‘It doesn’t feel like a job’

When Jessie Watson launched her eponymous flower business, ‘Jessie Watson Flowers’ in early 2023, it was the culmination of a passion that couldn’t help but grow even though she had a fulfilling life in London. “I’ve always loved the idea of doing something creative with my hands as a job”, she says, “[and] working with something beautiful.”

Growing up surrounded by nature on the National Trust estates her father managed, Jessie imagined becoming an artist or writer. It was an idyllic childhood. Some of her fondest memories are learning about wildflowers with her dad, gardening with her mum and sister and looking after the family’s chickens. On Sundays, her mum took Jessie and her sister to church. When her dad became a Christian too and got baptised, it was an important moment for them all: “Throughout childhood, we’d always pray ‘Please can Dad become a Christian?’” 

Then when she was 15, tragedy struck. Her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died within five months: “it was very sudden and unexpected,” she shares. Jessie, her mum and sister said goodbye to the National Trust property they called home in the depths of Epping Forest, and moved back to Devon, where their roots were, to start a new life. That summer, grieving but clinging to God, Jessie’s childhood faith in Jesus found new meaning when she decided to get baptised.

Birthing the idea 

Life continued, and it was her wedding in 2015 that firmly planted the seed of starting her own floristry business. She had asked a friend to make her bouquets: “because I didn’t trust myself to do that”, while she did the church flowers: “My mum and I worked together to source [them] from various flower farms in Devon.” Shortly after, she did the flowers for her sister’s wedding. And when, in 2018, a friend asked her to do the flowers for her wedding, she leapt at the opportunity: “[she] gave me the budget, told me the colours that she liked, and that was that”. A photo snapped at the wedding of Jessie and husband Luke told her everything she needed to know: “I still to this day look back at it…I’d just done 48 hours of crazy flower prep and it had been so intense. Really late nights, really early starts. But I just looked so happy…I was ecstatic [and] just had so much fun doing it. I definitely remember thinking then, ‘Oh, my gosh! If I could do this for a job, it would be incredible.’”

The more you do, the more work you generate

After their daughter was born in 2019, Jessie returned to her role as a coach, part-time. But when their son arrived in 2021, she decided not to go back after her maternity leave. She knew she wanted to work with flowers: “I was like, ‘Right, now’s the time to make this happen,’” she says.

Starting up as a florist, Jessie admits: “I didn’t really have a clear plan.” Instead, she followed her instincts, first setting up a website and an Instagram page: “then I got various friends to post about me on community and school WhatsApp groups”. She advertised a weekly flower delivery on Fridays: “it seemed like a really natural way to start…people like flowers in their homes and it’s a good way to get the word out there”. She made simple flyers and put them through local people’s letterboxes in south London where she lives. She offered her services to local businesses too: “and got a few window-dressing gigs, which was great”. It was another way to gain visibility and get her floristry business off the ground. Soon enough, she started getting enquiries for weddings in London and the surrounding areas.

Focusing on the dream

Weddings were always the goal, and now take precedence. During her first year in 2023, she did 15 weddings, which happened mainly through friends of friends: “the more weddings I’ve done, the more [photos] I have in my portfolio…so it’s snowballed a bit”. Last year was her second wedding season: “I think I did 22 or 23 weddings, which really kept me busy.” It’s a simple equation: “the more you do, the more work you generate,” she says. “People see your flowers at an event, think, ‘Oh, who was that florist?’ And ask for details.” As well as harnessing her creativity, doing weddings and events suits the way she works: “I love the production aspect and the fact that you’re working towards this really big day. It’s really tiring and intense. Working with flowers, you’re in a tight window of time…but I really enjoy that. Generally, I need that pressure of a deadline to get me at my best.” 

That’s not to say Jessie doesn’t get anxious. A recent wedding at the Dorchester hotel – her smartest venue yet – made her especially nervous: “But it couldn’t have gone better…so I was definitely riding on a high after that.” And if circumstances conspire against her, God is close at hand to rescue things. When a large installation she’d done for a wedding fell down overnight, God warned her in a dream. The next morning, she had time to get to the church and reset it before members of the wedding party arrived. Whatever she’s faced with, the sense of satisfaction is huge: “I love it all”, she says, “it doesn’t feel like a job.”

Jessie’s other activities now play a supporting role. These include hosting the creative workshops that call on her coaching skills: “It’s a nice little marriage of the two things actually. It’s not all about ‘I’m here to teach you’, it’s much more about creating that group dynamic.” And a flexible arrangement with a local farmers’ market gives her a stall on her free weekends: “It’s such a lovely event to meet people face to face and sell some bouquets.” It’s here, too, that she can offer more affordable options for those wanting a bit of luxury on a budget.

I need that pressure of a deadline to get me at my best

With her third wedding season this year, Jessie’s noticing the confidence that comes with experience: “I’ve done over 60 weddings now…so I understand industry standards a bit better.” She’s conscious to value her time and efforts accordingly, and not to undercharge her customers – or undercut other florists. A retired florist from her church gave her some useful advice: “Very early on she invited me around for tea, and we just sat and chatted about the challenges, about pricing – she helped me break down a quote.” There’s a certain amount of trial and error but it’s paying off: “[it’s] knowing, ‘OK, next time, I need to charge a little bit extra for XYZ”. The whole process – from advertising, meeting clients, discussing the brief, preparing mood boards and building a team (she often works with other florists and freelancers on events), to sourcing and conditioning the flowers, then doing the event itself – feels increasingly like second nature.

A sense of purpose

In floristry, Jessie has found a vocation that connects with so much of her life and who she is, including her faith. As she discovers more of the purpose it holds for her, she contemplates the theology of how God reveals himself to us through creation, beauty and being made in his image: “I’d like to [learn] more about that, because I think it would speak into what I’m doing.”

Two years on, 60 per cent of Jessie’s clients now find her online. And she is increasingly sought out for her commitment to sustainable techniques, like using eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics and floral foam. Now with her own studio in a nearby arts complex: “which really felt like a gift from the Lord”, she is building up her own collection of props and receptacles, rather than needing to hire them. This has freed up space at home: “There [were] flower boxes stored under the sofa, and in the closet and the kids’ play area. Our shed was overrun.” As she broadens her remit, there are more avenues to explore – including contract and corporate work – and creating installations for retail spaces and PR initiatives, as well as getting experience of large-scale builds such as the Chelsea Flower Show.

As she selects the right flowers for her clients, what are Jessie’s favourites? It depends on the season. In early spring it might be anemones, in summer sweet peas and in September it’s either dahlias or garden roses. But she won’t be limited: “I love a bit of everything”, she says.

Find wild, seasonal, beautiful flowers at jessiewatsonflowers.com

Words by Alex Noel.