15 May 2020

“Nothing will come of nothing,” King Lear told his daughter Cordelia in the fictional Shakespeare play bearing his name.

It was a call for effort, investment. A call for love. If his daughter loved him, the King said, his kingdom would be hers. Cordelia declined, was banished forever and tragedy unfolded.

As tragedy unfolds around us the saying springs to mind again. Nothing will indeed come of nothing.

As the pandemic plays out there is a temptation to wait. To see what unfolds. To stop. In so many ways it is an entirely natural instinct. Hunker down, stay safe, let the storm pass.

At the start of the lockdown, that was our precisely mindset too. Tread carefully. Don’t rush.

But as time has gone on the initial shock of losing clients, tearing up schedules and undreaming dreams has subsided, it has given way to a new optimism built upon creative thought and an unwillingness to accept boundaries.

The creative juices are flowing again, perhaps more than ever, and we are reimagining, restructuring and repurposing what our business at Planted will look like. Indeed, the past eight weeks have proved the most intensely creative in our short history. Many of the team have never worked harder or with more purpose. In many ways, we feel more certain than ever we will be get through this stronger.

In many ways we are fortunate. We do not have overheads in terms of physical office costs. Our brilliant team of seven are all partners in the business and have always worked remotely. Like so many others, we will continue to do so.

Likewise, our message remains constant. We have always talked about the benefits of connecting with nature and now, more than ever, those benefits are apparent. We have always stood for reducing carbon consumption and have always stood for local produce. In that sense, nothing has changed.

But perhaps most importantly, we have always believed in collaborating with friends who share our belief and vision of a cleaner, greener world of the future. People who share a belief in reconnecting with nature and creating sustainable urban spaces working more harmoniously with the natural world.

In an economy where cash is drying up and the future screams uncertainty, you need your friends more than ever.

It is true; nothing will come of nothing. But through conversations, imagination, creativity, hard work and mutual support, without question, will come exciting new frontiers, new ideas, fresh purpose.

We’ve had so much support in recent weeks and we won’t forget it in the long run.

Whether it be the offer from our super-cool friends at graphic design studio Bravo Charlie Mike Hotel (or BCMH for short) to restyle our website or the call from our favourite PR company Caro Communications extending a hand of friendship.

To the chance reconnection with old friend Tom Shaw – a brilliant sports photographer now focusing on nature and working with our friends at Another Country – to the interview time given for our new online series Planted Unearthed by Annie and Jemma Charman, the founders of the brilliant Green Rooms Botanical Market.

We’ve forged new partnerships with two wonderful online shops, ZoCo and Chalk & Moss. So many wonderful connections are being made. Partnerships forged on friendship and shared values. Together, we’re helping each other through.

There are more partnerships in the making, more friends to connect with. The cash may not be flowing but together we have a purpose. Collectively we will be stronger.

Something will come from something, naturally.

Written by Sam Peters, founding partner at Planted