My Story
My background is in sport and leisure, so no surprise, my hobbies followed suit. As a kid, I was dragged around garden centres by my mum and swore plants weren’t for me. Any houseplant I touched seemed doomed.
That changed in 2016. For my birthday I wanted to learn a new skill. My florist friend Kate was running a Christmas wreath workshop and, despite believing I didn’t have a creative bone in my body, I booked a space. On a cold December morning I turned up, Kate reassured me I would make something beautiful; and I did. I left inspired, engrossed, and itching to make more. I made wreaths for family and friends, and the following year I began teaching, passing on Kate’s same reassuring words. Fast forward to 2025, I’ve now run over 50 workshops including one at the iconic Fortnum & Mason. Safe to say that I love it!
So where did succulents come in?
Succulents were one of the ingredients in that very first wreath. I didn’t even know what they were, but I loved their look and versatility and then realised I already had some growing in the garden!
A spring flower show later, I stumbled across a succulent seller and bought a few plants. That was the spark. Suddenly, I found myself on a mission to collect them and today I have a thriving, ever-changing collection spread across my house and greenhouse, much to my family’s amusement. I just love them. The colours, varieties and how easy they are to propagate.
Turning passion into purpose
I set up The Suburban Succulent to turn that love into a business. Making fresh flower wreaths, using succulents in design projects, and selling plants to other enthusiasts for their own collections.
Having a brand gives me a way to share what I do with confidence and care so that when someone buys from me or joins a workshop, they know they’re getting a quality product or a memorable experience from someone who’s genuinely passionate about what they do. Everything about The Suburban Succulent is personal to me. I pour an obsessive amount of thought and detail into every part of the business and I believe that’s what sets it apart from mass producers.
