Festival of Hobbies - plant swap

I felt quite honored to have Fay participating in the Festival of Hobbies this week, as she’s recently been the focus of a bit of a media storm of interest! She and her partner Sarah Rousseau, have been featured in the Sheffield Telegraph and on BBC Radio Sheffield. So it was lovely of her to also make time to answer some questions about her hobby of plant swapping.

Hi Fay, please introduce yourself tell us a bit about you, and what you do outside of your hobby.

I'm Fay, ex-archaeologist, roller derby player, mum of 4 kids, 1 cat and many, many plants both indoors and out! I trained in archaeology and have done many different jobs from surveying rivers to providing science policy advice. I also love hitch hiking and and like to go caving. 

You have an unusual hobby! Tell us about plant swapping and how you got into it

You could say I'm a gardener but it is more than just that. I love plants and I love introducing people to growing plants.

I’m a nature-loving city-dweller who wishes she lived in the countryside so to satisfy my need for nature I love finding ways to greenify the urban landscape around me and to bring nature into my home.

My plant growing tendencies started with tomatoes in my yard. I quickly realised that British winters are brutal to plants and gardeners alike and that I could grow plants all year round indoors. One thing led to another and now plants outnumber people indoors, outdoors and down the allotment.....

My love of plants has also translated into starting a community group called Sheffield PlantSwap with my friend Sarah Rousseau.

We started Sheffield PlantSwap as a way for us and some friends to swap houseplants and it has just grown from there! After two years it’s become a thriving community of plant lovers.The heart of the project is very simple - providing a welcoming space for people to bring plants to swap with like minded people.

What do you love about your hobby? 

Rootling around in soil and looking after plants helps me stay sane and I find a disproportionate amount of pleasure in seeing my plants grow and thrive.

I also love the way that a hobby that I started just for me has now spread out to connect with a whole community of plant lovers too. I love people and I love plants so bringing them together at plant swaps is just so much fun!  

I feel that PlantSwap is special because it exists both online and in person. The regular meet ups provide a physical space to make real life connections and resume conversations and interactions started online. The online group ensures that conversations and support continues and that the community feels constant and not just reconstituted at certain events that are over too soon and which you might not be able to attend.

What does your hobby bring you, why is it important to you? 

Because growing, looking after and appreciating plants brings me joy and pleasure. At home, I can spend quiet reflective time and down the allotment I enjoy working outdoors with the sun or the rain on my back. I find it satisfying growing our own food - we are not by any means self-sufficient but simply having fresh raspberries all summer long is a delight.

Do you think it’s important for people to have hobbies?

Absolutely. They allow us to develop and explore other parts of ourselves, other interests or other skills that we don't necessarily get to do in the rest of our lives. It also gives us time and space to enjoy creative, unstructured time to do, or be, or simply time to reflect. It is very important to have that time for yourself to recharge your batteries in whatever way makes sense for you.

Do you think there's a link between people's mental wellbeing and having hobbies? What sort of link and how does it work do you think? 

Yes, definitely. In the case of plants there are scientifically proven benefits of spending time engaging with nature and also in touching and digging in soil. That said, any hobby that helps you spend time focusing on you is very valuable in contributing to your mental well being.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to pick up a new hobby? This can be both specific to your hobby, or just a hobby in general!

Talk to your friends, find out what their hobbies and see if they'll give you a taster. If there is something you fancy but don't know how to get started look online and try to find a community as they will often be very generous in sharing time and tips. Be open to saying yes and give new things a whirl but it is also absolutely fine to try something and then decide it isn't for you. Look for things that you feel replenished and enthused by doing.

How can people get involved with your hobby? (resources online, people, places)

Come along to our next plant swap - you can find out when it will be on our website (www.plantswap.uk). You don't need to bring a plant to swap, you can make a donation and take a plant away. There is a facebook group (Sheffield Plant Swap) where you can ask for advice and tips.  Please don't feel like if you only have small cuttings or no plant at all yet that you wouldn't be able to take something home. We are growing a community of plant lovers so each time we do this, we'll each have more plants to share

What’s next for you and your hobby? 

It's nearly spring so I'm currently deciding what seeds I want to plant this year on my allotment. It's always a bit hit and miss what does well but I love the anticipation! Sarah and I also have big plant swap plans. Our next plant swap is in March at the Botanical Gardens which is very exciting and a fabulous venue. We also hope to start new swaps in Leeds and Manchester.

In a completely new development of our plant obsession, we also are organising a plant themed market for local growers and independent makers called Plantalia on 25th April in Sheffield (https://plantswap.uk/event/plantalia-makers-growers-market/). Lots of plants, hand made pots, macrame, plant stands and botanically inspired crafts.

If you could try a hobby you’ve always wanted to, but never had the chance, what would you try?
I'd love to ride a motorbike! Sarah already knows how to so maybe I should follow my own advice and get her to teach me!