I recently relocated to Raglan, making it home with my family.
It’s been a beautiful welcome.
This morning I walked the 3 bridges. This route circuits the estuary, the trendy happening town with its cute boutique, but still a little hick, shops and cafes, and links the east with the west sides of Raglan. I’ve walked this coastal ‘block’ of 3 bridges many times already in the last couple of months since becoming a local.
Every-single-time this walk has taken my breath away: be it a moody cloudy day, or today where the sky is blue and the sun is deliciously warm, whether the tide is way out, right in, or somewhere in between. This rural New Zealand coastal town, though only 40 minutes away from my 30-years of living in Hamilton, has a culture and vibe that is surprising me in more pleasant ways than I could have imagined. It is quiet, laid-back, friendly - and stunningly beautiful.
I am a florist. I love floral design. It is part of who I am. There was uncertainty as to how things would be once out here. I wouldn’t be able to just pop out and grab the flowers I would need from the local wholesale flower market, as I could in the city. There would be delivery schedules, and prices to sort for my clients, and myself. Supply challenges to be worked out. New foraging places would need to be discovered. Different ways of doing things to be thought through. And then there’s Covid-19, and its ongoing associated issues. But this week, in my new home of Raglan, my website www.wildabouteve.nz has gone live, and I’m excited about designing and creating again for my clients – new and existing.
I love the idea of working together, rather than in competition to, and so it’s been a treat to meet a few locals in the industry.
Kristel is a talented floral designer and flower farmer, at Raglan Floral Co. When I dropped by to say hello, I found her sitting in the middle of her driveway sending a text message. It made me laugh.
And Nicky, the beautiful flower farmer at Crop Raglan. When I contacted her I mentioned I followed her on instagram. She replied, “So lovely to hear from you. I follow you too! :)”
Though I have just recently connected with them personally in Raglan, I have been actively following them for several years on social media. They bring their own uniqueness and essential roles to the creative world of floristry, and as long-time locals, have given me a precious welcome. I am excited to be part of this industry already here in Raglan, keen to continue to meet the creative people who give this town its vibe, and to work alongside those already here who can help me make Wild About Eve happen.
Walking around this beautiful place filled me up this morning and came with some anticipated excitement. It didn’t escape me how lucky I am to live here. I’m looking forward to this new ‘next’, from my home-based workshop here in Raglan.
A favourite hashtag of mine is #everypieceanartpiece. Adding a little special something, and with wild being an element I love in floral design, I get to create floral designs in this delightful and personally challenging thing I do called floristry, and in Raglan, this beautiful place I call home.
