And the worlds that Belle helps to create are not, as far as she’s concerned, confined to fantasy. She practices what she preaches, detailing her own rustic, beautiful and purposefully slow life in a Somerset village, where she spends many of her days cultivating her garden; gambolling through beautiful landscapes; and documenting it all for her 64,000 followers on Instagram.
Here she shares some of her digital fancies, from the podcast that helps her to grow her cutting garden to the blog that allows her to nosy around the houses of the great and good.
My favourite website...
Cabbagesandroses.com. I started working with Cabbages when I left school at 18 and still work with them now. On the website you can buy everything from the most beautiful dresses to the most beautiful napkins – and probably in the same print! What more could you need?
My favourite app...
TikTok! A new obsession of mine and ever so addictive. I can spend hours scrolling through as your feed is completely random. I downloaded the app at the beginning of lockdown last year and started posting short videos of my life in the country and it blew up overnight! I now post them to my Instagram reels too. There’s something quite magical about filming a moment, over photographing it. Perhaps because I use my camera for work everyday, the videos give me another outlet.
My favourite blog...
Bible of British Taste because I’m nosey and love old original houses and reading about who lives in them.
My Internet hero...
Amanda at mysimplehome for being my mama, best friend and for inspiring me every single day. I’m not sure if she counts as an ‘internet’ hero as she can’t even turn a television on. But she’s rather good with the camera and on eBay.
My favourite podcast...
Lately, I’ve been listening to Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange by Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson. I spend so much time in the garden and I love to grow flowers so I have something to cut every month of the year. Sarah and Arthur give tips to those who, like me, aren’t so naturally green-fingered.
My favourite YouTuber...
I only ever use YouTube to do a quick Yoga session!
My most recent buy online...
Around 250 wildflower plugs for our lawn. I spent most of the last bank holiday weekend planting them out in the sunshine. We won’t see the results till next spring.
Last book you downloaded or read...
My brother recently gifted me the Accidentally Wes Anderson book. I have followed the @accidentallywesanderson account on Instagram for years and have always been in awe of the dreamy aesthetic. The book is pure joy and a real must-have for you coffee table. The perfect travel guide until we can travel again.
Favourite Tweeter...
I always forget to check Twitter. I don’t think it’s for me!
Favourite Instagrammer...
@thelavenderghost; @violet_dent; @rachelashwell; @cowparsley_and_foxgloves; @bibleofbritishtaste; @christina_strutt; @mccormickcharlie; @edit.58; @thelandgardenders; @robinhhlucas; @sean_anthony_pritchard; @themontydon; @johndderian.
Favourite tech gadget...
My Nikon cameras.
The most useful gadget/item on your desk...
My diary. I write everything down. Even if I’ve already completed the task, I write it down and tick it... just so I don’t forget I’ve done it. I’m very forgetful.
Most useful digital resource during lockdown...
WhatsApp. For keeping in touch with my family/friends who felt so far away. But also for working with my clients on shoots from home during lockdown.
Most inspirational digital resource during lockdown...
Pinterest. Always a tool for new inspiration and it comes without the distractions of Instagram.
First thing/app you look at on your mobile when you wake up/in the morning...
Instagram. I love looking through my feed and catching up with a cup of tea. I don’t tend to go on Instagram as much throughout the day.
Last thing you binge-watched...
Bridgerton on Netflix! The costumes, the set design... I loved it.
Favourite brands you have discovered online...
@swancottageflowers – I follow Zoe’s ‘grow-along’ stories religiously for help with my cut flower patch. She also sells the best seeds which sell out in seconds!
Social media allowed me to meet...
@rachelashwell of Shabby Chic. I met Rachel when I was just 14. Ever since, she has been an inspiration, colleague, mentor and friend to me. I will be forever grateful to her for the support and guidance she has given me.
The best digital advice I've been given...
Instagram isn’t for boasting.
My screensaver is...
My sweet dog Peppa. She’s a 10-year-old Shih Tzu. A total baby and very over mothered.
My standout online memory...
When my first interiors photography feature was published in a magazine. To see my name credited was a dream come true.
My pet online hate is...
Passwords!!!
Do you have any online rules or resolutions?
I don’t. But maybe I should. My screen time is around five hours a day and I definitely need to decrease it.
The Internet. On balance, a force for good or ill?
It’s another world. It can be so kind but also so cruel... the jury is still out!
By Nancy Alsop
August 2021
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