Anything from tea to chocolate and sparkly pictures to flower seeds lie behind the doors of advent calendars created in Norfolk
The promise of flowers bursting into bloom is a magical idea through the cold dark days of December – which is why Lizzie Fox launched her flower seed advent calendar. Behind every door is a different packet of flower seeds - including cornflower 'snowman', nemophila 'snowstorm' and poppy 'angel's choir.’
“I’ve loved receiving all sorts of advent calendars over the years - beauty, chocolate, gin...,” said Lizzie, of Stoke Holy Cross, near Norwich.
“But as my love for gardening grew I tried to look for a flower seed one and couldn't find one, so decided to make my own.”
Lizzie launched her gardening business, The Rose Press Garden, in lockdown last year and her first advent calendars sold out by October. This year she is making more, with 24 different surprise packets of seeds.
“I want to make gardening modern and fun so an advent calendar felt like the perfect opportunity. It also allowed me to include instructions each day and I support every flower seed variety with a video online so we can all grow them together,” she said. Each £45 advent calendar comes with flower seeds and 24 golden mini pegs and twine.
The mix of annuals, biennials and perennials should combine to create a stunning summer display and Lizzie donates £1 from each product she sells to the Greenfingers charity which creates gardens for children’s hospices.
“I'm now an ambassador for the charity and am helping to lead their next garden development which is at The Nook,” said Lizzie. The thousands of pounds she has already raised will go towards the hospice garden at Framingham Earl, near Norwich.
Lizzie also sells flower seeds, bulbs, plug plants, gardening accessories and seed subscription packages by post and has exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show and featured in the Eastern Daily Press 30 under 30 list. “I was fed up of gardening being aimed at the elderly and realised there was a huge opportunity to make gardening modern, show how fun it can be and also how easy it is when you have support and guidance,” she said. therosepressgarden.com
Birchley’s Loose Leaf Tea stall on Norwich Market has advent sorted. If you love all kinds of tea, then what could be better than 25 cups of tea – with a different flavour every day? The stall stock scores of teas ranging from roibos to rose, lavender to lapsang and oolong to turmeric chai and its advent calendar includes a different tea for every day – including Christmas day. “Who doesn't want a lovely cuppa on Christmas morning?” said stall co-owner Sam Bircham. birchleystea.co.uk
No-one does festive sparkle quite like Norfolk artist Lucy Loveheart. Her quirky, glittery, snow-sprinkled scenes are perfect for Christmas cards and pictures. Pointy fairytale trees, starry skies and stylised fairytale figures skate through idyllic wintry landscapes. This year Lucy was asked to paint a Christmas picture of Chatsworth House for her advent calendar. lucyloveheart.com
Norwich-based card publisher Art Angels sells its designs around the country. Local stockists include the Sainsbury Centre.
And finally...Fakenham is pretty much the world capital of character chocolate advent calendars. Its Kinnerton chocolate factory makes tens of thousands of calendars, featuring children’s favourites from Peppa Pig to Paw Patrol, which are enjoyed around the globe.
