Welcome to Spring

Spring is my favourite season. There is a moment when the air changes. A scent that belongs only to late winter and early spring, when the air is ever so slightly warmer.

Buds begin to appear on the trees and the sun starts offering its warmth a little more generously. There is a slight buzz in the atmosphere as winter’s slumber slowly melts back into the earth and the cycle begins again. Perhaps that is what I love most about spring: its sense of possibility. Things begin to open, colour returns to the landscape and, after months spent turning inward, there is suddenly reason to venture out again. This edition of LOST feels much like this. Filled with people and places bringing creativity, beauty and new energy to our little part of the world.

We begin in Hepburn Springs at Cello, the warm and colourful creation of mother-and-daughter duo Kathy and Hannah. We discover the story behind the pair and the intention that has gone into creating a space that feels entirely their own.

In Daylesford, we stop to smell the flowers at Larkspur Flowers. Florist, Elissa has built her practice around seasonality and a genuine relationship with the natural world. Her shop is an ever-changing expression of what is growing now, a fitting story for an edition celebrating the return of spring.

We then enter the wonderfully playful world of Strange Bird Studio, where making something with your hands is reason enough to gather. This is creativity without the pressure of perfection. A space to experiment, make a mess, and perhaps rediscover a part of yourself that hasn’t had much room to play lately.

Then, it’s time for something a little stronger. At Hepburn Distillery, local ingredients are transformed into gin, vodka and whiskey, made by hand in the heart of Daylesford. We meet the couple behind the stills and explore an approach to distilling grounded in place, flavour and a determination to make something distinctly of this region.

We next wind our way up Mount Macedon to Duneira Estate, where history and horticulture have been growing alongside one another for more than a century. Behind the gates lies layers of stories.

Finally, we step inside Love Spell in Kyneton, a boutique born from a love of fashion, individuality and doing things a little differently. Eclectic and full of personality, it is a reminder that some of the most interesting places come from people willing to trust their instincts and create the kind of place they themselves want to find.

There is a sense of emergence running through these stories; of people making, growing, creating and following ideas of their own. Perhaps that, too, is part of the feeling of spring.

So throw open the windows, follow the warmer air and see where it takes you. There is so much to be discovered.

It’s time to get LOST.

Taylor Albioli
Editor