Welcome to The November Edition!
I know… November?! How? Deep breath and onwards we go.
November arrives with woodsmoke in the air, leaves gathering underfoot and fireworks in full swing. There is plenty to love in this quieter month - a chance to plant the last bulbs, bring a little of the outside in and enjoy the evenings drawing in. Though with festive plans beginning to take shape, I suspect the quiet may be short-lived…
We have 53 days until Christmas. But we can do this! There will be bonfire nights, Thanksgiving for some (I feel it should be all of us), and end-of-year parties, all before the real festivities get underway.
I’ll share my ideas on festive decorating with a botanical spin, wreath making, garlands and more in the coming weeks but for now, let’s just take a breath and enjoy November…
In this edition, I’m talking you through winter bulbs, tulip planting, share my monthly wish list, Willow Loves; introduce you to my supplement wellbeing regime, and more.
This is all for free for my non-paid subscribers. Those signed up as paid subscribers get extra Willow Loves and of course, my weekly emails, and much more. Do consider joining us - it’s a happy, flower-loving community.
Wishing you a very happy and productive month ahead.
With love,
Willow
*This is monthly free edition, but every week, I send out emails to my paid subscribers with flowery, fashion, food and wellness content - ideas to inspire, create and nurture. Plus live videos, chat and much more. I hope you will join us!
Willow Loves
What I’m loving this month… colour, texture, jewel-like embellishment. Because we can’t hibernate all month!
A chic, cropped satin jacket to dress up winter evenings, fab with denim
The satin harem trousers in midnight for when you can’t wear trackies!
A knuckle duster in bold jewel tones to lift you out of the grey
Willow Loves… (6 more!)
(scroll to the end)
Winter Bulbs
This time of year - when the garden is becoming bare and we are starting to hunker down at home - is the perfect time to start planning and planting winter bulbs to bring botanical life indoors (and a mini science experiment too).
There are all sorts of ways to do it - from keeping things wonderfully simple with a single bulb in a glass hurricane vase, to creating something a little more elaborate; a giant bowl of bulbs covered in a mossy duvet; a party of pots with mixed bulbs; rows of paperwhites in terracotta pots - the only limitation is your imagination, so go for it!
Here is a handy reminder of when to plant and when they appear…
A few important things to remember before you start forcing your winter bulbs:
Prepared bulbs: These have been specially treated to flower early, so they do not need the usual long cold period.
Ordinary spring bulbs: Many need a cold period of around 10–14 weeks at roughly 4–9°C. Check the variety, as requirements vary.
After chilling: Bring pots gradually into a brighter, slightly warmer room once shoots have developed and then they will begin to flower.
Paperwhites: No chilling needed. They are one of the easiest bulbs to force. You can plant them in soil or resting on gravel over water.
Amaryllis: No chilling needed. Leave the top third of the bulb above the compost or I like to keep them like specimens in old glass bell jars with just a trickle of water and no soil. These are one of my fave varieties.
Snowdrops: I’m new to forced snowdrops and excited to try Leucojum ‘Gravetye Giant’, or giant snowflakes. These pretty, nodding white flowers would normally appear in the garden in April, but specially prepared bulbs can be forced indoors to flower as early as January.
Plant several small batches two weeks apart rather than everything at once so you get a much longer succession of flowers.
Tulip Time Tips
November is Tulip time! Obviously to start growing them as cut flowers not for them to flower, we can thank spring for that joy of joys…
I thought I’d put together a little Tulip 101 - as have had lots of questions about when and how to start - so if you’re a seasoned tulip grower feel free to skip this one!
Choose Your Bulbs:
Well this year, I’ve made it easy for myself and you too: I’ve spent hours deliberating over my tulip bulb collection with Premier Seeds Direct and have not only chosen all my favourites but grouped into collections that go together. As I said in my recent instagram vid, I am planning colour blocking for the pots and my front door and stripey sensations en masse by the back door! And this Blackcurrant Parfait Collection is what I’m going to be putting in my borders.
We have had notifications to buy tulip bulbs from mid-summer, but you really don’t want to put them into the ground until this month. If you have gone in early, make sure youre storing them properly, keeping them dry so they don’t go mouldy. Some people advise to store them in the freezer but I’m really not sure - any one have any experience with this?
When To Plant:
This is the month! I’d aim for mid November as we want to wait for cooler weather. Store them somewhere cool and dry - in an outdoor shed or garage perhaps. I would go ahead and plant bulbs when night temperatures drop consistently below 10°C (or when the ground feels cold to the step). Don’t do it too early before it’s properly cold as you run the risk of the soil being too damp and warm and potentially causing ‘tulip fire’ (the damaging fungal disease).
How To Plant:
Once you’ve chosen your bulb colour and variety you can plan where they’ll come up. You might choose a mixture of borders and pots or one or the other. Have a think about the colours (same or tonal or a lovely mix) of the tulips and also the other flowers around them and how you want them to look.
For Pots:
I would always make sure you put plenty of gravel down first so there is adequate drainage or mix grit with your soil. The bulbs don’t want to stew in waterlogged ground or pots. Then add a layer of soil (I use peat-free where possible). Then add in your bulbs - space the bulbs about 5–8cm apart within your cluster to give them room to grow without touching. Then add some manure and perhaps some moss on top to make the pots look lovely while you’re waiting. If trying to deter squirrels, add some rose cuttings (thanks for the tip Butter Wakefield) and then chicken wire on top.
