She borrowed money to open a flower shop, and she took home the title of the world's most stylish hostel

Most women in their twenties and thirties

envy others for their designer bags, pretty clothes and shoes

But there is one woman

who, in her whole life up to now, has envied only two things:

other people's big gardens and the various flowers in those gardens

Her name is Jiemao, playful and cute

Her nickname comes from her neat, curled, thick eyelashes

She loves flowers

because that was her childhood

and also her comfort in the lonely life of a Beijing drifter

Jiemao comes from Qinghai, and she lived on the grassland from a young age

Back then, the neighbors lived far away

Nobody locked their doors, and there were no walls

Although there were hardly any toys or snacks

she had all of nature

She knew which flowers had the sweetest pistils and which wild fruits were the most fragrant

From spring to autumn

from the grass sprouting to the first flower on the grassland

she could always discover different surprises

This kind of life made Jiemao develop a love of freedom

She could not forget the feeling of walking barefoot on the grassland as a child

When she first came to Beijing for university

walking through buildings every day

she felt very uncomfortable

so the outdoor plants and flowers became her greatest comfort

After graduating from university

Jiemao did not follow the conventional path of finding a job

but instead chose to travel far and wide, becoming a backpacker

Working while traveling

Yunnan, Tibet, Sichuan, Thailand...

She left footprints in many places

and stayed in all kinds of guesthouses

Jiemao stayed in youth hostels all along the way

She said, "The atmosphere in youth hostels is great, like a home"

After returning to Beijing

she had the idea of opening a youth hostel

At the time, she had almost no money

Unlike rural homestays

since it was a youth hostel, convenient transportation was the first priority

Although she had no money, she still went to look at many houses first

She set her target within the Second Ring Road

and carried out a "street-sweeping operation" on every hutong and small alley

After finishing one hutong, she crossed it off on the map

In Jiemao's heart

"Finding a house is like finding a boyfriend, it depends on fate"

After about a year

finally, her "fate" arrived

It was a courtyard house

At the time, the money in Jiemao's hands was only enough to pay one or two months' rent

She still gritted her teeth and signed the lease

Many people said, "Jiemao, you have some nerve, daring to sign without money"

Fortunately, she had the support of friends and family

Everyone pooled together about 500,000

which became the first round of startup capital

The renovation was in winter

So Jiemao, in a house with no heating

fixed it up brick by brick

while also busy handling all kinds of complicated procedures

But no matter how hard it was, Jiemao made it through

Jiemao's place cannot do without fresh flowers

She clearly remembers

that the day before going to the flower market to buy supplies, she was so excited she could not sleep

She kept reciting flower names: Dendrobium orchids, calla lilies, hyacinths...

She recited almost every flower name she knew

But due to limited funds

she could only choose some of them

In the early days of the shop, the guest room income was not enough to cover the rent

so Jiemao turned the first-floor lobby into a cafe

She taught herself to make coffee

Every day she stood from 7 in the morning until 11 at night

After closing, she still had to clean and take care of the plants and flowers

She was often busy until 3 or 4 in the deep night

Recalling those fearless days

Jiemao said, "Even if you gave in at any one step

even if heaven wanted to help you, it would have no way to start"

Because there was no money for promotion

business was a bit bleak at the beginning

But Jiemao did not get discouraged and still ran it with care

Gradually, her garden hostel began to be fully booked

Travelers from Beijing, the United States, Australia, and Mauritius all came because of its reputation

Even Jiang Yiyan, the hottest artsy goddess, came

Jiemao and Jiang Yiyan (right)

Ten years have passed

The Qinghai girl who once had nothing

now owns a youth hostel, a cafe, a restaurant, and more

These spaces are all surrounded by plants and flowers

and have become her "Peking Garden"

The Guardian selected it as one of the world's top 10 most stylish hostels

"Peking Garden" has also appeared in National Geographic magazine

Every single flower in the shop is cared for by her personally

The flower loss is huge

Usually she almost has to buy a cartload a week

In winter, with indoor heating, the loss is even greater

Jiemao does not love designer bags

But a cartload of flowers costs about the same as a designer bag

She spends more than 500,000 a year on buying and planting flowers

In this regard, she is never stingy

Because so many people can share this beauty with her

She said, "I can go a lifetime without a designer bag

but I cannot go without fresh flowers"

Every morning, the moment she walks in

she can immediately tell which one is still doing well

which one lacks water or is sick

She does not even take time to drink a sip of water

before eagerly starting to "wait on" them

She has to pick up every bouquet

trim a bit of the roots, change the water

The containers must be washed very clean

Otherwise the flowers rot easily

This kind of work takes a huge amount of time

Jiemao's hands have also become somewhat rough from tending plants and flowers for so long

The lush blooms and bright beauty we see

are all Jiemao's deepest love

At the recent Beijing Design Week Flower and Plant Collection Art Festival

Jiemao's work "One-Person Room" also drew attention

About the work

she said, "A person who loves life

even if it is just a tiny room

It would also be a happy life, the best home"

Though she is accompanied by flowers every day

Yemao says she still doesn't know enough

In her spare time she reads many domestic and international books and programs on plants and floral art

Her favorite and most admired person is Grandma Tasha

She has bought almost all the books about Grandma Tasha

For the ones she couldn't get in Chinese, she went to Japan to buy the Japanese editions

Even if she can't understand the text, she can still leaf through the pictures

Yemao hopes to be just like Grandma Tasha

Living a life accompanied by flowers all along

When she grows old

She can still live with ease and grace

With a charming, warm smile

Never feel that dreams are far away

If you have a dream, boldly chase it

It is never too late

Article source: Tianyuan Zhi; @Yemao's Hair

--THE END--

"Flower Field Nature"

The most readable WeChat public account in the floral art field

Flower friend exchange: zouzaidalulogo design: zouzaidalu

Floral art aesthetics | Plant aesthetics | Life aesthetics | Plant & floral art exploration