My Story
Started
with seeds.
Got a bit
obsessed.
I’m Nicola – flower grower, reluctant rule-follower, and the person who’ll tell you that most gardening advice is more complicated than it needs to be.
I’ve done a lot of the trial and error already. Thought you might like to know what I found out.
My patch is not a show garden. It is, however, full of flowers – and that’s the part that matters.
how i got here
From seed packets and
a lot of optimism.
What started as seed packets and a lot of optimism has turned into something I genuinely didn’t plan. I grow all my flowers from seed on a small, chemical-free plot, and over the years I’ve become fairly ruthless about which ones earn their place and which ones don’t. Spoiler: the ones that earn their place are almost always the ones that need the least from you.
I fell into drying flowers almost by accident, and I’ve never quite fallen back out. A bunch of strawflowers in February still smells faintly of July. I find that rather wonderful.
The honest version of me is a lazy gardener. I’ve spent a long time working out how to grow more with less – less time, less faffing, less money, and less impact on whatever’s living in the soil beneath my boots. My garden isn’t pristine (and that’s how I like it), but it’s full of life, promise, and peace.
Bramble & Beyond exists because I think a lot of people want what I’ve found (flowers in the house, a reason to be outside, a small thing that’s entirely theirs) and feel like it’s probably too complicated or too time-consuming for them. It isn’t. I’m here to show you that.
what i believe in
Three things that sit underneath
everything here.
Growing cut flowers at home should feel inviting, not intimidating. Whether you’re starting with a single pot or a proper cutting patch, there’s no bar to clear and no right way to do it. No jargon. No pressure.
Creativity isn’t about talent or the right kit – it’s about getting your hands in the soil and making something that’s yours. Growing, drying, arranging: the process is the point, not just the result.
I work with the seasons and try not to make a mess of things while I’m at it. Chemical-free growing, natural drying methods, materials that don’t cost the earth – in both senses.
a few of my favourite things
The bits that have nothing
to do with flowers.
Favourite film
Calamity Jane or The Matrix (my taste is varied, I make no apologies)
Coffee order
Tall black filter (I’m a no frills kind of girl)
Couldn’t live without
Dahlias (obviously!)
Favourite destination
The Lake District, England (It will always feel like home)
My guilty pleasure
Watching any Christmas movie at any time of the year (yes, even in July)
Favourite Colour
Bright Pink (well any shade of pink really, I always seem drawn to it)
On repeat
David Bowie (I can never get enough)
Current Growing Favourites
Dahlias, Zinnias & Larkspur
Want to know which flowers
are right for your garden?
Take the free Lazy Grower’s Flower Planner quiz. Four questions about your space, your schedule, and your honest effort level. A personalised cut flower list goes straight to your inbox – with sowing times and the no-fuss notes that actually matter.
Takes about two minutes. Your results land in your inbox along with weekly growing guidance.
The flowers you get are matched to your actual garden – not an idealised one.
Just flowers that will actually work for you, with honest notes about effort level.