STORY
inDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
THE SUMMER MONTHS SEE LOCAL BUSINESSES SHOWCASE THEIR PASSION FOR THE NATURAL WORLD AS IT BURSTS INTO LIFE WITH COLOUR, MOVEMENT AND PURPOSE.
THE FLOWER HUT SANDHURST sandhurstflowerhut. co. uk theflowerhut _ sandhurst
Joanne Tucker started her business from her home in Sandhurst, Kent.“ I grow and sell cut flowers to local retail and wholesale customers from April to the end of September, but it’ s a year-round occupation growing things from seed. The inspiration for my business was my grandmother and mum; they were both keen hop pickers, and as a child I went along too. They loved growing flowers, so it seems almost in my genes. As my children have flown the nest, I’ ve had more time to enjoy gardening and growing. In 2019, I started selling flowers to my local farm shop and then to florists during Covid, who couldn’ t buy imported flowers. I offer flowers to local retail customers, from a simple bunch to flower arranger’ s buckets that people can arrange themselves, and subscription flowers where the lucky recipient receives a bouquet once a month. For wholesale customers, I’ ve recently joined the East Sussex Flower Grower Collective, where florists can order locally grown flowers via our online platform and collect once a week from the central hub in Sedlescombe. My flower bunches are available at Cranbrook Farmshop, whom I’ ve supplied for the last five years. Next year, I plan to keep spreading the word about buying British flowers. In my view, too many flowers are imported, particularly during the summer months when we have a home-grown abundance of beautiful flowers. I plan to increase sales to retail and wholesale customers who like to use British flowers in their wedding and event designs. My garden will also be open to the public on Saturday 8 August, in aid of
St Michael’ s Hospice.”
KENT SEEDS kentseeds. co. uk kent. seeds
Kent Seeds is the modern evolution of a long-standing family business, trading as T Denne & Sons since 1879. For over 140 years, the Denne family has been cleaning, processing and supplying grass and cereal seed to farms, estates and landowners across South East England. Charlotte and her husband Fred are the fifth generation of the Denne family to run the business and while its agricultural roots run deep, Kent Seeds is a retail-facing brand launched in 2021, initially as Kent Wildflower Seeds. The company aims to reconnect people with the provenance of the seed they’ re sowing, rooted in the British landscape. As demand has grown, Kent Seeds now has a larger scope; from wildflowers to large-scale grass seed production, they bring their expertise directly to gardeners, landowners, horse owners and ecological restoration projects.“ What makes us different is that we don’ t just sell seed, we grow it, process it and understand it from field to final mix. Our expertise dates back to 1935, combining traditional knowledge with modern, responsible farming practices. Last year, Kent Seeds won a Gold Medal at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and since then they have partnered with British knitwear brand Navygrey, championing the value of homegrown products built to last. For the future, they want to expand their product range, raising awareness around native seed and biodiversity, and continuing to invest in farmland and meadow habitats where their seed is grown.“ Ultimately, our goal is to make high-quality, responsibly grown seed more accessible while staying true to the values that have sustained the business for over a century.”
© Poppy Hollis
TROTTIS CLIFFE WILLOW trottiscliffewillow. co. uk trottiscliffewillow
Natalie started her Kent-based willow weaving business, Trottiscliffe Willow, nine years ago and now specialises in animal sculpture, running sculpture and basketry classes across Kent and beyond.“ My willow journey began over 12 years ago when I made a basket at a festival followed by an animal sculpture class on the Somerset Levels( where my willow is now sourced from). I instantly became hooked, bought some willow and started playing! It soon became apparent I was quite good at making animals out of sticks. I do not have an art background; I worked as a London paramedic for 20 years, but I have always enjoyed crafting. I ran the two careers alongside each other for a while before leaving the ambulance service to concentrate on weaving full time. My time is split fairly evenly between running workshops and creating commission pieces for stately homes, castles, businesses and private collections. I have been invited to take part in radio and TV programmes and have worked for the RHS on several occasions. My workshops are always popular and are achievable for complete novices and those with experience of weaving. It is always such a delight to work with people creating their own willow masterpieces, especially when participants start the day telling me they are not creative and won’ t be able to do it. Everyone goes home with a sculpture or basket to be proud of! I am currently working on creating items to take to the few shows I attend each year and am looking forward to whatever weaving opportunities and experiences that may come my way next!”
182 • www. insidekent. co. uk