I have three beautiful children, two were planned and one was a wonderful unexpected gift.
Since her arrival I do everything in threes….much to the amusement of my family . I am ‘ three’ obsessed.
Some of my customers will also be rolling their eyes as they read this having been lectured on the implications of two sunflowers peering out of a bouquet like a pair of optometrists goggles 😳
We work long hours at go.botanica and operate more than 350 days per year so, regardless of how flattering it has been to be offered new sites over the years we have always shied away from the idea in an attempt to maintain a work / life balance.
Pah! I should have known that it couldn’t last! In May 2016 we opened our beautiful new shop at Haywards Heath Station.
There has been a florist at this station for over thirty years so we had big shoes to fill.
Ripping out the archaic walk-in fridge, revealing the original ceiling height and reconfiguring the layout has transformed the work space and the shop looks fabulous.
Bringing the go.botanica brand a few miles North has not been without its problems, aside from the sheer exhaustion of adapting to running three shops to our usual standard we have been blighted by the enormous Waitrose building project next door which has included closing the drop off points and pavements to the front entrance where we are situated and of course the shambles that is currently Southern Rail.
I am going to resist the temptation of getting on my soap box about Southern, suffice to say their antics are no longer an inconveniences to their passengers, they are life changing.
Delivering real misery to real families and real businesses.
Fast forward six months and Waitrose is almost finished and the drop off point is functioning and go.botanica Haywards Heath is well on its way to running under full steam.
We have been overwhelmed by the loyalty of our customers during such a tricky trading period and owe much to our fabulous delivery driver John for taking the strain.
So…..just as we were catching our breath along came baby no 4! …….
Lewes opened in November and it has been a whirlwind! I haven’t written much about Lewes until now because due to a planning issue we were forced to open half cocked, but I am delighted to report that as of last week the shop is starting to look like we had intended.
With planning consent to remove a ‘carbuncle’ suspended ceiling complete with operating theatre lighting we have now revealed the stunning arched windows and original ceiling height and the shop is light, airy and the perfect backdrop for our beautiful selection of flowers, foliage and glass ware.
Lewes has a plethora of venues that we have worked in many times over the years and we are really excited to be bringing go.botanica’s grab and go bouquets and our bespoke events service to this gorgeous corner of Sussex.
But what about my OCD in 3’s ?
2+0+1+7= 10 /4 = 3 😜