A little quick-fire get-to-know-me: I am flower and gardening-obsessed. I have a very cute dog called Crumpet, who is my pride and joy. I love photography, interior design, nature, walking, reading and hanging out with my love. I am an incredibly passionate person about many things, be it climate change, sustainability, feminism or social justice. And I think that pretty much sums it up!
And of course, I am a sustainable florist, flower grower and pressed flower artist. My studio and cutting garden are based on the edge of the Scottish Borders, just 20 miles outside of Edinburgh. I fell in love with floristry after doing my sister's wedding flowers for her and dabbling in it when I owned a plant shop. Growing things and nurturing a garden have always been passions of mine, so combining the two quickly became the goal.
Sustainability is at the heart of what I do. I believe it is my responsibility as a business owner in the floristry industry to care for the environment and leave the land in better condition than I found it. In the cutting garden, we do not use any chemicals or practices that are harmful to the environment. I have a background in marine biology, and I am really passionate about the biology of soil and the benefits of no-dig and regenerative methods of farming.
These values extend into my floristry designs; I do not use floristry foam or plastics in my work, and I am committed to creating as little waste as possible within my work. Where possible, I will use flowers grown by me or other local growers.
The flower industry is currently not environmentally friendly or ethical. 85% of flowers sold in the UK are imported from many places, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia, Ecuador, Israel and the Netherlands. These flowers are grown in ways that require astronomical amounts of resources and exploitation, and the carbon footprint of these flowers is incredibly high. I am so excited and honoured to be a part of the movement of flower growers and florists trying to change this.

Holly Grows is a wedding florist operating out of the Scottish Borders, Lothian & Borders.