Willow & Mabel Garden Co.

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Poulsbo, WA
Willow & Mabel Garden Co.

Willow & Mabel Garden Co I am an English transplant living outside of Seattle, USA. Well, it did not beat us. I am very nervous and very excited too.
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For most of my life I have enjoyed growing vegetables and flowers but just as a hobby and a way to relax after a day at the office. A couple of years ago, my husband and I and our two teenage boys moved from our beautiful self-built house into a 100 year old dilapidated farm house on 5 acres of land. I think that everyone thought that we were crazy and had taken on a DIY project bigger than even m

y carpenter husband could tackle. My husband and two teenage boys, with help from lots of friends, transformed that dilapidated farm house into a wonderful, welcoming home that we are all so happy living in. Last year I was flicking though a magazine and came across an article about two women who gave up their office jobs and followed their dream of becoming farmer-florists. I read, and re read this article and thought how I would love to do that. The magazine article floated around my head for weeks thinking about it. I mentioned it to my husband, who never shy’s away from a challenge and he said “what are you waiting for? Do it!”

So here I am making my first tentative steps towards achieving my dream. The fear of failure keeps churning in my stomach, but as my husband says, “what is the worst that can happen? – We will have a lovely flower garden and green house.” I cannot afford to dive into this as a full time project but I am going to make baby steps towards that goal with the help and support of my family. So that is how Willow & Mabel Garden Co. started – which is lovingly named after our two Pygmy Goats! Now you can follow my muddy footsteps down this road & see what happens. As I was told recently – “Never die not knowing”.

11/09/2024

One of my favorite weddings of the year took place on Midsummer’s Day. It truly was a Midsummer Dream…..the attention to detail was amazing…the list is endless…the groomsmen’s ties ~ I think everyone should get to wear one like that once in their lives & I mean everyone! 💕 Thank you Melina & Mark for choosing me to be part of this very beautiful day. I will always look back at it with very fond memories and a smile on my face. ✨

Photography

11/04/2024

Happiness is wondering through small towns, watching the leaves change and finding magic in the small moments ✨☕️🍁

Truly the best weekend away…Laurance & Mary Rockerfeller wanted this area to “renewal the human spirit & create a profound feeling of wellbeing.” This is what it did. Thank you for creating wonderful memories - until next time ✨

10/31/2024

I was asked to create a floral bouquet for a vow renewal in New Hampshire this autumn. The bouquet was created from flowers from my field and then dried here on the farm. I carefully wrapped and packed the bouquet and sent them across the country with a little prayer for their safe arrival. Although the box looked like it had been stamped on when it arrived ~ I’m looking at you 👀 - thankfully everything was still in one piece ✨

Everlasting bouquets are so perfect for late autumn or winter weddings when locally grown flowers are not available. If you are planning a wedding or event and would like everlasting flowers from my field do let me know. We can create something so beautiful and unique for you. ✨

Photography

10/27/2024

A large part of my business is now creating wedding florals. Yesterday was the final wedding of the year. 15 weddings this season using almost all flowers from my field.

It has been such a joy being part of so many couple’s special day using seasonal, local flowers….all started by hand with love in my greenhouse.

The biggest shoutout goes to Shannon from ~ she is the Ying to my Yang. Together we balance each other out and bring out the best in each other. We create beauty in a very stress free, balanced way.

Thank you to all the wonderful families that put their trust in us. We so appreciate you.

Our books are already filling up for 2025 but if you would love locally grown flowers as part of your wedding visoon then do please reach out to me. ✨💕

Photography .seaman and me..😉

10/25/2024

It’s been a week…like a really crazy, exhusting week. Digging up all the dahlia tubers. Now the never ending job of washing them and putting them away….plus my final wedding of the year. I did manage a little faffing with flowers yesterday. Several years ago I gave up on chrysanthemums as they always got beaten to death by the rain….but really there are some beautiful ones out there..not the type of ones that always get dyed Seahawks blue & green at the grocery store 🤮 but some really beautiful ones. I am giving them another chance. This arrangement has some grown by me and some from and some bits and bobs from my property including some dried pieces tucked in there for texture. This is probably a bit grand for my kitchen table but that’s OK my husband and I can peer around it during meals!

10/23/2024

We dug up 1,400 dahlias in a day and a half…my dahlia field is not the biggest out there by any stretch of imagination. However, I am so thankful to my crew…. and and Syd who is not on IG! For working their tails off with me. My little farm is a team effort these days and I am so grateful for these folks that will work through the rain to get a job done. We still have a lot of dahlia tubers to wash and tuck away for the winter but the finish line is in sight. I of course will have a dahlia tuber sale in early March - let me know if you would like to be added to my email list so you will be the first to know the date.

Photography

10/21/2024

The big dahlia dig starts today. Last week we cut them all down. This week we start to dig them all up. The forcast is rain today….but we are made of tough stuff and we are going to keep on schedule. I have made a big pot of chili for lunch time and the rest of the week looks good. So here goes…💪🏼

Memories of when the field was lovely. Photography by

10/14/2024

10/13/2024

Walking up and down the rows of dahlias cutting some of my favorites, no particular color palette just cutting them because I like them and I know it’s going to be a while until I see them again.

