Emma Jane Pagan – a story that keeps blooming

I was organising a weekend festival in my local parish in 2014, when I first met Emma. The whole event was a celebration of autumn and she kindly provided the festival café with lovely seasonal arrangements to go on each table. When the programme ended, the displays were auctioned off and I found myself signing up with her for a regular delivery of flowers to my home.

So I’ve known Emma for a decade, but until now, knew little of her ‘back story’.

It’s a tale of determination, hard work and of over-coming personal challenges.

It’s also a fascinating example of business and creative innovation in a rural setting. Finding a niche idea, building a community around it, and thereby enhancing the lives of local people and visitors alike.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading here how Emma faced up to a series of obstacles, and having got round them, is now living the dream as proprietor of one of Dumfries and Galloway’s veritable ‘hidden gems’.

Tell me where you were born and something about your early life, education, and influences?

I was born in the old Cresswell Hospital – like most Doonhamers! I was brought up in the Georgetown area of Dumfries with my two big brothers: Stuart who is five years older than me and Ian who is 10 years older. Being the youngest and the only girl I was a massive daddy’s girl.

My mum was an auxiliary nurse and my dad worked at the ICI.

I went to Calside Primary School, and enjoyed my time there. Mr Witts was my favourite teacher. A tall gentleman, so kind and caring. I liked walking to school along the pink path and had lots of friends.

I think early on it was suggested to my mum that I had dyslexia but she was having none of that! Which really was quite unfortunate because I did struggle considerably later in High School and College. Those were different times though!

Music has been in my life for as long as I can remember. The radio is always on, and not just in the background. My parents had a lot of 1960s records. They both loved music. My dad was the biggest Frank Sinatra fan, whereas my mum liked anything with a good beat, something to dance to.

My mum loved flowers and flower arranging. She loved the garden too, I remember gardening with her as a very young child. From age 13 I had a Saturday job in the Doonhamer, do you remember that cafe? [DC – yes, indeed!]. I liked working there, I also liked the wee brown envelope I got at the end of the day. If I remember correctly there was £7 or £8 in there: a fortune! Then later on I worked at the pizzeria in the Dock Park. I really enjoyed that and made some good friends, but the head chef was mean to me because I spelled everything wrong, and he could never understand what I’d written.

Can you tell me a bit about High School days, which school and what your life was like, your thoughts about the future?

I went to Dumfries High School. It was around a mile from my house. There was a bus but I liked walking there. It gave me a chance to wake up! I liked High School at first, it was new and more exciting than Primary, but that didn’t last long. I wasn’t very good at it! School in general.

I’m more of a hands-on type. The practical classes were good. Home economics and woodwork were enjoyable. Music too. Everything else was just such a slog. I always found it very difficult to put things down on paper, I seemed to say everything but answer the question (which may become apparent to you as we go on – ha ha!). Everyone else managed fine and I had to add in extra, or do it again.

Dyslexia was never mentioned in High School. But I had a very nice English teacher, he was kind and patient, and he liked me.

I had friends but was always different to the others. I was an easy target for the people who wanted to ridicule others. That didn’t really bother me though. I kind of felt I knew something they didn’t. I’ve never been one to follow the crowds!

Then I had the idea to go for a place at the Technical College, studying for the National Certificate in Child Care and Development. I needed at least a grade 3 in English to get onto the course and instantly thought I was stuffed! Mr Muir had faith in me though, he helped and encouraged me so much. So I scraped through with a grade 3 – and went to the Tech.

But I had to stay at school and do part of 5th year because of my October birthday. I wasn’t there very often! I did enjoy a photography course – and skiving off up town!

As you can maybe imagine, the Tech wasn’t much better than school. I had very little help or encouragement. When I think back now it’s quite upsetting. But I just kept going, doing essays and assessments over again until I managed to include what the lecturers were actually looking for. I must be determined if nothing else!

I only stayed at Tech College for one year, lots of my friends went on to do the HND but I’d had enough, also I had been offered a full time job in the nursery where I’d done a College placement. So that was me into the big wide world, 40 hours per week in a nursery in the Crichton grounds. I liked working and was good with the kids, they all liked me and the parents asked after me. I was good at my job – at last! I can’t remember how much money I made, but at 17 my full-time wage was just fine!

