In February, I celebrated my first year in business as the founder of Botanica Garden Design, and I'm delighted and proud of the success I've achieved in this short time. For many years, I've been a keen gardener and last year I realised that my passion for my favourite hobby also gave me a creativity I wasn't previously aware of. In my previous life as an investment professional, I used to say “I’d be a gardener if I could” as a throwaway comment, never truly imagining it as a career. Yet the garden industry has evolved enormously and is no longer just about mowing lawns and trimming hedges. I spend my days creating spaces people genuinely want to spend time in. As our awareness of health and wellbeing grows, so does the value of outdoor spaces and I've already expanded my offering to include saunas, cold plunges and garden kitchens.

However, my small business ventures haven't always been this way. I left the formal workplace in 2015 and have been mostly working for myself since then. I'm constantly having new business ideas but don't always have the funding to set them up (much to my son's relief!). Indeed, before Botanica, I had just modest success with two ideas but as the old saying goes, you learn from your mistakes and I'd far rather have given them a go than wonder 'what if?'.

So what have I learned?

• Watch every penny. It's so easy to get carried away and invest in things you may think are essential but don't really need at the start. A basic Excel budget for Ins & Outs can focus the mind and keep you on track.

• Be clear on the problem you’re solving. Everyone may tell you it's a good idea but do as much market research as you can. Know who it’s for, what problem you'll solve, the demand potential and why & how much someone would pay you for it. Be prepared to listen to advice and adapt to get it right.

• Continue to invest in your network. Membership of Chamber is a great way to do this as they have members from across local industries, and hold regular events where you can meet, mingle and learn.

• Introduce yourself to as many people as you can find in your new industry. I dislike the silo'd approach to working and believe that everyone benefits from supporting each other. Even direct competitors can be allies as we never know when advice, collaboration or even a client referral might come our way.

• It's tempting but don't try to rush to do everything at once. Focus on your core service and do it really well. There'll be time to improve and expand once you've got this right.

• Be realistic. It won't be perfect from the start - and possibly at any point - but the important thing is to give it your best shot within limitations such as budget and time.

• Keep learning - new ideas and innovations, training courses, and learning from what doesn’t work.

• Most importantly, if you know you're on to something, keep going even when progress feels slow - which it sometimes will. And breathe.

Just over one year in, I’m excited about what’s ahead and recently celebrated being engaged by my 50th client. I enjoy spending time outside in nature and I have a genuine love for helping my clients transform their gardens into spaces that work for their lives. To quote another old saying, 'third time lucky'?

Zoë Cousens
May 2026

Zoë is the founder of Botanica Garden Design offering garden transformations and creative planting concepts for offices and homes, as well as Sauna Suites and Garden Kitchens for outdoor Living and Wellness opportunities.

 📞 07781 106602 | 📧 zoe@botanica.gg