For Garden Borders:
Same as above but no need for the gravel. Use a peat-free multi-purpose compost and think about mixing in a few handfuls of horticultural grit or perlite to help with drainage. Dig deep, (about two to three times their own depth - roughly 20cm inches deep), to encourage them to return year after year rather than burning out; and really think about spacing. Plant in ‘drifts’ or groups: I never plant tulips in single file lines or isolated single bulbs, as it looks a bit sparse. Instead, dig a wide trench and plant them in dense clusters of 10 to 15 bulbs of the same or mixed variety.
Some of my favourite pot planting combinations:
My Strawberry Minuet Collection
And this is what I’m going to be putting in my borders, my Blackcurrant Parfait Collection.
My Flowery Life
Have you seen my new video interview series, My Flowery Life?
It is in the format of an intimate, informal chat about life through the lens of flowers and gardens, which you can join live here on Substack or watch afterwards.
Each episode, I chat with someone about their flowery life. Some of my guests may be in the flowery world, others not. But they all share a love of flowers and recall memories where flowers made them feel something. It’s a bit like Desert Island Discs but instead of music, we’re talking flowers!
You can watch a recording of all the live video chats on catch up on Substack for free here.
So far, I’ve had wonderful conversations with Kimberly Fleming the US florist turned UK flower farmer (aka Marlston Farmgirl); the award-winning garden designer and rose enthusiast, Jo Thompson ; chef, broadcaster and grower, Clodagh McKenna; and award-winning garden designer and House & Garden top 50, Butter Wakefield. You can watch all the conversations in full here.
Next up I’m chatting with Arthur Parkinson (on Tuesday! ) and Jessie Randall (very soon!).
Would love your thoughts on who I can chat with next about their flowery life - please tell me in the comments…
Winter Wellness
I have been on a supplement regime since the summer and I do think it’s making a difference to my overall physical and emotional wellbeing. I am now also adding in some natural home remedies to try to keep my immunity strong and lower the risk of getting cold and flus, especially at this busy time of year.
top row: Ancient + Brave Wild Collagen Powder, Wild Nutrition Vitamin D, Wild Nutrition Lions Mane Plus, Solgar Magnesium Glycinate, Ancient + Brave True Biome Sachets,
bottom row: Berocca, Wild Nutrition Ashwagandha Plus, Ancient + Brave True Skin Alchemy Capsules, Solgar Omega 3-6-9, Ancient + Brave True Hydration Sachets.
I take the Omegas and Magnesium to help my ongoing back pain, the Ashwagandha for sleeping and stability, the Lions Mane as an ADHD medication alternative and Berocca for when sleep has been elusive!
I’m having as much Vitamin C as I can naturally every day but also supplement with this if I know I haven’t had enough.
I drink lots of water throughout the day which I know makes a difference as I feel tired and low in energy if I have a day when I skimp on this. I sometimes add in hydration sachets if I’m feeling dehydrated.
As the weather gets colder I need hot drinks to keep me warm, especially when flowering in my outdoor studio! So I rotate coffee (can only have 1 or sometimes 2 a day or I am jittery) with herbal teas to keep warm. I have returned to making hot water and lemon and sometimes add some honey and ginger. And in the evening, I love to make golden milk - recipe below taken from my book, The Wild Journal: A Year Of Nurturing Yourself Through Nature.
Golden milk, also known as turmeric milk is a delicious drink full of antioxidants and natural anti-inlamatories. The goodness and health benefits come from the turmeric or, more specifically, a compound in the turmeric, called curcumin. Curcumin is a seriously potent, natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and has been used for over 4,000 years in holistic medicine to treat many health concerns such as immune function and arthritis.
The earthy spice is bright yellow in colour. Mixed and heated together with any type of milk - I like it with coconut - and a little black pepper to activate the drink. It’s perfect for before bed as it’s thought to help with relaxation and handily it boosts the immune system while we’re sleeping.
There are lots of different recipes for this, but the one I mostly make is as follows:
360ml (2 cups) milk (almond, dairy, oat, coconut or any milk of your choice)
1 tsp grated peeled turmeric root
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground black pepper
small piece of peeled fresh ginger root
1 tsp raw honey, to taste (optional, if you like it sweeter)
Put all the ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and slowly heat over a medium heat until it’s hot but not boiling. Pour into a mug and enjoy!
November What’s On
What to see, visit & plan this month…
Join me for My Flowery Life on Substack Live with Arthur Parkinson this week (Tues, 3 Nov)
Rivals is back - with bonfire night drama and festive season surprises! On 11 November on Disney+
Book tickets for Tim Walker’s Fairyland: Love and Legends on now at the National Portrait Gallery until 7 February
Visit Painting the French Riviera at The Royal Academy until 31 January
Go and see The 90’s: Art & Fashion exhibition at the Tate until 14 February
Create Academy are having a big sale (30% off) and both my flowery courses are included amongst so many wonderful creators. Winter could be the time to curl up and learn new creative skills from the comfort of home!
Book skating at Glide at Battersea Power Station, opens 6 November
See Gillian Anderson if you can find tickets in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Soho Place until 19 December
Join Countryside Arts Club for events in London and West Berkshire
Visit the EFG Jazz Festival, 13-22 November at various venues across London
Where else should we go to this month, watch or book ahead for?
PS. Willow Loves (6 more!)
The coat you’ll buy now and have forever, a cardigan match made for denim, vitamin C for the body, the book I’m reading etc…