Sarah Nixon's guest appearances

Sarah Nixon

Slow Flowers Podcast

Making Theatre

OwlTail

Mark Chatterton

This time we talk to Sarah and Mark about their extensive experience writing and directing pantomime.  Their own particular brand of raucous rock-n-roll panto has been seen for 19 consecutive years at the Liverpool Everyman, during which time,  along side their multi-talented cast of actor-musicians,  they have built a loyal and lively audience. We hear about their unique approach to developing the script, the true intent of the Flowerpot Men, managing the hazards of magic hair, and getting into a panto frame of mind on a beach in mid August. They also talk frankly about the precarious nature  of being a freelancer, but despite having made ther last panto for the Everyman, and facing an uncertain year, rest assured;  it might well be behind you, but it's most certainly not behind them..

This time we talk to Sarah and Mark about their extensive experience writing and directing pantomime.  Their own particular brand of raucous rock-n-roll panto has been seen for 19 consecutive years at the Liverpool Everyman, during which time,  along side their multi-talented cast of actor-musicians,  they have built a loyal and lively audience. We hear about their unique approach to developing the script, the true intent of the Flowerpot Men, managing the hazards of magic hair, and getting into a panto frame of mind on a beach in mid August. They also talk frankly about the precarious nature  of being a freelancer, but despite having made ther last panto for the Everyman, and facing an uncertain year, rest assured;  it might well be behind you, but it's most certainly not behind them..

Sarah Nixon and Mark Chatterton - Making Pantomime

Sarah Nixon of My Luscious Backyard, a Toronto-based micro urban flower farmer and floral designer.In 2011, I traveled to Toronto to give a Slow Flowers presentation at the Garden Writers regional meeting held at Canada Blooms, the mega indoor flower and garden show. And although that was during the frigid month of March and I knew finding locally-grown flowers would be challenging, my fellow GWA members foraged from their gardens for the greenery and branches I used in my demonstration.I spent one early morning in early August following Sarah on her neighborhood harvest routeBut one of the main items on my agenda for that trip was to meet Sarah Nixon of My Luscious Backyard, today's guest. Her unique approach to urban flower farming first caught my attention when My Luscious Backyard's story appeared in a feature article in one of Canada's national newspapers.Sarah's business starts in her own backyard, which is certainly LUSCIOUS!Sarah studied film-making and spent her student summers working on a certified organic farm in British Columbia called Nanoose Edibles. The daughter of flower gardeners, she learned to love the rhythmic farm rituals of weeding and harvesting, not to mention the importance of sustainable growing practices.Flowers flourish in Toronto's postage-stamp-sized front yards, lovingly planted by Sarah.Armed with a B.F.A. degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Sarah moved to Toronto to create documentary films, train as a yoga instructor and plant her own first garden in the city. Little did she know that growing a cutting garden would turn her into an urban flower farmer.“I was growing so many flowers that I started giving them away,” Sarah recalls.The notion of starting a flower CSA took root and she launched My Luscious Backyard in 2002. Early on, Sarah’s 30-by-50 foot patch of ground yielded annual sunflowers and zinnias, flowering shrubs and lots of perennials. She shopped seed catalogs for new varieties and gained knowledge and inspiration from The Flower Farmer, Lynn Byzcynski’s essential guide to small-scale cut-flower farming.Weekly subscriptions expanded into requests for Sarah to design wedding flowers, and soon, My Luscious Backyard was at capacity. Sarah asked a few friends if she could plant cutting gardens in their yards. “Then I put an ad on Craig’s List, and now people usually approach me,” she says. It’s certainly a fair swap: Sarah gains planting space and the homeowner gains a flower farm. “People seem to be eager to have someone else garden for them,” she points out.With more than 50 varieties of everyday and unusual blooms, My Luscious Backyard is known for producing the freshest, most romantic flowers around. Sarah harvests, designs the bouquets and delivers them to customers on the same day. She uses organic principles, reminding customers that “no environmentally damaging pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers are used.”Here's a fun video clip produced by a local newscast, which introduces you to Sarah's passion for seasonal, organic and locally-grown flowers:https://youtu.be/hjaN1ioLqGUOn her web site, Sarah emphasizes the value-added of buying local:“Many varieties available through us are impossible to find at a conventional florist due to the arduous travel requirements (of imported flowers). And because they are grown locally they haven’t used a lot of fuel to reach you, unlike most commercially available flowers which travelled thousands of miles before arriving in Toronto.”Photo by Andréa de KeijzerHer wildflower- and nature-inspired bouquets satisfy weekly subscribers between the months of May and October to customers who pay $45 to $85 per arrangement with a 4-bouquet minimum. Sarah also supplies bouquets to restaurants, offices and area grocery stores.And picture this: Sarah often utilizes a low-carbon-footprint bicycle, complete with a trailer. ”It holds six flower buckets,

