When I was in Primary school I had to write an assignment on the life of one of my grandparents. During the interview my Nanna told me:

“People are always moving through life too fast - they forget to slow down and smell the roses”.

My love of gardening started with growing produce, born from a childhood growing vegetables in the backyard with my father.
As I aged, gardening became not only a way to provide for myself physically, but a means of soothing my soul.

When I transitioned to growing flowers I began to see the beauty in everything around me. The shimmer of dew on morning petals, little insects making homes among leaves, the hum of pollinators moving gently from bloom to bloom, or butterflies dancing in the breeze. The simple magic that often hides in plain sight.

This is when I realised that flowers meet us wherever we are. They offer us stillness, presence and emotional connection. These moments - quiet and fleeting - Are why I grow them.

Collie Cottage is more than a row of flowers to me. It’s a place where chaos softens and beauty blooms - one dahlia at a time. It’s a reminder that beauty is everywhere if you take the time to notice. Each bloom invites you to slow down and connect with nature, with yourself, with memory and with others.

At their essence, my blooms express feelings that are too difficult to put into words. They can hold us in moments of grief, say “I love you”, celebrate with us, or simply brighten an ordinary day. To me, a flower is like a warm hug — Each one I grow carries that gentle energy, and it’s my hope that when people hold my blooms, they feel it too.