Connect with Nature (and Escape Winter) Through Books

This morning the view out my window is very wintry. Changeable grey skies. Dirty snow and ice. We've had a couple tastes of spring this month. The temperature rising, the snow melting, that damp feeling of promise, a tease of what's to come. But spring is still a long ways off. I'm all for the Danish concept of hygge and the Norwegian koselig, but when you're dreaming of flowers and warm earth, candles and blankets and hot tea aren't quite what you need.

My house is filled with plants and they help with the winter blues, especially now that the orchids are starting to bloom.

It's easy to guess what I'll be painting next.

I've started some sprouts in a jar on the kitchen counter and I'm dreaming of what to plant for this year's outdoor garden. All of that helps.

Another way I like to escape winter is through books.

Here are some I've recently enjoyed that you might, too.

• Botanica: A Mixed Bouquet of Art, Design and Ephemera Volume B in the UPPERCASE Encyclopedia of Inspiration -- This one isn't quite like the others, but It is so beautiful (and inspiring) and filled with botanical goodness that if you haven't yet gotten your hands on it, you should. (And I'm featured in it, which is extra fun). Janine is working on her plan for the next set of volumes of the encyclopedia right now. I'm looking forward to learning what the themes will be. So far in addition to Botanica there's been Feeds Sacks and Stitch*Illo, both beautiful and inspiring.
• The New Bohemians Handbook by Justina Blakeney -- If you're looking for inspiration to give your home "good vibes" (and bring more greenery in while you're at it), this book is for you. Justina is the founder of Jungalow.
• The Aromatherapy Garden by Kathi Keville -- Need fragrant ideas while planning your summer garden? This book is filled with them. Too bad it's not scratch and sniff.
• Rooted in Design by Tara Heibel &Tassy de Give -- This book on indoor gardening is focused on creating stylish and dramatic arrangements of plants. Paging through it really makes me want to go plant shopping.
• Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces by Michelle Slatalla -- while most of these carefully designed and maintained gardens are much too formal for my tastes, it's fun to armchair travel to beautiful gardens. My favorite is the "Rainbow of Garden Annuals" in Mill Valley, California. (You might want to visit the Gardenista blog, too. I loved this recent post on scented geraniums).
• Botanical Style by Selina Lake -- I love Selina Lake's aesthetic. Vintage, cozy, floral. This book is all the things I love about her with a specific botanical bend.
• Decorate with Flowers by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring -- Cheerful, bright pastels against lots of white and flowers, flowers, flowers.
• Patina Farm by Brooke Giannetti and Steve Giannetti -- the authors built their farm in Ojai, California with antiques and architectural salvage. The aesthetic of the home is more formal than I prefer, but the gardens... oh my! You might want to scroll through Brooke's blog. Such beauty! Plus there are donkeys and chickens.
• Foraged Flora by Louesa Roebuck and Sarah Lonsdale -- floral arrangements that include more humble and overlooked varieties, some of which are wild. The resulting arrangements are anything but humble.

What's been helping you make it through these winter days?