Jeni Nelson (left) and Katherine Anderson (right), the floral forces at The London Plane in Seattle
The simple goal of keeping flowers in customers' hands is one I have been hearing continually over the past three months. Distilled to its simplest form, this seems to be what we all want to make happen, as the floral season progresses from late winter, to early spring; from late spring to early summer. We are drawn into the beautiful web of nature where we allow flowers and plants speak for us when our hearts are heavy and there is a loss for adequate words.
Jeni Nelson (left) and Katherine Anderson (right)
At The London Plane, when the sudden reality of the Coronavirus faced co-owner Katherine Anderson and her partners, as well as flower shop manager Jeni Nelson, it meant finding ways to juggle myriad moving parts - from a restaurant and bakery to a grocery operation to a design studio. I'm a big fan of both of these women and their truly seasonal aesthetic.
The London Plane Flower Shop with designer Honnah Weber as she creates an arrangement.
Their shop is in the heart of an inviting, European-style cafe in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood and it is one to which any flower person visiting the Emerald City wants to make a pilgrimage. Meals here are simple and delicious, prepared with the same care that the floral design team creates an arrangement. Homage and respect is paid to each ingredient - from a salad composed of just-picked greens and herbs to the hand-gathered flowers one takes home.
You may recall that Katherine Anderson first appeared as a guest on this podcast way back in March 2014 in one of our early episodes, titled: Marigold & Mint’s Katherine Anderson – a leading eco-floral entrepreneur.
I also featured The London Plane flower shop in a Q&A with Jeni Nelson that appeared in the February 2019 issue of Florists' Review - including the beautiful cover photography. Read that article here:
FloristsReview_TheLondonPlaneDownload
This is how The London Plane's IG feed recently introduced Katherine Anderson:
A co-owner and a founder of the London Plane, Katherine has always loved flowers and nature. She is a trained landscape architect, owns an organic farm in the Snoqualmie River Valley, and is an incredibly talented person, florist, and business owner. We want to show our gratitude to this powerful force and wearer of so many hats - she greatly contributes to the Seattle community, is active in philanthropy and supporting the arts, and is constantly creating connections between people. She helped us create the relationship with the UW Medical Centers so we could donate 13K+ meals. On top of that, Katherine is a mother and a wife, she's really cool, and she is an integral part of the London Plane.
This is how The London Plane's IG feed recently introduced Jeni Nelson:
Jeni has worked at the London Plane for 6 years, leading our floral team for the past 3 years. She never ceases to amaze us with her artistry in a vase, crown, or installation, from roses to peonies to geum to bolting radicchio. We're lucky to have her as part of our team, even more so in this difficult time for the world and our community.She loves all flowers (and things vintage and French) but she--and most of the florists we know in Seattle, tbh--has a real soft spot for spring and the dozens of rich, colorful, tender blooms that show up in the PNW April and May.Maybe it's due to the love of these blooms that she was going to be married this spring to her sweet Canadian fiancé, Tim. Jeni and Tim have had to put their wedding on hold due to closed borders between the US and Canada for months. She'll share a bit of that story with us today, as well.
A workshop taught by Jeni Nelson at The London Plane
I asked Katherine and Jeni if I could actually meet them in person at The London Plane to discuss how they are managing during Coronavirus.