Nature journaling has become a popular trend, perhaps one of the positives to arise from time in lock down, or perhaps a response to our realisation of the need to have tangible memories, personal reflections and the benefit of being closer to nature.

If you need some inspiration, simply search for ‘nature journaling ‘ on Pinterest.

Past time

Wind back a couple of centuries and we see that the recording of nature by amateur artists was considered a respectable hobby for ladies with time on their hands. Many of these endeavours were never shared publicly, but instead ended up in dusty attics, too beautiful to throw away but of little interest to next of kin.

That is until a few generations later … some of these beautiful recollections and artwork have been discovered by family members and brought into the light, receiving more admiration now than they may have done at the time. As with many talents, the time these ladies were able to dedicate to their work, and their care and attention, has enabled them to master depiction of their local flora in a beautiful and enduring way.

The Country Diary

The most famous example is the publication known as ‘The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’. This was a collection of nature notes and illustrations made by Edith Holden, originally as an example to the children in her class that she was encouraging to do similar. Most were created in the pre-war years at the beginning of the 20^th Century. Following her untimely death, on 15^th March 1920, the work was consigned to an attic until found by a family member in the late 1970s. Recognised for the beautiful record that it is of a quieter, pre-industrial time, it chimed with the charming and romantic back-to-nature ethos of the 1970’s (think Laura Ashley at her vintage peak!). One publishing deal later, it became an overnight success and the images have appeared on everything from mugs and tea towels to calendars and embroideries ever since. An enduring appeal of nature captured in the moment.

Climate Record

One of the fascinating things about these records is the indication they give for us of what plants and varieties were common in previous times. Especially with our growing recognition of the impact of climate change on our native flora, it is wonderful to have a record going back to before such concerns were present in our collective mind, an honest depiction of what was, providing a comparison now with what is.

Venturing into our own natural forays – aided by the digital cameras, ubiquitous in our mobile phones – we’re able to create a modern day record of flora through the seasons. It’s instantaneous, allowing us to capture all, and it’s also possible to make use of plant ID apps though I find myself preferring to learn from the images and notes captured a century or two ago. There is a skill in nature drawing that enables the qualities of any particular plant to be illustrated realistically and completely, artists will often use an array of specimens to inform their image, it is art as education.

The Frampton Flora

Where I live in Gloucestershire, we have a local equivalent of Edith Holden’s Country Diary, produced by the women of the Clifford family. Working collectively, and a little earlier – between 1828 and 1851 – the sisters Elizabeth, Charlotte, Catherine and Mary Anne and their aunts Charlotte Anne, Catherine Elizabeth and Rosamond, all lived in or near Frampton, in the Berkeley Vale at the western edge of the Cotswolds, and diligently spent their time creating and curating an impressive collection of images of native plants. Working together would have enabled them to share knowledge of the plants, and techniques for depicting them as well as the encouragement and inspiration needed to create such an extensive selection.

These illustrations too spent their time in an attic, perhaps a rite of passage or an artistic curing process before we are able to appreciate their true beauty. They came to light in the 1980s at Frampton Court, their family home, and have been admired as among the best examples of their generation – “bold, exactly observed and skilfully executed” (Richard Mabey).

The much-loved flower-hunting grounds for these artists included their immediate environs of Frampton, and also Charlotte Anne’s home, Stancombe Park, and the surrounding woods of Stinchcombe, the location for many of the choicest plants in the collection.

They provide a faithful recording of nearly all the wild flowers common at that time, as well as some garden plants. As such, they are a reference for my local herb group as we explore the same area together nearly two centuries later. The book produced by Richard Mabey, titled ‘The Frampton Flora’, contains the illustrations and commentary and has become our companion handbook to discovering what remains and what has changed in the corner of Gloucestershire we love so much.

Your journal

You may not consider yourself an artist, but I’d still encourage you to sit with a plant, pencil and paper in hand, to observe and to see what you produce. It may not be as beautiful or as faithful to the original as you’d like, but you will have absorbed so much more memorable information about the plant through those calm moments spent with it. Do this often and you will gather your own nature journal to reflect upon and perhaps bring delight to future generations.