Rosie,
Grower & Florist
Harvesting
sunshine
since 17
Rosie has been a "flower fancier" since childhood!
After 4 years away studying for a BSC(Hons) degree in Horticulture she returned to Perthshire, tried being an employee a couple of times, then decided she'd best start her own business!
Rosie set up Scottish Cut Flowers in 2017, feels like every day is a school day, hopes to build a business that can bring joy and beauty into the world, and honestly doesn't understand how the business is in its 4th season already!
Heads up...
Most of the businesses activities and responsibilities, but is excited to build a team over the coming years
Dabbles in...
Looking presentable at work, dog wrangling, self-care and actually having flowers in her own home.
Would rather be...
strolling through a flower field wearing a floaty linen dress, and sipping on a mojito.
ABOUT
Janis,
Right-hand man
(although he's left-handed)
Janis and Rosie met back in the summer of 2011 on a strawberry farm (where most love stories start!) and has since been unable to escape her clutches. He now works full-time for Errol Park Estate, which is conveniently where one of Scottish Cut Flowers' sites is based... so that he can work all his free time for Rosie!
Head of...
Free labor, lifting heavy things, infrastructure, irrigation, Mypex, grounds maintenance, and more often than not Rosie's sanity.
Dabbles in...
Harvesting flowers, floristry, delivery, and business consultation.
Would rather be...
Lifting weights and eating meat!
Bonnie and Bracken,
Welcoming committee
Chalk and Cheese,
Bonnie (black and white, female)
She has been along for the whole of SCF journey. She remembers the days when the acre of walled garden was only grass! Oh, how she longs to have her personal park back.
She is super sharp, ball obsessed, independent, and half Husky.
Bracken (brown and white, male)
Remembers very little.
He was built for comfort, cuddles, and confusion. You can find him following Bonnie anywhere she goes, sleeping, or SITTING on the ball.
He is the most adorable, loving creature I've ever met, has beautiful blue eyes, and is half futon.
Together, they are head of...
Garden reception, mischief, comic relief, companionship, and distraction.
They dabble in...
Obedience, vermin control, digging holes, and trying to stay awake for their entire 8-hour shift.
Would rather be...
Bonnie - at the beach, on walkies, at the park, up a hill, in the woods...
Bracken - invading Bonnie's personal space!
Why choose locally grown flowers?
A better question is "Why not?"
The common misconception is that Scotlands' weather is not nice enough to produce flowers. But stop to think for a second - why are the British Isles green and glorious... because plants thrive in our temperate climate. Mild temperatures, high rainfall, and long summer days create lush, healthy plants... but that is "how". Below are the reasons "why" home-grown flowers are good eggs!
Low Carbon Footprint
We work as sustainably as possible to grow our flowers the way nature intended. No synthetic chemicals are used on the blooms so you can be certain you're not bringing potential poisons into your home.
We also keep our fuel usage as low as we can. Our flowers rarely travel more than 50 miles to their destination (and that's in the back of an empty van which would be making the journey anyway!)
Increased Quality and Vase Life
A crash course on imported flowers!
Imports are grown all over the world and imported into Britain from as far away as Aus. To do this cheaply they are dry-packed tightly into boxes to keep air freight costs down.
Most are flown to and sold via auction houses in Holland before being loaded back onto a plane for the next leg of their journey. This all takes time, bruises, and dehydrates flowers.
Scottish (or British) flowers are cut, placed straight into the water, and sold quickly. Therefore fresher, have a longer vase life, better quality and perfect petals. Simple really :)
Supporting the Birds and Bees
Our flower fields are a hugely valuable source of nectar, pollen and seeds for all manner of wildlife.
Some days I struggle to get near the flowers for clouds of bees, hoverflies and butterflies.
And in return the wildlife helps me out.
Ladybirds and parasitic wasps gorge on greenfly, my resident toad eats the slugs and a barn owl controls the voles (with a little help from the dogs.)
Working with the eco-system not against it brings balance.
Provenance and Transparency
One of the joys of social media is that it gives us a way to share our flower filled life at Scottish Cut Flowers. The good, the bad and the ugly. Our customers know exactly where their flowers were grown, who grew them and how.
We have open days throughout the year so you can come say hi and get some flower field pics for Instagram! #scottishcutflowers
No Nasty Chemicals
Ever read the list of ingredients on the back of a medicine packet. Well that same level of double Dutch awaits anyone who cares to research the chemicals used on flowers imported through Holland! Some of these chemicals are extremely toxic to the environment and humans, cause skin irritations (especially amongst florists who handle imported flowers all the time) and are just so unnecessary!
Buy local, we don't use any of that crap!
Scent
Back to the imports again! To overcome a lot of the stress transport puts on flowers - the import flower market often chooses (and even breeds specifically for) flower varieties with no scent. This is because scent comes hand in hand with the ripening hormone, Ethylene. Ethylene will quicken the demise of a flower which is a problem when it needs to spend 3+ days in boxes getting to Britain.
We, however, don't have that problem as our flowers get to the customer so quickly that they have great vase life. Our flowers smell like they should, fragrant, romantic, and nostalgic.
#safetosniff