East Lothian flower business puts focus on sustainability

What is your business called?

PYRUS.

Where is it based?

Victorian Walled Garden, Pencaitland, East Lothian.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

Seasonal cut flowers grown naturally in a walled garden, for flower subscriptions and deliveries, sustainable wedding and event flowers, botanical styling for product launches, photoshoots and installations.

To whom does it sell?

We sell to the public, commercial clients, flower wholesalers and direct to florists.

What is its turnover?

Pre covid £120,000, post covid £80,000.

How many employees?

Three – head gardener, studio manager and myself, the director. We also have a wonderful bank of freelancers for big events and volunteers in the garden.

When was it formed?

On a damp rainy October day in 2011 when we lifted tonnes of turf to expose our first garden.

Why did you take the plunge?

Disillusionment with the imported flower industry and flowers that seemed in my view to have little scent or relation to their natural season. Local flowers provide scent, natural beauty and a broader variety, as well as environmental benefits. In 2011 local flowers were hard to come by. Now, Scotland has over 60 flower growers and is seeing greater market demand year on year. Our cutting garden started out of necessity and now feeds into all angles of our creative practice. Local flowers during the season are the equivalent of Scottish strawberries or home grown tomatoes. Mass produced alternatives just doesn’t compare!

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

After graduating from Art College I worked various jobs including in a flower shop, which is where I fell in love with working with the changing seasons.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

Myself and former business partner put in £250 each; it was all we had. We worked incredibly hard in those first years to get up and running, but enthusiasm and belief in what you do go far!

What was your biggest break?

A feature in Vogue and Elle Décor Italia. We provided workshops for Kaust University in Saudi Arabia, and dressed the pillars on the front of the National Gallery of Scotland for their impressionist exhibition. We’ve worked with clients such as Aesop, Wedgewood, the White Company, Laboratory Perfumes and Johanna Basford. We have also featured in various coffee table books.

What was your worst moment?

The first year of flower growing, having little horticultural experience and many questions. It was 2011 when the summer skies were hidden by a thick cold layer of cloud. Not a good year for growing!

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

Working with the rhythms of nature and collaborating with other creatives. I love being able to offer a sustainable alternative to imports and know that what we do is gentle on the earth.

What do you least enjoy?

Endless hours of emails and paper work.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

To work towards changing the industry and making local flowers accessible and the norm. It is time people knew about local flowers, where to get them and what to expect in each season. We have become so far removed from the seasons, but I do feel the tides are changing.

What single thing would most help?

The local flower industry’s biggest challenge is distribution. Many of Scotland’s growers are rural and micro farms with small teams and little time to drive around the country distributing their flowers. A national flower distribution fleet would allow small growers to access a wider market.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

Specifically, fund and support a start-up distribution programme, as well as an educational and promotional campaign which would raise awareness of the sector and highlight the importance of this growing green industry.

There has been some progress though – we have benefitted from a couple of great projects through Scottish Enterprise. One, facilitated by the Scottish Agricultural Organisations Society (SAOS) and funded by the Scottish Government’s Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) is called Flowers Grown in Scotland, which has been set up to promote Scottish flowers and tell the stories of the industry. The second is a Scottish Enterprise Programme called Planning to Succeed. This has formed a collective of Scottish artisan growers, Scottish Flower Grower Collective. Both have a website and brand and are working collaboratively to raise awareness of Scottish quality flowers and to address hurdles stopping the sector evolving. However, there is still much work to go when it comes to spreading the word and educating people on their floral choices. Take COP26 for example, knowing that two bouquets of imported flowers equate to a one-way flight from London to Paris you would think there was more focus on sourcing locally? But people just don’t know about it.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Enthusiasm and belief can get you a long way!

How do you relax?

Spending time with my young family, walking in the woods, and heading to the Highlands.