Welcome to the 'We Grow Together' Blog starting Summer 2026

Last week, my five-year-old granddaughter and I made a ribbon wand together. It was nothing elaborate—just a few colourful ribbons, a wooden stick, a piece of sticky tape and an afternoon spent in the garden. We hung it in a tree where it stayed until the lights went out. I can still picture the ribbons catching the breeze as she ran across the grass, convinced she was carrying something magical. Perhaps she was. It's one of those moments I’ll cherish. Sometimes we all need t

A couple of years ago, I spotted these little figures in a wonderfully eclectic craft centre in Manchester. They made me smile. The lady in the shop had such a warm energy that I can still remember the kindness in her voice as she greeted me. Sometimes it's the smallest moments that leave the deepest impression. As July draws to a close, I've found myself looking back over the month. Not to measure or judge it, but simply to notice what it brought me. I have spent time writin

After waiting patiently for weeks, my first dahlia of the summer, 'Rhubarb and Custard', finally bloomed. I didn't keep it for myself. It became part of my first hand-tied bouquet of the year (yes life has been busy!). This week I also noticed there was a common thread weaving through some of the conversations I had. It wasn't about healing techniques, life purpose, or trying to balance life's many projects, it was something far simpler: how often we drift away from our own v