging geranium basket slipped from my hands when I tried to put it back on its hanger last week, after a storm. It crashed the two stories below and broke on the asphalt.…

[iberiancoppers]

Thank you Deke and Claire from @thetarbaybotanist for your kindness, allowing us to share some of these beautiful pictures of your copper stills. We're delighted and proud to follow your success, making sure your botanicals that are home-grown or locally sourced where possible. Congratulations on your carbon negative business and environmental care while producing your gin.  * » The Tarbay Botanist thetarbaybotanist.com "Created to provide a local gin to local people and is currently Windsor's only gin distillery. The first gin developed was The Windsor Batch which is made all year round. It is our version of a classic London dry gin and has flavours of Lemon Balm, Lavender and Rosemary. In 2020 The Windsor Batch was awarded a bronze award by The International Wine and Spirits Competition (@IWSC). The Tarbay Botanist also creates seasonal varieties of gin throughout the year using botanicals that are home grown or locally sourced where possible. We believe that all our different batches are flavour balanced gins rather than just gin with added flavour. The Country Garden is a summer gin with flavours of quince, elderflower and lemon and The Fireside is a winter festive gin with flavours of tangerine, cinnamon and spice." * » 2,5 L Distilling Column Alembic Premium, Thermometer & Electric Plate » Split Top Rotating Column Copper Alembic Stills * We invite you all to enquiry about our equipments at info@copperalembic.com (at Windsor, Berkshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU7nUJuMkIK/?utm_medium=tumblr

[thelifestyleeditor]

CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS:

Who are you: Jules Hogan

What is your work: Design knitted garments and accessories

What is your:

Website: www.juleshogan.com

Twitter: juleshoganknit

Instagram: @juleshoganknitwear

Facebook: juleshoganknitwear

Describe your work in 5 words: Natural, simple, slow, crafted, timeless.

Can you tell us a little about your what you do? I’m a knitwear designer maker based in Berkshire, UK. My designs are inspired by the everyday, botanicals and patchwork crafts. The basis for the collection is simple shapes, natural materials and muted colours, designed to flatter and enhance the body and suitable for men and women. Time is spent selecting the perfect shades to flatter different skin tones. Many of the designs are knitted by myself, but helped by master knitters in Scotland, and have recently started working with a family-owned factory in Nottingham.

Can you tell us about your career journey and how you got to where you are today? I graduated in 1995 and the collection won the Graduate Fashion Week Knitwear Award, and the Winchester School of Art Colour award. Whilst studying at Winchester, I developed a love of colour and dyeing techniques. My first job was as a colourist for a design consultancy in London, where I produced colour samples for designers and high street stores, including Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Sir Terence Conran. I’ve always been multi-faceted, so spent time producing print designs and embroideries during this time, and continued this once I had moved on, working freelance for a design studio. For my next appointment, I worked with Gary Rooney and we designed and produced knitted ideas for fashion houses and retail outlets. These designs were sold in Europe and the USA. A highlight was working with WGSN, a trend agency, because we were able to create inspirational textiles without restraint.

Where is your office/studio, and what is the view out of your window? My studio is at the end of the garden positioned under an old Oak tree. Looking out of the window, I can see a bird feeder (I love watching the Robins and Finches), my tiered vegetable patch, garden and the house.

What is the first thing you do when you get to work? The first thing I do is open the blind to let in natural light and turn on the radio, usually Radio 4, as I enjoy the hum of voices as I work and its always an education!

What are the tools of your trade? A knitting machine, yarn, machine tools, several pairs of scissors and snips, and a notebook, which I carry everywhere for those inspiring moments.

What can’t you work without? I’m very resourceful and can work with very little, but I can’t live without being able to create, having access to the outdoors and those moments of calm and relaxation.

Why do you love what you do? I love that being my own boss has given me freedom and I can work at my own pace. Since becoming self-employed, I have increased my social circle, meeting up with like-minded creatives and designing intuitively.

Who or what inspires you? The beauty of the everyday inspires me the most. It can be simple items we have in our homes, the hedgerows on my daily dog walks, lichen on a rooftop and even a tiny flower growing in the crack of a pavement.

What is the best advice you have received? The best advice I received was by a gentleman I met very early on in my career, David Shah, who said, “It’s important as a creative to be your own boss”. It took over 20 years, but I’m pleased to be at this stage now.

One moment in your career you will always remember? The moment I remember the most was getting the results for my degree. It was an emotional time with family illness, wanting to be at home, but knowing it was important to put in the work and finish the course. I was thrilled to receive a first class BA…you can imagine the relief and I broke down in tears.

What is the worst part of your job? The isolation of day-to-day working from home, but social media has helped an awful lot and being part of a network of creatives.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Seeing my textile designs on the catwalk and in shops, but also where I am now, running a creative business.

What are you working on at the moment? The right decision for all, but like many, it was very unsettling being in lockdown as plans were altered, shows cancelled and everything stopped. Once I had adjusted to our new way of life, I decided to use the time wisely and allowed myself to experiment (creative play), and try ideas that had been in my thoughts for a while. This has included working with woven fabrics, patchwork and darning. I’m really pleased with the results so far, and the designs are having a favourable response. Things have gone full circle and after a break I’m getting the dye pots out again, and introducing some botanical dyeing into the collection.

Can you share some favourite websites or instagram feeds?

Some of my favourites are:

@niki.at.the.cottage - One of the first people I followed on Instagram, a seasonal journal, gardening, books, and recipes.

@kathryn_davey - Natural dye textile study and tutor. I took part in one of Kathryn’s workshops last year and its helped me to fall in love with extracting dye from plant material.

@nakedclayceramics - Gorgeous ceramics in earthy tones. Beautiful glazes and subtle details.

@lobsterandswan - account for Jeska Hearne photographer. Jeska’s images have a narrative and you feel part of them. I am honoured to have bespoke items stocked in the online store (@thefuturekept) she shares with her partner Dean.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to do what you are doing? Learn as much as possible and continue learning - it keeps things fresh and exciting!

Do you have a secret ambition still to achieve? I hope to introduce some woven garments to sit with the knitted pieces.

What is your personal motto? ‘Nothing happens before its time’, is something my Mum always says. It’s important to have patience and if its meant to be, it will happen.

If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it? If I had an extra hour I would like to think I would rest, but in reality know I would fill the time ‘doing’!

How would you like to be remembered? A maker of pieces that bring joy…thoughtful, honest and caring.

Thank you Jules for talking to The Lifestyle Editor.

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Song Sparrow in Stockbridge 10/14/23

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Hibiscus, Berkshire Botanical Garden, watercolor, 15x11 inches.

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Now, the Berkshires seemed dreamlike

Now, the Berkshires seemed dreamlike

Welcome to day 19 of 31 Days of Heterotopias: Motels and Hotels, a month of posts about how motels, hotels, and inns function as heterotopias and liminal spaces in society.  (More about heterotopias and liminal spaces.)  Each post will look at these ideas from its own vantage point, which may not obviously connect with the others, and which may mention motels and hotels only peripherally or may…