Tell us a bit about London Terrariums and the inspiration behind the brand?

I started London Terrariums back in 2014, I was living in a shared house and didn’t have access to a garden, throughout university I was always swapping houseplants with friends and then started to make Terrariums. I quickly fell in love with these bottle gardens, started making them for friends and then taught my first workshop. Over the past 6 years I moved from making Terrariums on my Kitchen table in Peckham, to our first studio in Bermondsey on to our store in New Cross Gate, I am now lucky enough to have an amazing team, teaching workshops all over the south east of England and this is what LT is all about- spreading the Terrarium love and reconnecting people to nature. During lock-down we started Virtual workshops and London Terrarium kits, this was amazing as it meant we could share our skills with so many people around the country and not just London based.

What inspires your work?

Helping people to bring some calm and greenery into their lives, give yourself a break from screen time at work and from your phones. I love it when people leave a workshop so happy with what they have created, for those 2 hour sessions you can completely switch off and all you have to focus on is getting those plants to stand in the jars!

What’s your first memory of dogs being in your life?

We used to have a Yorkshire terrier called Pidge (Lady and the Tramp reference) when I was about 5, I have such a funny photo of myself on a plastic bike with Pidge in the back, this sticks in my mind all the time!

Tell us about your dog and how they came into your life?

Walnut Wiggins came along as soon as we opened our first shop, myself and my boyfriend had been wanting a dog for years and as soon as I quit my full time job and the shop opened it dawned on me ‘I can get a shop dog now!’ I had always wanted a Miniature Schnauzer called Walnut Wiggins and on route to collect him from Wales I was worried ‘what if he doesn’t look like a Walnut Wiggins!?’ I needn’t have worried - he is definitely a Walnut Wiggins!

How does having a dog fit into your general working day?

Walnut has grown up in the shop so he is used to mooching around, playing with plant pots, chewing up our corks. I always give him a long walk before we head into work, we are really lucky that we live right in between Nunhead Cemetery and Telegraph Hill so there is plenty of green space for him to chase balls and sticks. It is a perfect excuse for a walk to decompress after work as well, we will often head to Peckham Rye park and have a walk in the evening before heading home.

If you could be a breed of dog for the day which breed would you be and why?

I think I would be an Afghan Hound! Their hair is amazing and it must be wonderful to run in the wind and have your hair brushed! Long hair - don’t care!

You can follow Emma and Walnut's adventures together on instagram and visit the London Terrarium's website here.

London Terrariums Shop and Studio
106a New Cross Road
London
SE14 5BA