Articles About Joy

The first rose – Primrose

The first rose – Primrose

It isn’t a rose at all, not even in the same family but wow does this beauty deserve the title. Here’s a shout out to the humble, dainty primrose.

The connections plants make

The connections plants make

I don’t think it’s any accident that when we make connections with plants, we make connections with each other. Plants and flowers soften us in a way that’s quite unique.

For a happier winter

For a happier winter

Never in a million years would I have thought I’d enjoy winter but here it is, a happier time than those before.

Changes in 2020

Changes in 2020

I am taking a break from selling edible flowers and The Flower Deli, for the time being, is and will be a place where I explore other things in the world of horticulture.

Oh You Pretty Things!

Oh You Pretty Things!

Last month I was delighted to be invited to bring my edible flowers to ‘Oh You Pretty Things!’ A retro kitsch styled photo shoot lead by photographer Becky Ryan and with a wonderful team of wedding suppliers.

Recent articles

How my garden holds me

The motif of this summer was intense heat and more intense work schedules. A garden participant said to me in one session “how lucky you are to work in this calming garden”. I agree, I am. When I am at either of the gardens I work at I feel incredibly privileged. In...

The gentle flow of flower pressing

Sometimes, when our heads are full of thoughts and concerns, we need more than a passive activity to distract us. But worries are tiring and can leave us too exhausted to do anything energetic in the garden. The gentle flow of flower pressing has all the qualities...

GJC Book Club – The Hidden Life of Trees

Our third GJC Book Club read, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, was recommended by Emily at Garden to Wellbeing and what a fascinating book it is. I also took Emily's lead and listened to the audio book because spring is a busy time for us gardeners and...

Edible flowers for ease, flavour and beauty

I’ve had a few conversations lately with people looking to grow edible flowers for the first time or intentionally wanting to add flowers they grow into dishes. Since edible flowers was my previous business I’m always happy to talk floral food. If you search for...

GJC Book Club – Plot 29

Our second GJC Book Club read, Plot 29 by Allan Jenkins was highly recommended to us by Eleanor from Hope Springs Gardening and what a wonderful choice! Plot 29 is about how gardening can soothe us and bring us peace. Allan shows us this alongside his journey of...

Winter light project

In the northern hemisphere winter has a lot of dark hours, more so the further north you go. For many people that's what makes it the toughest time of the year. Something I do to help my mood in winter is to seek out the light. Here in the UK there are locations in...

GCJ Book Club – Grow Easy

This is a very exciting post because we have just finished our first ever GCJ Book Club read, Grow Easy by Anna Greenland. What a great book to get us started! Before we start talking about Grow Easy, just to let you know that anyone can join the book club. It's just...

Meaningful winter activities

Winter can be a hard time for many people. The shorter, colder days might make it more difficult for us to get outside and enjoy nature in the ways we would at other times of the year. However, there are some meaningful winter gardening activities that we can do to...

Book club!

Like many other people I have appreciated books more than ever in the past two years. I have wishlists on paper and saved in social media, purchases waiting in checkouts, holds placed with my local library and 'to read' books lined up in an orderly queue on my...

Great books about wellbeing and nature

Here are some great books I have on my bookshelf. Some are specifically related to health, wellbeing and nature and some a little more loosely so. However, all encourage us to think about our connection to nature, what it means for us and our role in reciprocating...