So much is embodied in Petal+Bramble that it would take a master cartographer to map its myriad tracts. What began as “garden names” for two newly married, overworked lawyers now encompasses a spectrum of hopes and dreams in the pursuit of living more meaningful and vibrant lives. Petal+Bramble is love, family, community, art, health, resilience, ecology, social justice, adventure, and exploration.
Petal+Bramble is about helping foster human connection and thereby nurturing healthier and more resilient communities. People in communities large and small throughout the United States and the world are suffering, and many of us lack a fundamental sense of wellbeing. Petal+Bramble can’t address all the suffering in the world, but we can focus on ways to reduce suffering in our communities by helping to develop connections, a sense of wellbeing, healthy lives, and resilience. We believe that with a feeling of wellbeing, social connection, and community, we may feel more inclined to contribute positively to society, we may be less likely to enter into risky self-destructive behavior, we may trust science, and we may become less polarized.
While we have over the years pursued the themes embodied in Petal+Bramble, now that we are empty nesters nearing retirement, we want to hone the ideals of Petal+Bramble into a vehicle to give back. We’ve raised two resilient and remarkable citizens of the world, and have had long, fulfilling careers, it’s time for our give-back phase.
For context, nearly 30 years ago we christened each other Petal (Stephanie) and Bramble (Christopher) by way of honoring the incredible garden we inherited with the purchase of our first home in Seattle. We were naïve homeowners and stunned that Seattle’s misty, gray springtime could produce the diverse and colorful garden that miraculously came with our house — we wanted that garden to flourish! Our garden reinforced that it takes hard work and constant tending to create and then maintain something beautiful, but one also needs patience, a willingness to learn, and community. Our garden inspired us to infuse our stressful lives with magic — the magic of raising children, the magic of creating deep friendships, and the magic of adventure. It’s this magic that we want to infuse into our next iteration of Petal+Bramble.
Petal+Bramble is just getting off the ground, so please stay tuned for upcoming events and partnerships. In the meantime, if you have something you’d like to contribute to the conversation or have other feedback, please contact us here.
Stephanie Daley-Watson is a retired corporate lawyer, spouse, and mother of two newly adult children. Stephanie spent nearly 30 years practicing law and is focusing (along with her husband Christopher) on making the world a better place over the next 30. She is a newly minted wellness coach focusing on healthy aging. Stephanie is an avid cyclist, lifelong learner, and novelty seeker.