My Life in Plants -
A Double Issue
Two quiet conversations for the slow days between Christmas and New Year
Welcome to this special double issue of
My Life in Plants. Just for this festive season, I've paired two fascinating & thoughtful Q&A's that explore how plants shape our lives, rituals and creativity. Take your time and enjoy the stories.
The Island Soapmaker
I met Susanna & John by chance this summer - they were visiting the UK from their home on the Danish Island of Ærø and were on a daytrip in Margate. I had a soap stall at the Turner Gallery that weekend & we had a long chat about Island life, the traditional Hot Process soap they make & the different botanicals we use in our soap recipes. An absolute joy to meet fellow soap makers! I then emailed them because this random meeting felt quite special to me & I wanted to share the story of Susanna, John & the Ærø Soap Company with the Bohemia & Flower soap community too!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself - who you are, what you do, and how plants became part of your life
A: My name is Susanna. My husband John and I live on the small Danish island of Ærø. I am German and John, who is of Scottish descent, grew up in Canada. I have three marvelous kids , John has four children. Before we settled here and bought the Ærø Soap Company, I spent many years in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
My connection to plants began early in life; I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t sowing, planting, or caring for something green. Even when I lived in the city, I always found a corner where something could grow. I trained as a nurse and was fortunate to work in a German hospital that used homeopathy, botanicals, and beautiful oils as part of its care. Seeing their effects on our patients made the healing and soothing power of plants unquestionable to me.
When I turned 40, I began weaving and discovered yet another world of botanicals - as carriers of deep, vibrant colours. Today my days are filled with botanical soaps, and in the winter months, mostly with weaving. We keep a large garden full of herbs for the soaps, oils, and creams we make. In July, our 1,000 lavender plants fill the air with the most wonderful fragrance.
We are lucky: the island is beloved by tourists (and for romantic weddings), and many visitors find their way to us in the summer. Our workshop is open, and people can meet the makers behind the products. John is the organiser of it all - I rely on his analytical mind for the office work, orders, customer care… and the essential cups of tea.
Q: What’s one thing plants have taught you that you try to carry into everyday life?
A: As I’ve said before, plants have a remarkable ability to comfort and support us. You don’t need much - just the right plant at the right moment. Sometimes a simple cup of chamomile tea can ease a tense or unsettled stomach. Even a small amount can be enough. With herbs, it’s often best to keep things gentle and not overdo it.
Q: Do you have an everyday plant care or self-care ritual that you’d like to share?
A: A few years ago, I discovered how much I enjoy a simple foot bath. It has become a small ritual - sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening when my feet feel cold. I take a bowl of warm water and add a handful of herbs, usually lavender and lemon balm, calendula or rosemary. Now and then I grate a little soap into the water. Just a few minutes a day - in the garden or indoors - and afterward it feels as if you’re walking on clouds.
Q: If you could save just one plant in an ark for the future, what would it be and why?
A:
That’s a difficult question, because I love so many herbs. But if I have to choose sensibly, I would say marigold - Calendula. It is such a powerful little plant: soothing for small cuts and bruises, vibrant in colour, and wonderfully easy to grow. You can use it in teas, creams, foot baths, and of course in soap. And the bees adore it.
Let’s just hope there are plenty of people on the ark who bring along lavender, rosemary, and all the other treasures as well!
Q: Can you share a recent moment that reminded you why you love what you do?
A: The feeling that we can be part of people’s daily self-care - with products made from organic ingredients, true craftsmanship, and mindfulness - brings us deep satisfaction and gratitude. We get to do what we love every single day. How lucky can one be?
Q: Any advice for someone just beginning their own life in plants?
A:
Find a little space to grow herbs - on a windowsill, the balcony, or in a garden. Add them to your daily routine: in tea, in a salad, or in a soothing bath. Try to be mindful of their gentle scents and subtle flavours. Over time, you’ll become more sensitive to the many benefits herbs can offer.
