Is it’s ‘Darwin’ history, beautiful buildings and horseshoe river winding around the town? It’s endless festivals, arts trail, theatre, the longest street of uninterrupted independent retailers (one of which I am) or its award-winning market hall?

Maybe it’s the abundance of privately run restaurants and coffee shops, the choice of cuisine they offer in quirky buildings on every street?

Could it be the surrounding countryside, the walks, country villages, and hills to view the county and beyond?

It’s all those things, but for me, it’s the people that make Shrewsbury special, the jewel of Shropshire.

The people who visit for days out, for those that choose to enjoy a staycation here, and the locals who support their town so diligently. Shrewsbury supports its local businesses over the ‘big boys’, and for that I have endless gratitude, it’s not an easy time to be a business owner and every sale is greatly appreciated.

We all pour our heart and soul into our businesses, working day in and day out to keep this town buoyant and vibrant, to not let it fail where others have. So, if you are looking to spend a day mooching around a town, spend a little money and support a town working hard please come and visit us, you won’t be disappointed and, I promise you, we will be delighted to see you!

The Swedish company, Wikholm, feature heavily, for very good reasons; there design, materials and colour are akin to me and my brand. I particularly love all their metal pots, especially the green tones – perfect for complimenting plants.

Mind you, the rust metal ware comes a very close second, love the vintage vibe of it all, and the lack of shine. I’m not a magpie at all, subtle is the way to go for that, “I’ve had it ages” look!

Their hanging planters, baskets and orbs are fabulous too, some rust metal one’s feature in my garden hung from tree branches. They get planted in summer and filled with bird food in winter; it’s a very stylish way to feed the birds!

As Shrewsbury’s main Wikholm stockist I do have a lot of their gorgeousness in the shop, however, I can access the whole range, so, if you see any of the larger pieces you like please get in touch and I can always tag your items to my next order.

Meanwhile, it’s time to order for Autumn and Christmas, so much choice, so many decisions! But, as always, I will only choose what I’d have in my own home, and let’s face it, I probably will take one of everything home!

Just a little FYI – I will never sell the gonks, they are the best gonks coming directly from Sweden but not my thing at all, I prefer to keep it natural!

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Probably not, but the small screen did!  Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did!

So how did I end up on For the Love of Kitchens?

Not exactly flowers or plants, is it?

This episode features a couple who live in Shrewsbury, love their home and garden, and like to bring the outside indoors using houseplants to accessorise every room.

The lovely couple are customers of mine, who one day rushed in full of excitement and cheer,

“Lisa, we are featuring on a lifestyle programme and have been given the opportunity to film in a Shrewsbury store to buy something for our new kitchen, and we just knew we wanted to come here.  Is that ok?”

Well, I wasn’t going to say no! It was more than ok!  Alison and Paul are the kindest people for a start, and I’m always up for a challenge, plus filming sounded like it’d be fun.

And it was, once the crew could work out how to fix my microphone, wearing a jumpsuit wasn’t altogether a good idea and we’d had a good chat about George Clarke we mapped out a plan and settled down to filming.

I thought I’d be nervous but because Alison is super chilled, the film crew just got on with it and I was in my happy place it was easy; I just did what I always do, and they filmed it.  No sooner had we started, we had wrapped (as they say).  Off Alison went down The Wyle Cop with her plants, the film crew following and filming, wow, all done quickly and without any fuss.

Alison and Paul continued to film whilst there beautiful Devol kitchen came together, and then we waited for when it’d air on TV.  We filmed this time last year, so have exercised much patience.

America came first in January; did I say I’m an international TV personality?!?  And then finally this month news came, I was to be on TV on Easter Monday, fab, I can eat chocolate whilst watching.  I messaged all and sundry, “I’m on TV, Channel HGTV at 9pm, 10^th April”.

No spoilers, but I have had a sneaky peak at the programme, and I have to say it’s a beautifully happy story, told with humour and warmth.  Alison and Paul are the stars of the show for sure, and I’m just happy my bit didn’t end up on the cutting room floor!

What will happen next? I don’t think Hollywood will come knocking, but I did enjoy doing it, so who knows? I’ll put good vibes out to the universe and see what happens…

And the best bit?  It doesn’t cost the earth or test your flower arranging skills to introduce some spring flowers into your home.

Simplicity is best, it’s a group of flowers that look best as a single bloom vase, if you want to add some extra va va bloom(!) pop out for a walk and gather some twigs and catkins to add to your spring flower vase.

Want to make more of a statement?  Gather three complimentary vases, fill one with tulips, one with anemone, and another with hyacinths and display them together on a wonderful big tray.  To create atmosphere, add a fragranced candle, light it in the evenings, sit back and admire your floral art!

And if you want to have something long lasting?  Buy some bulbs, pot them up into a beautiful pot or bowl and have them in your home now, once they’ve bloomed plant them in the garden, you’ll enjoy them every year for years to come.

Whatever you decide, some spring flowers will defiantly lift your mood and make you smile, and that my friends, is priceless.

What is a tulip vase, and where did it come from?