At some point, you made a shift from children to flowers. How did you become a florist?

My mum developed lung cancer. When she was having her chemotherapy, I moved into her house to look after her. My dad had passed the previous year, so she lived alone. I was a single mum with two small children. I decided to just give up my job and be there for my mum and children. I was still working in the nursery at this point, but really had fallen out of love with it. So it was quite an easy decision to leave. The cancer took my mum within a year, so then I found myself alone, and for the first time since I was 13, without a job!

The parents of a friend of mine in Georgetown owned Dez Plants, and still do. They needed a Saturday person, so they took me on. I loved it and learned on the job.

Then I took a job with another florist in town that could give me more hours. That wasn’t such a good move. They were old fashioned, strictly black trousers white blouse – which didn’t sit well with me at all. The flowers also had to be done a certain way, with no creative expression allowed anywhere. At this point I was feeling the need to be more myself.

So in 2013 I set up my own business, ‘Country Flowers’. No help, no grants. You could say I was winging it, but with much dedication and hard work. I lived in Tinwald at the time, and turned an outhouse into a workshop. I set up a Facebook page and got in touch with suppliers. I have to say, their was opposition from my previous employer, but that only made me more determined.

I used to get up at four or five in the morning and drive to Newcastle to collect my own flowers. I did this for a good while, until I was busy enough to be buying a fair bit most weeks. I kept my head down and learned about the world of business along the way.

So you were getting established?

‘Country Flowers’ was really just a Facebook page. Friends and family spread the word and shared my page. I delivered bouquets here there and everywhere. I went to village fairs and coffee mornings. Wedding fairs too. I placed my business cards anywhere I could. I was quietly building my customer base.

We moved to Dalswinton in 2014 and I had a lovely workshop built. The business was growing and I got lots of support from the new community around us. The people here were so supportive and I started workshops in the village hall. I was getting busier again and all the while, plugging things on social media.

At one point I took to leaving small arrangements in bus stops, with wee notes to cheer people up or just make them smile. The local papers did a wee write-up about them.

And then?

I had the Dalswinton village shop in mind for a while before I mentioned it. I was worried that I couldn’t afford the overheads and running costs of a shop, with just the flowers. Then I came up with the coffee shop idea as well and took it to Peter and Sarah Landale, who own the building. They loved it and I was so pleased.

Then it was all go – full on planning. The plumbing and heating were attached to the house next door, so a lot of work had to be done there. Then together with Sarah, we came up with the layout of the shop and all the fitted units, and we chose the best coffee machine we could find.

Sarah and Pater have been hugely supportive in the background – ‘here’s the shop, make it work’ kind of style!

I changed the business name and put everything into it! It’s been like bringing two businesses together – flowers and the café.

I’d suggested to my friend I liked the name Blumen (the German word for flowers). But I was unsure as it’s not immediately obvious what it is and what’s inside the shop. But she won me over when she showed me the logo her husband had made. I instantly loved it and thought it would draw people in, which is what has happened.

So what does a typical day look like in the Blumen café and floristry?

I leave home around 8.50am and walk to the shop. Coffee machine on first, tidy round, set out the cakes, put tables and chairs up outside, and the sign goes out just before 10am.

Then until 4pm I make flower arrangements and serve customers. The shop and café are also my workshop, so there’s a lot of chatting! I have plenty of regular customers now, which is just so lovely. I know what they drink and how they like their tea. I’m now selling some beautiful local handmade and bespoke items, such as glassware, beeswax candles and melts, and dream catchers. I’ve built a nice relationship with these suppliers and it adds interest to my shop.

People are so complimentary about Blumen. It’s becoming known as a ‘hidden gem’. There are lots of walkers and cyclists who call in. Also lots of people with some connection to Dalswinton from years gone by. I’ve had customers from America, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany.

I had a chap called Paul stop by for a coffee. He was walking around the entire coast of Great Britain- for the second time! Amazing, inspiring man.

I’ve not quite been open a year yet, but have very much loved the journey so far.

What’s your secret?

I’ve been very lucky to have encouragement and support from family, friends and customers. I believe in Karma and what you put in, you get out. Kindness, honesty, and a smile. That’s what’s brought me here.