Sarah Nixon of My Luscious Backyard, a Toronto-based micro urban flower farmer and floral designer. In 2011, I traveled to Toronto to give a Slow Flowers presentation at the Garden Writers regional meeting held at Canada Blooms, the mega indoor flower and garden show. And although that was during the frigid month of March and I knew finding locally-grown flowers would be challenging, my fellow GWA members foraged from their gardens for the greenery and branches I used in my demonstration. I spent one early morning in early August following Sarah on her neighborhood harvest route But one of the main items on my agenda for that trip was to meet Sarah Nixon of My Luscious Backyard, today's guest. Her unique approach to urban flower farming first caught my attention when My Luscious Backyard's story appeared in a feature article in one of Canada's national newspapers. Sarah's business starts in her own backyard, which is certainly LUSCIOUS! Sarah studied film-making and spent her student summers working on a certified organic farm in British Columbia called Nanoose Edibles. The daughter of flower gardeners, she learned to love the rhythmic farm rituals of weeding and harvesting, not to mention the importance of sustainable growing practices. Flowers flourish in Toronto's postage-stamp-sized front yards, lovingly planted by Sarah. Armed with a B.F.A. degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Sarah moved to Toronto to create documentary films, train as a yoga instructor and plant her own first garden in the city. Little did she know that growing a cutting garden would turn her into an urban flower farmer. “I was growing so many flowers that I started giving them away,” Sarah recalls. The notion of starting a flower CSA took root and she launched My Luscious Backyard in 2002. Early on, Sarah’s 30-by-50 foot patch of ground yielded annual sunflowers and zinnias, flowering shrubs and lots of perennials. She shopped seed catalogs for new varieties and gained knowledge and inspiration from The Flower Farmer, Lynn Byzcynski’s essential guide to small-scale cut-flower farming. Weekly subscriptions expanded into requests for Sarah to design wedding flowers, and soon, My Luscious Backyard was at capacity. Sarah asked a few friends if she could plant cutting gardens in their yards. “Then I put an ad on Craig’s List, and now people usually approach me,” she says. It’s certainly a fair swap: Sarah gains planting space and the homeowner gains a flower farm. “People seem to be eager to have someone else garden for them,” she points out. With more than 50 varieties of everyday and unusual blooms, My Luscious Backyard is known for producing the freshest, most romantic flowers around. Sarah harvests, designs the bouquets and delivers them to customers on the same day. She uses organic principles, reminding customers that “no environmentally damaging pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers are used.” Here's a fun video clip produced by a local newscast, which introduces you to Sarah's passion for seasonal, organic and locally-grown flowers: <a href="https://youtu.be/hjaN1ioLqGU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/hjaN1ioLqGU</a> On her web site, Sarah emphasizes the value-added of buying local: “Many varieties available through us are impossible to find at a conventional florist due to the arduous travel requirements (of imported flowers). And because they are grown locally they haven’t used a lot of fuel to reach you, unlike most commercially available flowers which travelled thousands of miles before arriving in Toronto.” Photo by Andréa de Keijzer Her wildflower- and nature-inspired bouquets satisfy weekly subscribers between the months of May and October to customers who pay $45 to $85 per arrangement with a 4-bouquet minimum. Sarah also supplies bouquets to restaurants, offices and area grocery stores. And picture this: Sarah often utilizes a low-carbon-footprint bicycle, complete with a trailer. ”It holds six flower buckets,