Tulip vases are a belly shaped ceramic vase with ‘spouts’, each spout allows you to display a single bloom so you can really observe its individuality. Originally made in delft pottery they are now made in many ceramics, colours and shapes.

Tulips, now synonymous with Holland, probably came from Turkey in 1593, and quickly became a luxury and expensive flower popular with courtiers, county gentlemen and rich merchants.

Tulips were so expensive they were sold individually and those who could afford them wanted to show off their blooms in a dramatic style. The tulip vase was born!

Designs were big and non were more striking than the Blue Delft vases during the 17^th century. Have a google if you want to be impressed and get some inspiration! It is thought the first vases travelled to the UK from Holland with Queen Mary II and her Dutch husband William of Orange; the English court was charmed and soon became hooked, the bigger the better…..and, here we are in 2023, embracing new designs in this unique vase.

Perhaps because our love of tulips is a strong as ever, and these vases really do make a statement and let the flowers sing.

Here at my Shrewsbury shop they are a little smaller than Queen Mary’s but just as beautiful, come and see them and let me know what designs you enjoy.

Bacteria is the enemy within terrariums, you must make sure everything you use is clean, and the plants are healthy and vibrant.

Ingredients List:

• Glass jar with a close-fitting lid, it needs to seal the top.  You can buy cork tops in various sizes to go on a glass vase you already own.
• Clay pellets
• Charcoal fertilizer
• Sphagnum Moss
• Perlite or horticultural grit
• Houseplant compost
• A selection of small plants suitable for terrariums
• Cuttings of easy growing creeping plants that have small leaves.
• Bun Moss
• Cork wood
• Stones/Pebbles, these will need to be washed and sterilised in boiling water.

Depending on the size of the terrarium you are making will depend on how much of the above you need, but you do not want to over crowd your terrarium; you need to leave space for the plants to grow, you’re creating a miniature landscape.

Mix your soil and perlite or grit, you want a 60/40 split.

Clean your terrarium glass jar and dry thoroughly.

Add a layer of clay pellets to the bottom of the jar, followed by a layer of sphagnum moss; this needs to be broken up into pieces and scattered across the pellets.

Over the moss add a fine layer of charcoal fertilizer, and then a couple of inches of soil. You will need to pack the soil down, and if you want to sculpt a ‘mound’ to create interest add more soil.  Take your time, a good foundation is key to a good long-lasting terrarium.

Clean any soil from the sides of your terrarium and clear away any mess.  You are now ready to design your masterpiece!

Layout your plants, bun moss, wood and pebbles how you’d like them to look inside the terrarium, think about colour, shape and form. And don’t overcrowd things, remember the plants are going to grow.

To plant each plant, use a cane or something similar to make a hole to the size of the root ball, pop it into the hole and firm in the soil around the plant.  Each plant needs to be anchored and not wobbling around. Take your time.

Your bun moss needs to be damp, and eased into place, you can use a small paintbrush to push it into gaps.

Add your stones and pebbles, carefully, you don’t want to break the glass! Small pebbles look good pushed into the moss.

Once you are happy with your creation, give it all a good clean, and polish up the glass.  Pop the lid on, it takes a few weeks for the terrarium to settle; it might create too much condensation initially, if the sides are very wet, remove the lid for a few hours, remembering to replace it!

Your terrarium will need to be in a soft light area, north facing is ideal and if you’re working at home, it’s a great addition for your desk!

Once your terrarium has settled don’t be tempted to keep removing the lid, it has formed its eco system and the less disturbance it has the better.   When maintenance is required, make sure your tools are clean and sterilised, and any debris cut is removed.

If your fancy making yours within a masterclass keep your eyes open for our Terrarium workshops held at our Shrewsbury shop on a Thursday evening.

Why have terrariums grown in popularity?

Terrariums, a sealed glass garden, have had a resurgence, last popular in the 70’s, what’s made them popular again?

Let’s look at the history of ‘the bottle garden’, an unintentional discovery by botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in 1842.  He was observing insects in glass jars, and noticed condensation developed during the day that collected in the base of the jar during the evening.   He added some leaf mould and a fern spore to a bottle and low and behold it grew!

Nathaniel went on to create a sealed mini glass greenhouse, The Wardian Case was born; it was used by plant finders to transport exotic plants from warmer climates and then by well off Victorians to keep their beloved tender plants in a clean environment as cities were polluted by industrious smoke and smog.

And is that the appeal?

We’re no longer living in a smoke-filled environment, but we do live in sealed houses with heating and lighting drying out our atmosphere.  We are also time poor; terrariums require NO day-to-day care, maintenance is minimal, perfect for our busy lives.

I know, you’re suspicious, a collection of plants that require nothing?!  Really, yes, nothing to do but enjoy!!   An occasional tidy is all that’s required, no watering, no feeding, and no misting.

I will qualify this; it needs to be a sealed glass jar, those glass containers with a hole in the middle or open at the top are a different matter altogether!

They are fascinating to watch grow, an ideal desk companion; encouraging us to take five!  It’s also a great learning curve for young people, if you want to make one yourself check out my blog on making your own terrarium.

