Journal

Why I Pressed Pause on Our Everyday Ranges

Grab a cuppa and let's get into it...

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By Claire Pratt / 03 Sept 2026

If there's one thing I've learnt from building Botanica from the ground up, it's that trusting my gut will always get me further than any "online business course" ever could.  I feel the need to type some words about why our ranges are no longer a year round offering, because to some (even myself, at one point) it seems like a really risky business decision.

 

On the 2nd of April 2026, I removed our Fauna, Forget-Me-Not, Into The Garden and Wild Flower ranges from our website. It was a moment mixed with dread, sadness and relief. We were coming to the end of a very busy season, one where I had run myself ragged, and I knew in my bones I had to simplify some things. I also knew I needed to go on a hunt for my unique creative spark, which had slowly been reduced to an ember.

"I needed to go on a hunt for my unique creative spark, which had slowly been reduced to an ember"

Botanica went from being a one-woman show to something I decided I wanted to grow, and then, jeepers, did it grow! It was wonderful, truly a dream come true. But it also came with severe burnout, a lot of self-doubt, and a deep yearning for the good old days. The days where I knew the name of every person who placed an order. A time when I could spend an hour randomly doodling a design I wanted to carve up in wax and actually had the time to carve it. A space where I could really sit with each piece I was making and properly introduce it to you.

That last part matters more to me than I realised. I had well over 20 designs on the website that I never introduced to you! All of them designed in-house by myself or alongside Kelsey (or more accurately, the two of us and our completely unhinged ADHD tennis matches of ideas flying across the table at each other), and I had never shared the story behind these incredibly special designs. You've never had the chance to learn why each design exists, or why it matters so deeply to me. On top of that, I have about 25 gemstones I've collected over the last 10 years (keep an eye out for our Forgotten Stone Collection I’m working on), bought simply because I love them, that have never become a piece of jewellery. Because I never "find the time."

"That's the thing about burnout, it doesn't just exhaust you. It can take away the very things that made you fall in love with your work in the first place."

That's the thing about burnout, it doesn't just exhaust you. It can take away the very things that made you fall in love with your work in the first place. And I'm not willing to let that happen.

 

So, what does that mean for Botanica’s ranges going forward? Well, you won’t find the beloved birds or our secret garden charms available all year round. A few times a year, most likely seasonally or as our capacity allows, I’ll open the ranges for a dedicated ordering window. The order windows will stay open for around three to four weeks, or until all the available pieces are spoken for, and then the range will be removed from the website again. One range at a time, with proper breathing room around it. 

"One range at a time, with proper breathing room around it"

That means that when a range is open for orders, it gets to be the focus. I get to tell you the stories behind the designs, introduce you to the pieces properly and be completely present in making them. 

 

Our Classics Range, Fynbos Range and Bespoke Ranges will continue to be available all year round, so there is still the perfect piece available for you at Botanica whenever you need it. 
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The best way to make sure you don’t miss an order window is to sign up to our emailer, it’s always the first place I will share the news. You can also follow us on Instagram for regular updates on all our releases and new designs, behind the scenes and the day to day magic of Botanica. 

 

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 "I am still finding my feet as we trial and error"

This is all very new and I am still finding my feet as we trial and error how to manage our small team’s capacity and our desire to bring you the beloved ranges that have been such a huge part of Botanica. I deeply appreciate you navigating this change with me. But for now? 

 

You can look forward to new Bespoke Rings launching on the 8th of September and the strong chance of Into the Garden order opening in October - for the first time since April. This change in our offering has allowed us to release the second batch of Bespoke rings this year (!!!) and we can't wait to see what this breathing room brings us next.

 

Until next time,

 

Claire

all images by Soulty Films

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