“I've learned that we can't rely on other people to make us happy. Our own happiness is our own responsibility, and it starts from within. I've learned that not everything that makes other people happy is guaranteed to make us happy, so we have to find what makes us happy.”

Often referred to as the UK’s ‘Queen of Flowers’, Willow is a celebrated florist, author, designer, stylist, entrepreneur and (a somewhat reluctant) influencer. She shares her love of flowers through her Instagram channel videos, and through workshops, digital courses and events. Last year, she launched The Seedling, which aims to deliver broader inspiration across lifestyle to the brand's global community. She has written four books and if time allows there may be another... Based in the Cotswolds, she is also a mother to three boys - Wolf, Rafferty and Kit and wife to Charlie.

In this special interview, Willow shares the personal stories from her outdoorsy childhood and close family, her early career in fashion and beauty, creating her first products, writing her books, the moment she decided to eschew other work in favour of flowers; lessons learned and achievements earned; and more…

Please tell us about your early years growing up with your brothers in the Welsh countryside and your aspirations, access to and interest in nature and the arts?
My early years in the Welsh countryside were completely idyllic. Very rural, very outdoorsy - lots of den-making in the woods (mine were always immaculate, I remember sweeping them obsessively with brooms that I’d made from pine needles!) paddling in the rivers, picking berries, hunting for mushrooms. We’ve always been a very close family, my brothers and I are just two years apart and it was heavenly. I didn't really appreciate how amazing it was nature-wise at the time. All the incredible flowers and trees were just there as a backdrop but I think with hindsight I must have been subconsciously absorbing it and it's definitely informed what I do now. When I go back home now I feel so lucky that I've had that upbringing and still have access to that space and nature now.

You’ve said before that you dreamt of being a fashion designer as a teenager and would spend hours dreaming up outfits. You went on to study fashion at the London School of Fashion and some of your very first jobs were in the fashion and beauty departments at British Vogue… can you tell us about this period of your life?
After graduating from London College of Fashion with a BA in Fashion Promotion, my goal was to end up working on a women’s fashion magazine, ideally Vogue with my hero, Lucinda Chambers. I did a few internships, basically sitting in a fashion cupboard doing returns but didn’t get a lot further. It’s a very competitive world, hundreds of people going for the same very, very badly paid job and I knew in my gut that it wasn’t meant to be. But I loved it while I was there. I especially loved my role as a beauty assistant at Tatler under Antonia Whyatt which introduced me to a whole new world of beauty and wellness.

Then you spent a few years living in France. You wrote a blog, Willow Rose Boutique documenting your finds in local French brocantes and were always creating things. Was this a catalyst for your foray into flowers, your first book and possibly The Seedling coming full circle many years later?
When I moved to France, we had so much time to potter and hang out. Each weekend I’d drag Charlie to the local brocantes and flee markets where I would be drawn, like a magpie, to these tiny little snippets of fabric, old bobbins of ribbon, gorgeous antique treasures - things I felt I couldn’t be without - and I started making things out of them. Hand-covered fabric notebooks, linen beach bags, pompom-trimmed baskets, beaded bracelets, necklaces… all of which I couldn’t make fast enough for the beach restaurants on Pampelonne Beach.

And at the same time, I started writing a blog called Willow Rose Boutique documenting life in France but also mixed in with fashion, wellness, beauty, lifestyle, interiors, and recipes. An early more junior version of The Seedling! My agent, Clare, discovered the blog and thought it could be turned into a book; a year later, The Art of Handmade Living was published by CICO books!

When designing your product collections for Willow Crossley - what are you drawn to?
It varies every time. My taste and what I'm into changes so quickly. One minute, I’ll be obsessed with chintz or a stripe, and two weeks later, I'm completely over it. Quite unrelaxing for everyone I work with! Saying that, the things that I do always come back to are: stripes, chintz, embroidered florals, and natural fabrics. Always natural: I’ve never been good at shiny, metallic, unnatural things.

You’ve said before “Often my first arrangement on an event is a total disaster!” which is so humbling. Do you ever experience self-doubt?
Every day. But thankfully less as I get older. I think turning 40 has made me realise that I can do more than I probably give myself credit for. I'm not a planner. I wing things a lot, and I'm disorganised on paper, but in my head, I know exactly what I'm doing. But working with flowers is doubt-inducing because you're playing with nature, and it's terrifying! Things drop down dead all the time for no reason and it’s out of your control. But I know this so have endless backups.

You’re a self-confessed 'perfectionist' – how do you balance this with your ambition and generally find balance with the many hats you wear?
I think I'm only a perfectionist in my work life. The rest of my life is pretty shambolic, very happily so!
I'm not great at balance and do get overwhelmed quite often. I burn myself out every few months because I keep going and going and thinking, I can do it all and say yes to everything. But I'm slowly learning that I can't do it all. And I'm learning to prioritise and work out the things that I actually, genuinely want to do, as opposed to thinking I should do.

What’s next for Willow Crossley, the brand?
I have so many plates in the air and so many things that I want to do. Just not enough time in the day to do them. We started this year in the office with so many plans, so many exciting things we wanted to launch and develop and then a few weeks ago I woke up and realised I needed to stop and reassess. We were on the brink of spreading ourselves too thin and not doing anything well enough. So we’ve decided to focus on what we're doing already but make it better. So grow the collections, and create really beautiful, original product. Continue to grow The Seedling.

And what’s next for Willow as you embrace your new decade?
I’m going to try and stop spreading myself too thin. I'm going to try and organise my life a bit better, so I'm not constantly in a state of panic. I’m going to try and make time for myself and not feel guilty about it. I think now I'm 40, I'm going to have to start doing proper exercise. Walking fast and doing everything at a million miles is probably not enough. I'm going to make time for yoga. I'm going to make time to hang out with my friends and family more. I'm going to really cherish this time with the boys. Wolf is 14 this year, and it scares me how quickly it's going. That's quite a lot to be going on with, isn't it?