“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
New year. Fresh start. Clean slate. Big ideas. High expectations. Let’s do this…….
Of course that was the vibe in week one. Well, week two actually as I took an extended Christmas break to recover from the whirlwind of 2021. It was a very intense year and it almost broke me, definitely a learning curve not to be repeated. New notebook and great intentions were the way forward for 2022.
The first problem was that the 2021 me wasn’t notified of this mindset and literally did a runner from the shop on the 23 December. Cue opening the shop door two and a half weeks later to be greeted by what can only be described as a scene from the “morning after the night before”. The floor was strewn with foliage, orange slices were still trying their best to freshen the air and of course pine needles everywhere. And I mean everywhere! Pieces of paper with random cryptic notes written on them and fairy lights twinkling half heartedly. 2022 me was not impressed. Not the fresh start I was hoping to embrace.
A week of cleaning, mopping, sorting and tidying and the shop has once again taken on the look of a vibrant fresh space. Lots of new houseplants, bulbs, pots and vases. Perfect for filling those spaces left in your house when Christmas trees and decorations have vacated for the year.
January is notoriously a quiet month in retail. Not a lot of footfall to break up the day. There has been a very repetitive, too frequent playing accordion player on the street - but trust me when I say that doesn’t float my boat. But there has been weddings. Actually five weddings in the first month, all small affairs, but a good gentle introduction to the year. Wedding one was a gorgeous dried flower event. It was also rather nerve wracking as the bride-to-be was a wedding photographer - and a very good one too - so of course she has seen a lot of wedding florals in her time and knows exactly what she wants hers to look like. The bar may have been set high but I leapt it well. They looked great and needless to say to the bride loved them! Weddings are a go go for 2022.
Burgundy, coral, white and ivory were the colour themes for the rest of the months weddings and it’s been wonderful to have some variety and play with seasonal offerings in what is sometimes seen as a “difficult” month. British spring flowers are coming through so expect to see plenty of them in the shop over the coming weeks.
The key word for January has been “admin”. I don’t mind confessing that admin is not one of my favourite pastimes. Why spend time typing emails when I could be playing with flowers. But emails don’t go away if ignored, therefore many an hour has been spent catching up on correspondence, quotes, invoices and consultations. It’s the backbone of what I do and definitely one of my resolutions to improve on in 2022. In all honesty I probably could do with a VA to help with email management for me so if you know of any admin angels that could help please send them my way?
I have many grand plans for 2022 and lots of new initiatives and adventures scribbled in the new notebook. But I’ll drip feed them out to you as the year goes on. No point in telling you everything now as have to keep the suspense up all year!
I have found some new exciting suppliers for this year. Boy, I can get carried away over a beautifully photographed trade catalogue. I’ve got some draft orders put together so hopefully there will be amazing new stock in during the spring. Think French brocante style for inside and out, revamp that outdoor space or even just a windowsill. And there are new designs and ranges coming of the already popular botanical gifts I stock. I’m so impatient to see it all come together. One of my plans for 2022 is to increase my non plant and flower offerings. As hopefully the high street comes back to life after the “covid pause” we can tempt more people to shop local and support all the fabulous independent businesses Bideford has to offer.
Scarily, January is pretty much been and gone. Yes it’s a cold and quiet month but sometimes we need that pause in the mayhem to stop and evaluate where we are. Look at where we’ve been and where we want to go. As I said at the beginning I have big ideas and high expectations and I’m relying on the 2022 me to deliver them. She better not let me down!
“Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn’t give in
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin”