- 17
- Episodes
- 5
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2024
- First episode
- 122
- YouTube views
About Flowers & Folklore
Have you ever wondered why you shouldn't bring snowdrops into your home? Or what happens when you hear bluebells rings? This podcast is for you. Regular episodes from florists, Sarah Rushbrooke and Keeley Rees. Listen for floral lore and unusual flower facts. flowersandfolklore.substack.com (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
- Publisher
- Sarah Rushbrooke & Keeley Rees
- Category
- arts · education
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 10 Jul 2024
- Latest episode
- 17 May 2026
Latest episodes
17 episodes in the feed.
17 May 2026
Garden gossip 4
In this Garden Gossip episode of Flowers & Folklore, Sarah and Keeley spill all about their new floristry studios and what they’ve been up to lately. Tangents include a rant from Sarah about the council, Keeley schools Sarah on the Goethe Effect & nasturtiums and we chat about dried flowers. Enjoy! Floristry & Flowers We both begin our journeys in new studios. Follow Rook Botanics (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) and The Green Edit Studio (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) on Instagram to stay in the loop. Inspiration Keeley: * Mr Bloom on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sfinbloom/?hl=en) * Keeley’s trip to the coast, featuring nasturtiums Sarah: * Small Biz, Big Chat (https://www.instagram.com/smallbizbigchat/) networking events in Glasgow * The snowflakes from Sarah’s workshop * The petticoat daffodils (we think!) at Haddon Hall (https://www.haddonhall.co.uk/) * Caroline McQuistin (https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinemcquistin) on TikTok Coming up… Keeley: * The Green Edit Studio (https://thegreeneditstudio.com/home) website for upcoming floristry workshops * Join The Green Edit Studio mailing list (https://thegreeneditstudio.com/waitlist) * The Idea Catcher Spreadsheet (https://keeleyrees.com/freebie) Sarah: * Sarah’s upcoming spring workshops (https://www.rookbotanics.com/workshops) * Join the Leftover Flower Club (https://www.rookbotanics.com/lfc) * 1:1 floristry workshops (https://www.rookbotanics.com/flowerschool) with Rook Botanics Flowers & Folklore on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/flowersandfolklorepodcast/) We’d love to hear from you! Have your own floral stories or lore about a favourite flower? We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Leave us a voice note (https://flowersandfolklorepodcast.com/contact) on our website flowersandfoklorepodcast.com (https://flowersandfolklorepodcast.com/), comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
29 Apr 2026
Bluebell
This was the episode to start it all. Until it wasn’t. Originally recorded (and then discarded) not once, but twice by Sarah when she was first beginning her podcasting journey, today, 4 years on this episode makes it to the airwaves. But, dear listener, it’s worth the wait. Ah, the little bluebell. A flower tied to ancient woodlands, fairy folk and warnings not to stray from the path ahead. In this episode we explore why bluebells have captured imaginations for centuries and take a few detours on the way. Because, hey, it’s us. Enjoy the episode. PS look out if you hear them ring! Books & Poetry * Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker * The Brief Life of Flowers by Fiona Stafford * The Language of Flowers by Margaret Pixton * Hedgerow Apothecary by Christine Iverson * Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs * The Traditional Games of England, Ireland and Scotland by Alice Gomme * Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell * Flower Fairies of the Spring by Cicely Mary Barker * The Fairy Caravan by Beatrix Potter * The Bluebell by Anne Bronté (https://allpoetry.com/poem/8457985-The-Bluebell-by-Anne-Bront%C3%AB) * To a Bluebell by Emily Bronté (https://www.craftpolish.com/blog/2022/5/11/great-lines-emily-bront) Artworks * The Bluebell Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker * Helen Allingham Bluebell paintings * Lucy Loveheart (https://www.lucyloveheart.com/pages/about-lucy) Also mentioned * Cymbeline by William Shakespeare * Countryside (https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/countrystride/cafcaa20-c280-0136-7b93-27f978dac4db/countrystride-86-beatrix-potter/c81f37dd-5068-4d95-8df1-51179c616802) the podcast episode about Beatrix Potter by two walkers in Cumbria * Village of Death (https://pca.st/episode/522a0c47-11aa-4416-a542-4d64a4ea9d62) (https://pca.st/episode/522a0c47-11aa-4416-a542-4d64a4ea9d62)the podcast episode about Eyam plague village in Derbyshire * The Bluebell Railway (https://www.bluebell-railway.com/) * The Fairyland Trust (https://www.fairylandtrust.org/) Flowers & Folklore on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/flowersandfolklorepodcast/) We’d love to hear from you! Have your own floral stories or lore about violets? We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Leave us a voice note (https://flowersandfolklorepodcast.com/contact) on our website flowersandfoklorepodcast.com (https://flowersandfolklorepodcast.com/), comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
28 Feb 2026
Violet
Hello! Keeley takes us down lots of fragrant and delicious rabbit holes all about the violet. This small but mighty flower has deep roots in the floristry world, as well as being the OG red rose (it’ll make sense once you listen!) And yes, this gave Keeley another opportunity to complain about roses. We take a trip down memory lane with films and books, take a quick stop at the Tate to admire some art and look up recipes for violet pudding. Books * The Hedgerow Apothecary by Christine Iverson * Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants, and Trees by Ernst and Johanna Lehner * Floriography by Jessica Roux * Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker * Flowers and Their Meanings by Karen Azoulay Artwork * Lady with a Bowl of Violets by Lila Cabot Perry (1910) at the National Museum of Women in the Arts * A Bouquet of Violets by Édouard Manet (1872) * Ophelia by John Everett Millais (1851-52) at the Tate Head to our Instagram for visuals. Also mentioned * Betty May @bettymaywrote (https://www.instagram.com/bettymaewrote) - features the character Violet the mouse in the Wildwood series * The article by Felicity Hall from historyworkshop.org.uk (https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/womens-history/the-flower-girls-of-london/) about flower girls Flowers & Folklore on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/flowersandfolklorepodcast/) We’d love to hear from you! Have your own floral stories or lore about violets? We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. P.S. Leave us a voice note! (https://flowersandfolklorepodcast.com/contact) Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
28 Jan 2026
Garden gossip 3
In this Garden Gossip episode of Flowers & Folklore, Sarah and Keeley spill all the recent flower goss. From seasonal quiet spells to the ideas and projects that have been quietly taking up all their daydreams. From fairy lights and backyard vows to magnolias, amaranthus, unexpected thistle, and trusting your gut when plans unravel, this episode wanders through wedding flowers, winter studios, meaningful funeral work, and the power flowers hold in moments of joy and grief. Along the way, there’s talk of cake side-quests, Tolkien, hellebores on graves, creative play without pressure, and why fleeting beauty might be the whole point. Enjoy! Floristry & Flowers Keeley: Keeley did her first ever wedding as a florist! Yes siree Bob, that’s the secret project she mentioned in our previous Garden Gossip episode. It just also happens that this wedding was her own. Perhaps, one could argue, that it was a bit mad to attempt to do the flowers on her own wedding day (& in 38 degree heat!) but the madness made way for something (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUCzHS0iW-N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)magical (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUCzHS0iW-N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==). (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUCzHS0iW-N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) Sarah: Sarah recently put together a bold, joyful funeral arrangement for someone who loved colour. She went for fiery Icelandic poppies, wiggly ranunculus, pink spray roses, winter foliage, skimmia, and little pops of ilex berries. It was a riot of life in the middle of winter, and Sarah reflects on how flowers like these can offer a quiet bit of comfort, helping people pause, breathe, and remember the personality and passions of the person they’re celebrating. Even in sorrow, there’s a little magic in the way flowers can hold space for love. Inspirations Keeley: * Sarah mentioned Keeley’s Cake decorating post (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/p/how-to-bake-and-decorate-a-cake) * This stunning tin snowdrop made by In Progress from Meg Fatharly (https://substack.com/profile/30356330-in-progress-from-meg-fatharly). Meg’s instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DTp_tM2jaF-/?img_index=1) is also here. Sarah: * Secret Garden interactive book * Sarah’s visit to Tolkien’s grave, with a little hellebore. * Cyclamen by Karim Abu Shakra from the Palestine Museum Coming up… * Sarah’s DIY wedding course which will be out in February * Mother’s Day workshops and vouchers * Keeley’s substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) We’re nerdy & nosey What flower-related things have you been inspired by recently? We’d love to hear your stories and connections about flowers. Our listenership is really spread across the world, so if you have some local folklore about a specific flower please write in and let us know. Email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com) or message us on instagram. Enjoy the episode! Keeley & Sarah Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
24 Jan 2026
Camellia
Hello, hello! So lovely to be back and be sharing our first episode of 2026 in which Sarah takes us into the curious world of the Camellia. Don’t be fooled by its beauty and abundance, this flower has a layered and more powerful past than you might expect. In this episode we wander about gently through history, folklore, politics and fashion houses. Plus, it wouldn’t be an episode about a pretty flower with at least one reference to a noble death, right? In amongst that creepy revelation we talk about memory keeping, notebooks, perfumes that evoke images of ‘theatre and posh old ladies’ and the lengths humans go to, just to have flowers in their lives, no matter the era. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and maybe don’t pluck flowers from mysterious trees... Books * The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay * A Year in Flowers by Erin Benzakein * Floriography by Jessica Roux * The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz * The Language of Flowers by Margaret Pickston * Two Japanese tales featured here (https://yokai.com/furutsubakinorei/?srsltid=AfmBOorAQhFXv4XsB65DyKLLcxj4Hy_Zd_QDgiijvfdG4wkVJo-yllNP). This is an illustrated database of Japanese folklore and worth noting they also have Patreon. The accompanying image below is by Matthew Meyer: Impact on Women’s Sufforage in New Zealand Speech: “So Women Can Get the Vote” by Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia. (https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/meri-mangakahia) Journal: The camellia – suffragist symbol of womanly excellence. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26780380.pdf?refreqid=fastly-default%3Ac3601dbc06868dc5829f3b93afe5ccf2&ab_segments=&initiator=&acceptTC=1) Battle of the Camellias (https://www.ncwnz.org.nz/battle_of_camellias). A symbol for Suffrage 130 by Vanessa Smith. (https://www.women.govt.nz/news/symbol-suffrage-130) Artworks & Literature La dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel) Camellia artworks by British painter and botanical artist Clara Pope (c.1767 – 24 December 1838). Camellia and Bird by Japanese ukiyo-e (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e) artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 12 October 1858). Also mentioned Camelia Oil by Niwaki (https://www.niwaki.com/camellia-oil/?srsltid=AfmBOooRwGyZ9pjbp3LSEfnRzbMSC6Unq80QJtwtUsRI4cZWDIzEIWrU#P00030) Camellias in The House of Chanel (https://www.chanel.com/us/skincare/beyond-the-jar/camellia-alba-plena/) Flowers & Folklore on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/flowersandfolklorepodcast/) We’d love to hear from you! Have your own floral stories or lore about Camellia? We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
24 Dec 2025
Garden gossip 2
In this episode of Flowers & Folklore: Garden Gossip, we chat about what’s been inspiring us lately and what flowers we’ve been working with recently. Flowers & Floristry A wreath someone made in Sarah’s wreath workshops A sneak peak from the vampy photoshoot at The Marlborough (https://www.themarlborough.uk/) A flower crown Sarah made for my Christmas party, because she forgot to photograph any of the arrangements What are Sarah and Keeley up to? Listen to Keeley’s other podcast Creative Courage (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/podcast) The incredible Idea Catcher Spreadsheet that Keeley is offering podcast listener’s for free. This will be available soon. Sarah is working on a DIY Wedding Flower course. Follow her Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) for updates. Christmas ornaments From Keeley: The Die Hard Christmas ornament I made for my son. An heirloom nativity set gifted to me by Uncles & Aunty’s on my dad’s side of the family. This was in Nanna Betty’s home every Christmas and I was obssesed with it. Little wooden angel - one of 3 wooden pieces given to me from my Amma & Grandad’s collection. Anne of Green Gables ornament my Amma brought back from Canada for me. A brass instrument to remind me of my Grandad and growing up in the Salvation Army with their gorgeous brass band. And just because - our Christmas tree this year. Christmas ornaments From Sarah: A snow globe with a dressage horse inside One half of the set of turtle doves I share with my sister The Grandma ornament my sister had made for me Mary Queen of Scots because she’s amazing Other inspriation Eleanor Gander’s incredible tattoos (https://www.instagram.com/eliluciitattoos/) Floral lace (https://www.instagram.com/nes.nespoon/) over the buildings Garden gnome headcrown guy AKA Jonathan Hiebert (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPzyTMODOSo/?igsh=NnRjOXkzMGJ1aTM4) We’d love to hear from you. Have your own floral stories or lore? We’d love to hear from you! We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Keeley & Sarah Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
20 Dec 2025
Hellebore
In this episode of Flowers & Folklore, we step into the shadowy world of the hellebore: a flower with rich history and many contradictions - the light and the dark. To fully explore this little flower’s backstory we fall down more than one rabbit hole, but all of them bring us to the same conclusion - you’ll never look at The Christmas Rose the same way again. We explore how this moody bloom has been linked to Christianity and witchcraft in equal measure, how it was used to create some surprising “magical powers” and its role in some juicy ancient goss and also there’s some goats eating things they absolutely shouldn’t. Books, Art & Poetry * The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay * “How to do the flowers” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42388940-how-to-do-the-flowers) by Constance Spry * Floriography by Jessica Roux * Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker * Encyclopædia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World by Cora Linn Daniels * The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz * Thanatos by Henry Kirke White * Lyrics from Speyer service book from 1599 Artworks ‘Arts & Crafts Hellebore’ by Margaret Light Click here to view the full article about Margaret’s gorgeous work. (https://www.inspirationsstudios.com/news/article/arts-crafts-hellebore-by-margaret-light) Inspiration * Hellebore and moth tattoo by Eleanor Gander (@ (https://www.instagram.com/eliluciitattoos/)eliluciitattoos (https://www.instagram.com/eliluciitattoos/)) * Winter arrangement by Constance Spry * Hellebore arrangement by The Floral Coach (https://thefloralcoach.com/2024/04/06/how-to-salvage-hydrate-and-design-with-hellebore/) Have your own floral stories or lore about hellebore? We’d love to hear from you! We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Keeley & Sarah Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
16 Nov 2025
Garden gossip 1
In this episode of Flowers & Folklore: Garden Gossip, we chat about what’s been inspiring us lately and what flowers we’ve been working with recently. Keeley tells us about viburnum, viburnum and more viburnum and Sarah tells us about the end of wedding season. Tangents include a trip through Keeley’s gorgeous garden and Haddon Hall’s recent exhibition Magic (https://www.haddonhall.co.uk/events/event/magic-charms-rituals-and-superstition-in-elizabethan-england/). Sarah also reveals her dislike of gyp and Jane Austen’s Emma. Flowers & Floristry * Keeley’s beautiful designs from college * The Season of Abundance ran by Sophies Flower Co (https://www.instagram.com/sophiesflowerco/?hl=en). Read Sarah’s essay about it on Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/p/floral-essay-33) * The waxflower tree Sarah and the other students made at McQueens Flower School (https://www.mcqueensflowers.com/collections/school/) What are Sarah and Keeley up to? * Join Sarah in Glasgow for one of her wreath making workshops this winter (https://www.eventbrite.com/o/rook-botanics-37538411283#events) * Getting married in Scotland? Sarah is offering 10% off weddings booked (https://www.rookbotanics.com/weddings) by the end of November 2025 * Keeley has launched her gorgeous new business The Green Edit Studio (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) Have your own floral stories or lore? We’d love to hear from you! We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to Flowers & Folklore at flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
9 Nov 2025
Nasturtium
In this episode of Flowers & Folklore, we dive into the surprising history and tales surrounding the humble “bit-like-a-granny’s-handbag’ nasturtium, from its gory Greek naming origins to its gentle flower fairy depictions. We discover why this bright orange bloom was once associated with warriors and triumph, how Beatrix Potter, Claude Monet, and Cicely Mary Barker each captured its charm, and why it was once thought to repel serpents and bring good fortune. Along the way, we chat about Tales of the Shire (https://talesoftheshire.com/) (and Tolkien’s opinionated spelling choices), there’s poetry by Anne Spencer of the Harlem Renaissance, plus we uncover the curious Elizabeth Linnaeus phenomenon (https://wordsworth.org.uk/blog/2017/02/22/flashes-upon-the-inward-eye-wordsworth-coleridge-and-flashing-flowers/), and disappear down a rabbit hole over our mutual obsession with miniatures. It’s a magical episode that’ll make you see nasturtiums in a whole new (flashing?) light. Books, Art & Poetry * The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay * Unearthing The Secret Garden by Martha McDowell * The Flower Fairies Alphabet (1934) by Cicely Mary Barker — “Nasturtium the Jolly” poem & illustration * The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (Nasturtiums in Mr. McGregor’s garden) * Lines to a Nasturtium (https://poets.org/poem/lines-nasturtium) poem by Anne Bethel Spencer * The Witch’s Garden by Sandra Lawrence * Country Life article by Mark Diacono: “In praise of the humble nasturtium” (https://www.countrylife.co.uk/gardens/why-you-should-grow-and-eat-nasturtiums-225901) * “How to do the flowers” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42388940-how-to-do-the-flowers) by Constance Spry Artworks * Nasturtiums in a Blue Vase by Claude Monet * Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit nasturtium illustration * Cicely Mary Barker’s Nasturtium Fairy Games & Fun Bits * Tales of the Shire (https://talesoftheshire.com/) game by Wētā Workshop * Snaps from Sarah’s Halloween dried floral headdress workshop * Dollhouse project & miniature-making course (https://shop.genevasdiyschool.com?bg_ref=sDjjxr3e2K) (affiliate link, also you can get 10% off your whole order with the code: KEELEY) Picture below of the beginning of Keeley’s Brambly Hedge treehouse. Bonus video of Sarah’s foster boy Bruno “helping” to clean up after the workshop: Have your own regional stories or nasturtium lore? We’d love to hear from you! We’re accepting reader submissions, so if you have a flower story, (about any flower) please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) | Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thegreeneditstudio/) | Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flowersandfolklore.substack.com (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
