January 2021: We are here

Welcome to my first blog post which I aim to update regularly. We've come a long way already since early Summer 2020, when unemployed with a family to support and in the middle of the first Lockdown, I felt I had nothing to lose but dream my perfect business and make it a reality. After much staring out of the window, I put two and two together and recognised that what I had right in front of me was what I loved doing most!

I’ve long had a fascination with transitional spaces having lived in so many different places including Africa and the West Indies, before making England home again. Pot plants have the ability to bring a feeling of permanence, continuity, colour and life into any place and have done so for centuries. I've always loved that sense of optimism and permanence which they bring to a home and the slightly grand feeling of bringing plants inside - as if from the Orangery. It was those comforts I was looking to provide with my idea of selling seasonal potted-up perennials and bulbs.

So with a tiny Bounce Back loan and a whole lot of blind faith, I bought my first consignment of vintage pots (shown in the picture) and began potting up my favourite plants: I indulged myself in girly Marguerite daisies, classical Pelargoniums, herbs and Lavandula 'Hidcote'. We potted up a storm and it was gratifying and exciting to see the orders fly out and before we knew it we were falling into a seasonal rhythm of planting, potting and planning. Since then we have opened an Etsy store, had an incredible Christmas season and expanded our range. Each week we seem to grow just a little bit more and each week we try to add at least one new product to our range.

With a fascination of horticultural history and all things historical and gardens, I'd like to write more about the history of English terracotta pots and the tradition of potted plants in the English home and share thoughts on design and planting ideas, seasonal news from the greenhouse and upcoming new products and collaborations. I love writing (and wrote a blog for years when we lived in the West Indies) and so I hope you will join me as we enjoy the wonderful world of potted plants and seasonal flowers.

Julia