“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey and enjoy every idle hour.”

John Boswell

As I write this, we’ve just clocked up 50 days of Winter (Melbourne, Australia). Just over halfway.

It’s easy to dislike Winter, to wish it away or escape it. We tend to endure it rather than embrace it.

Thanks to the Danish, we have a way, and a word, to be at one with Winter and embrace all things cosy. Hygge (pronounced ‘hoogah’) is more a feeling than a meaning. It’s that feeling of sinking into a hot bath, or sitting around a roaring fire with a glass of red and your favourite friends.

“Hygge, during the short, dark days and long nights, is akin to wintering. To slowing down, allowing the year to fold in on itself, and tending to ourselves and to each other,” says Louisa Thomsen Brits, author of The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well. “It leads to a sense of a rich inner life that radiates out through bleak days.”

You can hygge up your home with candles, books and of course flowers and other  botanical offerings of the season.

Here’s a few ideas for hygge with flowers

Greenery and candles work a treat…

Just a candle with a couple of small branches can create a bit of hygge.

Or for a big space, large gnarly branches can create a moody atmosphere in the corner. (Thanks Prunella Flowers)

Herbs in jars….

Bathroom hygge….

Something bright near a window can brighten the whole space.

Hygge is all about being with the season, embracing it, going slow and creating beautiful and cosy aesthetics to warm the soul. Forage where you can or choose seasonal flowers and botanics when at the florist. They’ll know what’s in season, it’s usually cheaper and in abundance.

Here’s a handy guide for a few of our Winter favourites.