Seasonal Living by SJ Axelby. A Book for Christmas and Every Season

At That’s Christmas 365, we’ve always believed there’s something rather lovely about appreciating the changing seasons.

Christmas might be our particular passion, but part of its magic comes from its place within the rhythm of the year, the darkening evenings, autumn giving way to winter, fires being lit and homes becoming warmer and more welcoming.

That makes Seasonal Living: The Almanac for Home and Garden by artist SJ Axelby a particularly appropriate book to discover as we head towards Christmas.

Published by Pavilion in August 2026, this beautifully illustrated 176-page hardback takes the traditional idea of the almanac and gives it a contemporary twist. Rather than rushing from one occasion to another, Seasonal Living encourages us to notice, enjoy and celebrate what each part of the year has to offer.

SJ Axelby is an interior portrait artist with a background in textile design and a particular love of pattern, colour and interiors. She also created the Room Portrait Club, and her work has appeared in publications including The World of Interiors, Architectural Digest and Elle Decoration.

From spring flowers to Christmas cocktails

The book travels through all four seasons, combining Axelby’s illustrations and reflections with contributions from designers, gardeners, food enthusiasts and other creative figures. Contributors include Lulu Guinness, Clodagh McKenna and Butter Wakefield.

Spring brings ideas for flower arranging, preparing the garden and tablescaping, while summer moves outdoors with picnics, barbecues, afternoon teas and entertaining.

Autumn feels particularly cosy, with preserving and pickling, hearty soups, seasonal walks, pressing leaves, foraging and getting the home ready for winter.

And then, of course, comes winter.

Here Seasonal Living moves into territory that should particularly appeal to That's Christmas 365 readers, with ideas surrounding festive entertaining, welcoming house guests, making cocktails, designing menus and place cards and, that perennial Christmas challenge, beautifully wrapping presents.

A rather lovely Christmas present

There’s also an obvious second reason for featuring Seasonal Living: the book itself would make a splendid Christmas gift.

It isn't a Christmas book in the conventional sense. Instead, it celebrates the little rituals and pleasures that help distinguish one season from another, something perhaps increasingly valuable in a world where strawberries can be bought in December and Christmas chocolates sometimes appear in the shops before the summer holidays have quite finished.

The hardback has an RRP of £12.99, making it a reasonably priced present for someone interested in gardening, interiors, food, entertaining, nature or simply making a little more of everyday life.

And perhaps that's the idea we like most.

Christmas doesn't exist in isolation. Part of the pleasure is watching it approach: autumn leaves, colder mornings, darker evenings, the first frost, Christmas lights appearing in windows and finally the gathering together of family and friends.

Seasonal Living reminds us that rather than wishing the year away as we wait for Christmas, there is something worth celebrating in every season along the way.

Seasonal Living: The Almanac for Home and Garden by SJ Axelby is published by Pavilion. Hardback, 176 pages, RRP £12.99. ISBN 9780008774509.

And to make things a bit easier for you and to make us a small fee, we've arranged for you to be able to buy the book here at our Amazon-powered shop https://link.amazon/B07yZqjVE