27 Oct 2025
Meet your hosts
Hello! First episode back after an unexpected break! Two reasons why this is extra exciting: A) 1: because I’m now joined by Keeley Rees (https://substack.com/profile/91380414-keeley-rees) as a co-host! (Hooray!) And 2) because we’ll be bringing you new episode formats each month, as well as the much-loved Flowers & Folklore deep dive episode on one flower. Same podcast. Same feed. More floral nerddom. Also, new moody artwork: In this episode we chat about how we met and how we found flowers, or should it be how flowers found *us*? Plus we share our favourite and least favourite flowers. (They know what they did.) Plusss we’ve started a new Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/flowersandfolklorepodcast/) to share all of our findings and connect with you. Follow along here. (https://www.instagram.com/flowersandfolklorepodcast/) We LOVE hearing from you and want to open up floor soon for reader submissions so if you have a flower story, please share it with us! Comment below or email us at flowersandfolklorepodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the episode! Sarah & Keeley Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Find Keeley online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/_keeleyrees/) Substack (https://keeleyrees.substack.com/) More info and transcript on Flowers & Folklore (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com/) you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flowersandfolklore.substack.com (https://flowersandfolklore.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
31 Mar 2025
Tulip
The sixth episode of Flowers & Folklore will be all about the tulip! Resources used for this episode: The Language of Flowers by Margaret Pickston The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz Flower Fairies of the Spring by Cicely Mary Barker https://www.tulipmania.art/in-persian-mythology-the-tulip-is-considered-to-be-the-flower-of-love/ https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/learning/dartmoor-legends/the-legend-of-the-bed-of-tulips https://amsterdamtulipmuseum.com/pages/the-story-of-the-tulip Save Wild Tulips: https://www.fauna-flora.org/species/wild-tulips/ Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Have you heard some interesting folklore about tulips? Please let me know! Leave a comment or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript on Sarah’s Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) - you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
28 Feb 2025
Daffodil
The fifth episode of Flowers & Folklore will be all about the daffodil! Resources used for this episode: Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay The Brief Life of Flowers by Fiona Stafford Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell Flower Fairies of the Spring by Cicely Mary Barker Flowers Fairies of the Garden by Cicely Mary Barker https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/wild-daffodil https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/plants-we-love/daffodils-art-myth-folklore https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/libraries-at-rhs/articles/sarah-backhouse-creator-of-first-pink-daffodil Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Have you heard some interesting folklore about daffodils? Please let me know! Leave a comment or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript on Sarah’s Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) - you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
27 Jan 2025
Snowdrop
The fourth episode of Flowers & Folklore will be all about snowdrop! Resources used for this episode: Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker Snowdrop by Gail Harland The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay The Brief Life of Flowers by Fiona Stafford https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2022/01/where-and-when-to-see-snowdrops/ Flower Fairies of the Winter by Cicely Mary Barker Gækkebrev: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A6kkebrev Find Sarah online: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Have you heard some interesting folklore about snowdrops? Please let me know! Leave a comment or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript on Sarah’s Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) - you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Have you heard some interesting folklore about thistles? Please let me know! Leave a comment or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript on Sarah’s substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) - you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