Come and visit us - the island of Ærø in the Baltic Sea is just 2 hours by train from Copenhagen and another hour on the ship. Aeroesoap.dk & @aerosoapcompany . Plus Susanna's weaving is on Instagram @ceciliasminde. More information about Ærø at visitaeroe.dk
Photo credits: Jessie Jansen Foto @__jessiejansen
"We get to do what we love every single day. How lucky can one be?"
The Floral Creative
When I first started Bohemia & Flower, Jane Hartley of Dove & Myrtle was one of my very first wholesale customers. It was during those very strange lockdown years & it was a difficult time as an event based floral creative, there were simply no weddings or events being held. So Jane did a brilliant pivot to supply bunches of local blooms & gifts from her pop up shop in Hove. Things have once again evolved for Dove & Myrtle with her flower workshop now based just outside Lewes in East Sussex. I absolutely adore her romantic style, it takes real skill and lightness of touch to create bouquets & botanical installations with such a wild & free aesthetic.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself - who you are, what you do, and how plants became part of your life
A: I'm Jane and I founded my creative floral studio back in 2018. I mostly create natural, wild cottage garden style florals for gorgeous weddings across Sussex and Surrey but I also take on other floral commissions and host one-to-one mentoring sessions in my little flint barn between Lewes and the coast. I have always been inspired by the romance of secret walled gardens filled with flowers and I think the love of flowers and plants is in my blood. My granny (Dove) was a florist and her father, my great grandfather Robert Lloyd was a head gardener and garden designer who championed the benefits of nature for mental health patients. He was ahead of his time and coincidentally, my love of gardening and nurturing plants was reignited when I lost my mum and our allotment became a place of much needed peace and solace.
Q: What’s one thing plants have taught you that you try to carry into everyday life?
A: I am so much more aligned with the seasons and the main takeaway plants have taught me is that nature has a cycle and a rhythm we can't control no matter how much we think we can. To accept that in gardening is one thing but it's also had a significant impact on how i choose to live my life in so many ways.
Q: Do you have an everyday plant care or self-care ritual that you’d like to share?
A: I love the ritual of watering my containers as the sun begins to set in the evening and then an early morning meander around the garden before the rest of the world wakes up to see what new shoots have appeared overnight.
Q: If you could save just one plant in an ark for the future, what would it be and why?
A: That's a really hard one! I actually don't think I can choose just one but it would definitely be either sweet pea, hollyhock or a rose.
Q: Can you share a recent moment that reminded you why you love what you do?
A: As a wedding florist, it really is seeing the magic and the happiness our flowers bring to each wedding. Dove & Myrtle's floral style is joyful and romantic and for me, the moment I hand over the bridal bouquet is so special. Seeing my client's reaction is the best feeling and a constant reminder of why I love what I do.
Q: Any advice for someone just beginning their own life in plants?
A: Be open and curious, sometimes an unexpected opportunity presents itself and you never know where it may lead you. I was all set to be a flower farmer and then discovered a passion for flower arranging when I was least expecting it! Do your best not to compare yourself to others and be true to yourself. It's ok if something doesn't work, it truly is part of the process. Oh yes... and always do it for you, not for the "(Insta)gram!", that's a slippery slope for sure. Lean into the natural world and enjoy every moment.
"Oh yes... and always do it for you, not for the "(Insta)gram!"
Jane specialises in bespoke wedding & event flowers, she also runs one to ones, half and full day workshops throughout the year, including table styling with florals & bundle dying fabrics with plants. If you can't make it in person there are gorgeous bundle dying kits available in her online shop, find out more about Dove & Myrtle here and on Instagram @doveandmyrtle
I hope these conversations bring a moment of calm and reflection. This time of the year is great for quietly rejecting our lives. The one major lesson I draw from all My Life In Plants Q&A's is how important it is in life to follow the things that light us up and bring us joy. More interviews and stories can be found here. And to receive future issues of 'My Life In Plants' direct to your inbox simply click here.
