Country Living UK

Whether you live in the town or countryside, in Country Living you’ll find a wealth of ideas for your home and garden, learn about traditional crafts, keep informed of rural issues, enjoy irresistible dishes using seasonal produce and, above all, escape the stress and strain of modern-day life.

Country Living

A note from the editor

February

emporium • Gifts and buys with a rosy Valentine vibe from our favourite artisans, small businesses and high-street brands

ORDER YOUR COUNTRY LIVING 2025 DIARY & CALENDAR! • Get organised for the year ahead with our beautiful stationery collection, filled with uplifting seasonal images to inspire you each month

The new GOOD LIFE • There’s never been a better time to go self-sufficient. In our ongoing series, Sally Coulthard shares tried-and-tested tips from her Yorkshire smallholding

40 ways TO SPARK JOY • As Country Living celebrates its 40th birthday, we look forward to events, openings and launches in the year ahead, from Regency balls to a new Paddington musical

THE COUNTRY LIVING MARKETPLACE • A NEW YEAR IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR A FRESH START. WHETHER YOU’RE SPRUCING UP YOUR HOME OR TRYING NEW HOBBIES, DISCOVER OUR COLLECTION OF ARTISAN PRODUCTS TO HELP YOU ON YOUR WAY

THE SIMPLE PLEASURES of a WINTER PICNIC • All the inspiration you need for a frosty stroll with a portable feast – and maybe a four-legged friend

MY WILD SIDE DAISY LOWE • The model and wildlife campaigner on bug-spotting, puddle-jumping – and a matchmaking dog called Monty

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE • There’s no need to wait until spring to spruce up your home. Lift the gloom and boost your mood with these energising decorating ideas

WOODLAND TREASURES • Jessica Collin casts foraged finds in silver and gold to create unique pieces of jewellery that tell a powerful story

HIGH JUMPER • Discover more about the hardy, charismatic frog that inhabits our ponds, gardens and woodlands and is a happy portent of spring

ESCAPES WITH THE EXPERTS • Elevate your next holiday by taking along a go to guide – from birdwatching buff David Lindo to top TV historian Lucy Worsley

the RUFF GUIDE TO… RESCUE DOGS • In our ongoing series for dog-lovers, we make the case for adopting a friend in need

ASK THE DOG EXPERT • Veterinary nurse Nina Downing works with the PDSA, the UK’s largest veterinary charity, for pets in need

STAR SAVIOURS

Common RESCUE BREEDS

HITTING the SOFT & SWEET SPOT • In their bakery in West Yorkshire, sisters Oonagh and Jenny Simms have cultivated a cult following for their squishy, flavoursome marshmallows

LOVE magic • For thousands of years, we have called on nature’s most potent charms and spells to change the course of our romantic lives. From unrequited passion to diminishing libido, our amorous afflictions have sparked some eccentric, even drastic, remedies. And, far from being a quaint relic of the past, many of us still draw on those ancient beliefs today. To celebrate Valentine’s Day this month, Sally Coulthard investigates some of her favourites, from the delightful to the downright ridiculous…

LEADING LIGHTS • In the peaceful surrounds of the Essex countryside, the artisans at Lam Lighting champion old skills, honest materials and simple, timeless forms

For when your heart is in the country

“I wanted the FABRIC of the HOUSE to remain UNCHANGED” • When Lucy Ogilvie-Grant moved to a medieval cottage in Hampshire, she was determined to honour its history by reusing and repurposing whatever she could

HERALDS of SPRING • As the garden begins to awaken from its long winter slumber, these flowers are among the first signs of life. Here’s what...