We'd like to say a massive "Thank you!" to all of our new online customers.
My husband has been growing plants (retail and wholesale) at our Sussex nursery for 37 years - and I joined him in 2003 - but this year we decided to start a specialist online store for our wonderful range of sempervivums, together with a selection of cacti and other succulents.
And it's working. We're getting orders from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and all over England. It's lovely to know our plants are going to a wider audience than ever before.
I've had to learn to package and box the plants. Sending sempervivums by post is very different from face-to-face sales. Early on, I was putting the handwritten labels inside the wrapping - but now I tape them on the outside so our customers can quickly see what's what as soon as they open the box.
We both take great pride in offering the very best customer service possible. Our non-paid charity work is based on "service before self", where we're proud to be different compared to almost all other organisations. With our online store, if and where it's possible, we'll get better - but we certainly won't get complacent or let our high standards slip.
We've got lots of great surprises ahead and, as a way of saying "Thank you", we'll email all of our existing customers as soon as these new plants become available so you'll hopefully get first choice. To begin with, numbers will be limited.
The photo was taken this morning (Thursday 24th May), just before I headed off to the Post Office.
Keep checking for our "News" or blog updates. We'll be adding our "sempervivum of the month" for May very soon. As growers, this is our busiest time of the year, so finding a spare minute or two isn't easy.
Finally, once again, a massive "Thank you!" We grow these special plants for you to enjoy and appreciate. For us, it's another way of sharing.