10/11/2024

Yesterday marked the last dahlia harvest of the season. I felt a little strange after we had finished..not ready for it to end yet. The season was shorter this year due to the fluctuations in weather so maybe that was it, or the glorious weather tricking me into thinking it was stilI September. I think if it had been pouring with rain I might have felt a little differently. I am sticking to my timeline as we still have lots to do. Putting the field to bed for the winter takes a couple of weeks and my plan is to be done by the end of October…and I have two weddings before the month ends so the dust won’t be settling around here anytime soon.

photography

10/09/2024

There are not many days left that I will be able to faff around with fresh flowers from my field. So here we are faffing with some of the tiny ones from the dahlia field for a quick windowsill Wednesday. ✨

L - R : Oddessey, Irish D Porter, Camano Zoe, Chimicum Davie, French Doll, Golden Septer & Creamy

10/06/2024

I know it is so early to keep banging on about Christmas…but we don’t want you to miss out on joining us at our Christmas Wreath Workshop. A lot of our community has made this their Christmas tradition and so we wanted to let you know that the first weekend of workshops are all almost sold out.

Come and join us and create your own tradition with our wonderful community.

To reserve your place head on over to my website and in the meantime enjoy the moment that you are in now. ✨

Photography: & .creative

10/05/2024

Embracing Autumn around here. Beautiful days and chilly evenings. Savoring the last of the flowers before we put the field to bed. Pumpkins placed outside of the Potting Shed…that is about as much decorating that I do…there is of course some lovely spider webs 🕸️in the farm house - but that is a year round thing…

10/03/2024

The clock is ticking way to fast…the days are numbered…I feel like I am racing against time trying to decide what project to do first. At this time of year there are so many jobs that need to be done before the first frost comes and the rains descend upon us. Yesterday was spent out in the annuals field harvesting as much as I could for drying…then there is the age old problem of shuffling everything around in the drying room so there is room to hang the new additions. It doesn’t matter how much space you have, you will always need more!

PC

10/01/2024

“The more light you allow within you the brighter the world you live in will be.” - Shakti Gawain

Welcome to October 🍁

Photography ✨

09/30/2024

Yesterday we harvested pumpkins from our field preparing for the Botanical Pumpkins workshop on Saturday. If you want to join me to create beautiful pumpkins using pressed flowers from my field, today is your last chance to sign up to reserve your place.

🎃 Details for the workshop are on my website.

Address

Central Valley
Poulsbo, WA
98370

Website

http://www.willowandmabelgardenco.com/

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Videos

Yesterday was a really wet, cold harvest. When I fell out of bed this morning I knew what it was going to be like out there after all the rain yesterday. Yes, I could have worn waterproofs but to be honest with you I hate them…I end up hot and sweaty in all the wrong places so I just battle on in my work trousers and get on with it. The feeling when you pull off your wet clothes and put on some dry ones added with a big mug of tea can’t be beaten. This little beauty Kelgai Ann survived the rain 🤍

Oh goodness…I think I have found the most perfect Cafe Au Lait dahlia EVER! Yep…I said it…she has perfect petal formation…beautiful coloring…no bug damage…(seriously how is that even possible) and a long, long stem…..I want to keep her alive forever!

Are you in panic mode for that last minute Christmas gift? I still have a few CSA share available for purchase on my website…give the gift of flowers this summer…hop on over to my website for all the details. 🎄

Today we start putting the fields to bed for the winter. Penny & I will work down each row and start taking out all the support netting and hardware. Over the years the two of us have created a good system to get this down quickly and efficiently. 💪🏼 - also I have deliberately not put music to this reel…the birds in the background make the most beautiful music…..

Inside the Drying Shed…a constant shuffle and this time of year making room for more flowers coming in.

Dahlias from yesterday’s harvest 🧡

The first weekend that I have no events or weddings on the calendar for a very long time. Just catching up with good friends, we will be sitting in the apple orchard sharing good food and a couple of drinks and much laughter. Dahlia: Polka

This is why we are so anxious for the dahlia field to start blooming. This dahlia appeared yesterday and she is beautiful. This is the first time I have grown her. Her name is Daddy’s Girl…not sure if I am keen on her name but she sure is pretty.

Happy Monday….we are going to be busy as bees are here on the farm this week with beautiful sunshine in the forcast.

One thing that this nightmare situation with Covid has taught me is that nothing ever goes to plan at the moment. My family in England has not been all together for Christmas for 27 years now…this was going to be the year…..and then my nephew got Covid 4 days before Christmas….so that turned things upside down, so we will have to wait another year!….but we worked it all out….today my sister and I and the boys headed to London to do the things we were going to do before Christmas….we avoided the tubes….we walked everywhere….we saw so many things we would not have done if we had taken the tube….we drank champagne in Harrods and saw the all the Christmas lights just as we planned before Christmas. It was the best day. If you ever get chance to go to London at Christmas time you must go….it’s amazing.

Happy snow day!! I’ve been hoping for some snow this winter and I’ve got it and some more! It’s certainly a winter wonderland around here at the moment ❄️