And if you’re wondering what to buy that person who has everything…. You may just have found it, they make ideal presents, and can be ordered by visiting the shop on Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury.

Moss growing over stonework, on the floor of the woods, on tree branches, in my lawn; it is nature at its best, giving us a sumptuous richness in the shadows and shafts of light.

I love the textural beauty of moss, particularly bun moss, you just want to reach out and touch it, it sparks your curiosity and I love that.  It’s why we adore our moss dome dishes, I promise you, you will reach out to touch it, it’s calming and soothing.

I also love it as a base for other natural products, being inspired by where it grows naturally adding ferns, old wood, and stones.  We feature moss in our terrariums, creating undulating curves and texture.

And of course, it’s a huge feature of our Christmas range, enhancing bulb dishes, no bulb is complete without moss; in fact, a narcissi bulb will grow wrapped in sphagnum moss, try it, keep it damp and watch what happens.  It’s the base of our sustainably made door wreaths, enabling you to use it repeatedly, and, of course, as a moss lover I’m happy with a moss wreath, no need to add anything else!

Moss you rock and I love you!

“What do other people call themselves, what are people expecting me to call myself; what and who am I in the directory of life? Oh, I don’t know, it’s complicated, I’ll do what’s expected of me and call my shop a florist!  That’s best, and others will be comfortable with that”

 But it never felt right and confused people because I’m not a traditional florist, and my shop in Shrewsbury is not a traditional florist shop!

It’s taken time and a serious chat with myself to find the words to describe me and my business, and during those chats, I’ve learnt that putting yourself in a box to suit others doesn’t work, we should always be true to ourselves.

When I first opened the shop, I didn’t have the guts to not use the word florist, I mean, I am a florist; I sell and arrange flowers, but my shop is so much more than flowers; it’s full of other botanical delights, with a big accent on you, your well-being and styling your home with living beauty.

I’m inspired by European flower shops, nature, my gardening career, seasonality, textures, styling and being an individual.  I want to encourage you to explore the benefits of botanicals, the pleasure and calmness of bringing the great outdoors indoors.

One day the fabulous branding photographer Ruth Yardy approached me, she felt my message and branding wasn’t right, so we set off on a journey of re-branding discovery!

This involved searching deep into my business, one unsurprising result was the lifestyle florist had to go, as I had no affinity to it, but what to call myself instead?

I aired Botanical Atelier with her, it had been in my head when I opened the shop, but I hadn’t been brave enough to use it.  What did she think? Was it right, we liked the sound of it, but did it fit?

Atelier – a workshop or studio, especially one used by a designer or artist.

Botanical – relating to botany.

Perfect, my shop is a creative workshop of botanical artistry, in my world plants and flowers deserve to be styled fabulously in beautiful vases, and pots creating stunning living interiors that compliment your lifestyle and your home’s décor.

I feel much happier, and my new branding and website was worth all the work, so don’t try to fit yourself  into a box familiar to others that’s not right for you; it’s taken me 54 years and nearly three years in this business to find the bravery to be who I want to be, without explanation, without fear; be who you want to be, step away from the ordinary and be authentically, imperfectly you!  It’s a good feeling, thank you Ruth for the confidence boost to go for it!

But, at some point during its life span your houseplant will grow too big for its pot and need to be re-potted into something bigger.

What are the signs my plant needs re-potting?

Houseplants do not need as much space around their roots as garden plants, they can survive with very little root space so don’t be in too much of a rush to re-pot.  Only re-pot if one of the following is evident:

1: When the roots have filled the pot, a good way to check this is to squeeze the pot, if it’s too solid to squeeze the plant is ready to re-pot.  You may also see roots growing out of the bottom of the pot too.

2: The plant lifts itself out of the pot; ferns are notorious for doing this!  You can see the roots forcing the plant to lift upwards, you will have an inch or so of soil above the top of the pot.

3: Your plant becomes sad, weak and sickly. Growth is slow, and you are constantly feeding it.  If feeding it doesn’t perk up your plant, it really is desperate to be re-potted with some new nutritious soil.

This leads us on to choosing the right soil for your plant.

If your plant is a cactus, succulent, or sun-worshipping plant that loves free-draining soil use Cacti compost.  For all the leafy green plants like Monstera, Philodendron, and Calathea use Houseplant compost. Orchids like Bark compost, and Bonsai’s have their own specialist compost.

Never use garden soil or multi-purpose compost! EVER!!

Right, how much bigger shall I go?

Not much! As I’ve said before, houseplants do not like wet soggy soil around their roots.

Your new pot will only need to be about 1-2 inches bigger than the original. And always use a plastic flowerpot, if you’re recycling one make sure its super clean and sterilise with boiling water.

How to Re-pot your Houseplant

1) Gently ease your plant from its original pot and shake off any loose soil. Trim away any sad or damaged leaves.

2) Put an inch or so of houseplant into the bottom of your new pot and add your plant on top.

3) Fill in around the edges with new compost, making sure you have no air pockets, and the soil is tucked into all the gaps

4) Water your plant

The best time to re-pot your plants is April, once the heating is off and brighter days are here.

Happy Re-Potting my plant-loving friends,