Gardening for Emma has gone from being a hobby to a full-blown obsession. It’s the first thing she thinks about when she wakes up in the morning. Before anything else, she’s out there with a cup of tea, checking what’s changed overnight, what might have popped up, or what seed pods she can collect. Growing from seed has become her passion; starting her own seeds, nurturing them, and watching them transform into thriving plants. She admits the process makes her quite emotional.
Emma Corns’ Journey
Her journey began 11 years ago during the darkest time of her life, when her mum suddenly passed away. They’d just bought a house with nothing but a huge lawn – no flowers, no borders, just grass and a beautiful view. In her grief, she found refuge in that empty garden.
It gave her focus, a different place to put her thoughts. She built four small vegetable beds and grew courgettes, onions, and garlic. She expanded and now has a greenhouse, her safe place where she goes to potter around, make flower arrangements, and have a glass of fizz. Building it herself with her husband was incredibly rewarding. But she didn’t stop there. She designed and built an entire dahlia-growing area single-handedly, ordering three tons of gravel (which they washed), learning to lay bricks, and doing everything herself. She’s obsessed with dahlias – she now has 52 varieties and will probably get more this autumn.
Emma is out there in all kinds of weather. Gardening isn’t limited to spring and summer for her. She says that when you’re really into gardening, you see the seasons so clearly, and it structures your entire year. Something is amazing in every season, from snowdrops appearing when nothing else grows to violas flowering despite falling snow.
The gardening community she’s found through Instagram has become like family. She’s hoping to turn this passion into a business someday, selling flower arrangements and seasonal wreaths.
“When I look back at how I felt when I first started gardening very soon after my mum passed away, it’s a completely different feeling I get now. However, I think it’s actually linked back to that because I used gardening as a means to give me a sense of safety and respite from the grief I was going through, which I now understand is the pure joy I get from being out in the garden. I wish you could bottle it because it’s just the best feeling ever”.