Slow greenhouse days & chai lattes
Not rushing at it, building something to last including communities.
Hello my flower loving friends, how are you?
At the weekend I was in the greenhouse, potting on some iris bulbs and lighting the candles for a little winter joy and pondering over a topic that just planted itself like a seed in my thoughts. Why do we crave instant success/growth/wealth? This question comes from some of my coaching sessions/talks with like-minded souls. I get asked a lot- ‘How can I grow quicker?’ The growth could be anything but it mostly comes down to audience. And my answer is this… Meaningful relationships no matter where they are found are formed over time and happen when there is trust. A connection requires another person. It’s the same if you’re developing a new friendship, a business or growing an email list. Slowing down and showing up builds meaningful relationships and trust. So why are we in such a hurry all the time? I’m afraid it is the modern world, the fast pace of the internet, the feeling that there are so many people out there doing it so much better than us and the doom scroll of social media, not forgetting the rise of living costs and needing to earn more. Let me set something straight now- We can’t stop the world turning, yes there are lots of people doing stuff but that doesn’t make them any better than you, yes there most certainly is room for you too! Building any creative business will take time to generate an income as creative businesses are often just one person with a passion, it requires building something meaningful and that doesn’t happen overnight, trust in yourself, show up and my advice- if you can get a part time job in the early days then do, it will take the stress off. And as for social media, it’s a mindset shift. I come from the generation before phones and social media, when we had to go out to make friends and had to pay for advertising if we wanted to grow a business. I used to advertise my businesses in local mags and newspapers, remember the yellow pages? It used to cost me a fortune. So my mindset towards social media for growth is actually quite positive- once you get your head around why you’re showing up. So what is your ‘why’
My why is this- Because it has to come out! It stems from being a teacher back when I was only 23, I had this need/desire to pass on my learnings/skills to others. This is still as strong in me today, although the subject matter has changed somewhat. It used to be hairdressing that I taught, now it’s flowers and photography and I have this deep need to connect with people and form friendships with those that love gardens and vintage interiors. It’s sharing what you’re passionate about in a way that feels most natural to you. I have to share my loves of these things and pass on my knowledge, I can’t explain why, it’s just deeply routed, to make honest connections. I think that is why I adore photography and writing so much, it’s sharing in the best way I know how- what I do, how I do it and I love reading/replying to comments. I enjoy social media but I prefer this publication as it feels slower, I can take my time with it and it belongs to me. If substack were to go down tomorrow I still have my email list, if social media went down I still have my email list, the connection is still there. So, with those thoughts pondered and passed on, back to the garden and what I’ve been doing this week…
I wanted to create some warmth in winter and share that there is still beauty out there even though we’re longing for spring. The evenings are starting to get lighter but I like to help things along and I light candles everywhere particularly when I’m in the greenhouse. Despite wrapping up warm it’s so cold even in here, lighting candles leads me into a false sense of warmth, there is something so comforting about candle light mixed with seasonal foliage. In the garden all the iris bulbs are popping up that I planted last year, a welcome sight as I’d completely forgotten that I’d planted them. The fancy hellebores continue to bloom and I keep snipping them to encourage more, it seems to be working. I have a go at tidying up the greenhouse, I’ve taken down the fancy cut glass chandelier, my moment of extravagance and replaced it with a hanging candelabra which I must remember to get tea-lights for. Old terracotta pots stacked up on the side bought long before their prices soared into silly money, honestly- £5 for a small pot…
Textures please me in the form of pine cones gathered from the forest floor, moss pulled from my lawn and fallen twigs covered in lichen, as a painter these things bring me no end of fascination. Ivy picked back in November continues to look beautiful so I keep it, twisting it around some wooden shelves and pots. It’s this winter styling that brings a moment of calm and gives me a moment of focus and clarity. I dig up a few iris bulbs for my pots so I can enjoy some indoors and contemplate ordering a bulk load of spring blooms in the green to offer my subscribers.
At the moment I’m helping a friend in her florists and I’m enjoying seeing all the beautiful branches of early blossom coming in. People come into the shop in need of something to lift their winter mood. Early ranunculus and anemones bring a smile to my face. I’d bought a load of corms in autumn to plant out, then I went on to lose them immediately, I found them yesterday so I’ll soak them and cross my fingers. Usually I’m so good at getting these in before Christmas but the new garden and beds threw me from my usual routine. On other garden news I’ve decided where to put the new rose beds- either side of the greenhouse. I was also a bit of a nightmare last night and went on Rightmove, I found a nice house with a couple of acres and in my head I’ve already built a new flower farm with styling studios for workshops. Reality at the moment though, the size I have is more than enough, so I stop my greedy thoughts of acres of land and go back to my chocolate brownie and chai latte. These newsletters are a mixture of creative musings, garden notes, photography and extracts from my journals, time spent in the garden styling blooms and passed on to you for inspiration. All lovingly typed up from my office (which is a coffee shop in Hitchin) once a week. My substack is a free publication but if you enjoy it’s worth and take good things from it, then firstly- you’re welcome and secondly- I wouldn’t say no to a chai latte whilst I’m typing. I’ve since registered with the app buy me a coffee and I’ve included the link at the bottom of the page. It’s so simple, it’s not a subscription, you can choose to buy me one or as many coffees as you like to help support this publication and keep me fuelled up and writing. Also, let me know if you’d be interested in getting some mail order spring bulbs from me, they would be in the green and in small pots.
See you next week.