24 Dec 2024
Mistletoe
The third episode of Flowers & Folklore will be all about mistletoe. Resources used for this episode: *Breverton’s Complete Herbal by Terry Breverton *Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker *The Hedgerow Apothecary by Christine Iverson *https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/mistletoe-christmas-tradition *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscum_album *https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2015/12/a-folktale-about-mistletoe/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA88a5BhDPARIsAFj595iDda97vz30rR4HzH01ycUaGv1ejfEX8Zn7L5EliU2caoc2agjB65gaAuHGEALw_wcB *MistleGO the national survey (https://treetalk.substack.com/p/mistlego-a-year-on-the-uk-mistletoe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1zu3px&triedRedirect=true) Find Sarah online: * Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) * Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) * Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) *Buy a Rook Botanics gift voucher (https://www.rookbotanics.com/shop) Have you heard some interesting folklore about thistles? Please let me know! Leave a comment or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript on Sarah’s substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) - you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
3 Nov 2024
Thistle
The second episode of Flowers & Folklore will be all about the thistle! Resources used for this episode: * Breverton’s Complete Herbal by Terry Breverton * Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker * Floriography by Jessica Roux * The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay * The Brief Life of Flowers by Fiona Stafford * Witch’s Garden by Sandra Lawrence * The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz * A Modern Herbal by Alys Fowler * https://www.efdss.org/learning/resources/beginners-guides/47-british-folk-customs-may/3412-may-morning# * https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/arts-culture/thistle * https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/the-thistle-scotlands-national-flower * https://www.icysedgwick.com/thistles-folklore/ Find Sarah online: * Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) * Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) * Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Have you heard some interesting folklore about thistles? Please let me know! Leave a comment or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript on Sarah’s substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) - you must access this via your desktop and not your phone. Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
14 Jul 2024
Foxglove
The ever episode of Flowers & Folklore will be all about the foxglove! Resources used for this episode: * Breverton’s Complete Herbal by Terry Breverton * Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker * Floriography by Jessica Roux * The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay * The Brief Life of Flowers by Fiona Stafford * The Hedgerow Apothecary by Christine Iverson * The Forager’s Calendar by John Wright * Witch’s Garden by Sandra Lawrence * Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell * https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/incredible-tale-foxglove-179066 * https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/foxglove/ * https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/foxglove Find Sarah online: * Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) * Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) * Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Have you heard some interesting folklore about foxgloves? Please let me know! Leave a comment on Substack or email me on podcast@rookbotanics.com More info and transcript: https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/ (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
10 Jul 2024
Introducing: Flowers & Folklore
Have you ever wondered why you shouldn't bring snowdrops into your home? Or what happens when you hear bluebells rings? Then this podcast is for you. There will be monthly episodes from me, Sarah Rushbrooke. I’m a florist, a flower nerd and folklore fanatic. Each episode focuses on a specific flower, it's lore and unusual floral facts. Launching this Sunday! So keep an eye out wherever you listen to podcasts. Find Sarah online: * Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rookbotanics/) * Substack (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/) * Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rookbotanics/) Get full access to The Foibles of a Florist at sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe (https://sarahrushbrooke.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 122
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 5.0 / 5
- 5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 12
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 64
- Engagement
- 32
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