Ever had something you poured your heart into just … fall apart?
Linda van der Walt knows that feeling all too well. But here’s the thing – she’ll also tell you it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it might just be the start of something even more beautiful.
When roadworks and location challenges forced the closure of Plaaslik – the gorgeous store that had proudly supported more than 120 local suppliers since lockdown – it felt like the end of a dream.
For founder Linda van der Walt, the shop was never just a business. It was a living, breathing community of makers, creators, and kindred spirits who found a home within its walls.
“It was 120 stories, relationships, and dreams. Closing it was heartbreaking. But it made space for something new.”
She admits the journey wasn’t easy. “I tried everything to keep my business open, to keep positive and to keep hopeful. But sometimes endings are just beginnings in disguise. When you fall, you see who is in your corner. It’s never easy to let people down, but I learned that I didn’t have to keep standing alone.”
Finding the sun in greenhouses
Just as she was coming to terms with Plaaslik’s closure, fate brought Linda full circle to LVG Plants – the family-owned leaders in indoor plant production she had collaborated with more than a decade earlier while styling their office interiors. At the very moment it felt like everything was falling apart, they invited her to step in as an independent creative consultant, guiding product development, marketing, and PR.
And what a world to step into. LVG is celebrating four decades in business, an incredible legacy built on passion and perseverance. The scale is huge … 110,000m² of greenhouses and a reputation as a wholesale supplier to South Africa’s major retailers.
Inside their lush tunnels, roses, orchids, zantedesias, anthuriums, begonias, cyclamens, and poinsettias flourish – each nurtured with care before finding its way into homes across the country.
“For me, flowering plants are a necessity, not a luxury. What would life be without them?”
Her creative eye and the network she built through Plaaslik brought fresh energy to LVG’s world of flowers. She began shaping large-scale floral installations and storytelling experiences at events like Decorex, KAMERS, and leading trade shows.
“When I surrendered, when I thought I was in my winter season, I found the sun again – through flowers.”
Creativity woven through every medium
Flowers may be her current canvas, but Linda’s creativity has always been multifaceted. “Creativity is storytelling, whether it’s a necklace, a floral installation, or a poem. It’s all about creating emotion and leaving someone with a memory.”
That shift into LVG’s floral world opened the door to something completely new – LND Creative Studio. Free from the limits of a physical shop, Linda discovered the joy of working on a bigger canvas. Her vision? Sleek, minimalist floral installations for corporate functions, retail, weddings, birthdays, funerals – really any occasion that calls for a backdrop to make it bloom. “It was proof that even after an ending, there’s always another beginning – often more beautiful than you imagined,” she reflects.
At the same time, she continues to nurture Fabrikate Studio, the jewellery brand she founded in 2013. With its minimalist wooden pieces inspired by nature, simplicity, and shape, it reflects her deep appreciation for form and detail. “Whether it’s flowers or jewellery, it’s always about creating something that resonates and tells a story.”
And then there are her words. Under the pen name Reënboog Vrou Koba, Linda is working on her first poetry collection. Poetry, she says, became her lifeline in difficult times. “It became my safe space. Writing helps me process, heal, and connect. I always write for myself first. It’s my therapy. But when someone else connects with it, that’s the gift on top.”
Earlier this year, she hosted her first poetry reading, a vulnerable yet liberating experience. Today, one of her poems stands proudly alongside Anton Smit’s monumental sculptures at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
“To see my poetry standing alongside Anton Smit’s powerful sculptures is surreal and humbling. Words have weight, and creativity has no limits.”
Blooming with purpose
Beyond the artistry, Linda’s work is finding new meaning in community through Together We Bloom, LVG’s NGO. This initiative uses flowers not just for beauty, but as a vehicle for hope and change in communities.
Her philosophy is rooted in resilience. “You are allowed to fall. You are allowed to rise again. And when you do, you’ll see that life has even more beauty waiting for you.”
Her journey is proof that even in seasons of loss, new growth is possible. Flowers have become both her work and her metaphor – a reminder that beauty can return after winter.
A life in full bloom
Today, in LVG’s vast greenhouses filled with orchids, roses, and begonias, Linda van der Walt is thriving again. Her story is one of falling, rising, and finding a new rhythm – a reminder that even when the season feels like winter, spring is waiting just around the corner.
And as she says: “When you allow yourself to bloom again, you discover that life has even more colour than you ever imagined.”
Blooms and insights
If your life right now were a bouquet, which flowers would be in it? A mix of orchids for resilience, roses for love, and lilies for peace. Together they tell the story of where I’ve been and where I’m going.
What small daily rituals bring you joy or keep you grounded? Lighting a candle when I bath, meditating, writing a few thoughts. And if I can get outside and feel the sun on my skin—that always resets me.
The plant that reminds you to keep going? A rose. So small, delicate, and fragile. Yet they light up any garden.
Fave flower to gift? Orchids. They’re lasting, graceful, and always make people feel special. They feel like a luxury gift that says: ‘you are special to me’.
Something you can do at home to keep flowers looking beautiful for longer? Change the water every two days and trim the stems. It makes such a difference.
Fave flower quote? Osho’s ‘If you love a flower, do not pluck it… Love is not about possession, love is about appreciation.’
Details: linvdwalt@gmail.com or follow @lvgplants, @together.we.bloom, @lnd_creative_studio on Facebook and Insta.
