Stuart and Alexander

In this episode of the Stuart & Alexander, Grace and Becca go live on Instagram, reflecting on their festive preparations, recent travels, and various holiday plans. You can also watch here.
They discuss Grace's trip to London and their creative Christmas decor ideas, including the use of holly trees and paper chains.
The conversation also touches on hosting Christmas dinners, the logistics of cooking, and holiday traditions. Grace shares her hectic schedule, including plans for a new kitchen garden vegetable growing calendar. There's holiday drinks, cats, and upcoming New Year resolutions.

01:35 Grace's London Trip and Celebrations
03:18 Christmas Preparations and Decorations
05:22 Bringing the Outside In: Festive Floristry
13:55 Christmas Tree Dilemmas and Solutions
22:41 Ribbon Talk: Variated Holly and Velvet Ribbons
24:36 Christmas Table Plans and NHS Shoutout
25:29 Family Christmas Plans and Tablecloth Dilemmas
27:14 Flower Arrangements and Gardening Friends
34:44 Wreath Workshops and Foraging Adventures38:41 Christmas Break and Future Plans42:35 Exciting Trips and Stylish Convertible Dreams43:46 Wrapping Up: Festive G&Ts and Podcast Plans

S&A is now available on Instagram! Follow us forout-takes, behind the scenes, extra info, and what coming soon. https://www.instagram.com/stuartandalexander/
 
Stuart & Alexander is a podcast from friends and flowerobsessives, Becca Stuart and Grace Alexander.
 
Becca is a Cornish grower, florist and stylist, floweringthe best weddings and events in Cornwall.
https://thegardengateflowercompany.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/thegardengateflowerco/
 
Grace is a seed merchant, writer for the Garden Collective and in conversion organic gardener.
www.gracealexanderflowers.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/gracealexanderflowers/
 
IN: Gifts for your home
The Wool Company https://www.thewoolcompany.co.uk 
Yorkshire Blankets https://yorkshireblankets.co.uk/
Socks - Number 30 Ashburton @number30ashburton 
Dartmoor Shepherd https://thedartmoorshepherd.co.uk
Merchant and Mills House https://merchantandmills.com/uk/house
 
OUT: Gifts for your gardenBag - https://www.francli.co.uk/
Warriner Leather https://www.warrinerleather.co.uk
Wintertide Market https://www.thesouthwester.co.uk/wintertide
Chicken Wire cloches https://www.waitrosegarden.com/products/_/crocus-collection/cc-protective-wire-cloches
Katherine Miles https://www.katherine-miles.com
 
OUT OUT
Workshop – Ambrose Veevers https://www.ambrosevevers.com
Fife Arms - https://thefifearms.com
 
WILDCARD
Wentworth Puzzles - https://www.wentworthpuzzles.com/
Willow & Stone https://www.willowandstone.co.uk/
Gaia https://gaiapuzzles.co.uk/products/flowers-in-a-vase-national-gallery-1000-piece-jigsaw-puzzle

Although do also look out for jigsaws in charity shops!

As autumn folds itself around the garden, Grace and Becca settle in for an evening recording filled with comfort, carb-laden dreams, and tales of soil, bulbs, and books.
Grace unwraps her most-anticipated arrival of the season — Winter in the Highlands by Flora Shedden — a feast of photography, venison, and Scottish charm.
The conversation meanders through bones and broth, squash and stews, and the gentle rituals that mark the transition from abundance to rest.
Rebecca reflects on her final wedding of the year, the quiet that follows, and the strange restlessness that comes with slowing down.
Grace introduces her new digital gardening calendar — a quietly clever companion that pings timely reminders for every seasonal task, from ordering bulbs to checking compost supplies.
They discuss the satisfaction of bulb planting, the mischief of squirrels, and the wisdom of leaving soil undisturbed through winter.
There’s talk of weeds (including the dreaded field sorrel), cosmos jungles, and a fruit harvest so abundant it feels almost mythic.
Rebecca takes us to Ashburton, that irresistible Devon town of vintage jumpers, ceramic butter knives, and dangerously good shops. Expect mentions of Rafiki Café, Amelia’s, Craftmongers, and Ambrose Vevers’ scorched chopping boards.
Grace, meanwhile, lunches at Pythouse Kitchen Garden and The Newt, reflecting on the beauty of limewashed walls, maturing plantings, and restraint in garden design.
Next month’s episode will be their Christmas Gift List Special — an In, Out, Out-Out, and Wild Card edition of beautiful things to covet, make, and give.
Winter in the Highlands by Flora Shedden — available via Bookshop.org

@flora.shedden and @lauraedwardsphoto on Instagram

Ambrose Vevers – scorched wood boards and craftsmanship

Rafiki Café and Craftmongers, Ashburton

Grace’s Digital Gardening Calendar — available at gracealexanderflowers.co.uk

In the GardenOut in the WorldOut OutLooking AheadMentions and Links

In this episode of Stuart and Alexander, Rebecca of The Garden Gate Flower Company and I tumble back into conversation. A rambling catch-up of triumphs, muddles, and mud under our nails. We talk about the curse of perfection paralysis (that wretched urge to get everything exactly right before you even begin), and the bone-deep weariness of decision fatigue.
There are confessions about compost disasters, autumn sowing schemes, and our endless, glamorous-yet-muddy hunt for gardening clothes that don’t make us look like scarecrows. As ever, the chat wanders, from the dizzy joys and heartbreaks, to the way a garden can both soothe and completely overwhelm.
An honest chat over tea about the things we can’t control, in our flowerside or in ourselves, and embracing letting go.

In this episode of Stuart and Alexander, Rebecca and Grace discuss the changing seasons, from an unusually autumnal August to garden management during peak wedding season.
Rebecca shares the recent heartbreaking loss of her beloved dog, Mabel, and thanks the community for their support.
We exchange tips on organising the garden with flags and labels, and Grace teases a new project involving engraved garden labels.
Other topics include Rebecca's trip to the south of France, completing renovations, and upcoming garden events.
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast
00:46 Reflecting on Autumn
02:30 Remembering Mabel
09:03 Cottage Renovation Updates
19:23 Garden Challenges and Wedding Season
21:54 Labelling and New Business Ideas
28:39 Bleeping Out for Family-Friendly Content
28:50 Tulip Talk: Ordering and Growing Tips
30:41 Challenges with Tulips in Floral Work
31:46 Favourite Tulip Varieties and Planting Strategies
33:46 The Importance of Seasonal Planning
35:51 Garden Visits and Reflections
40:00 Travel Tales: South of France
49:45 Upcoming Events and Workshops