All of the florists at Artemisia Floral Art have twin passions; flowers and the inspiring city and landscape around us. To help share our inspiration we thought we would provide a short history of our city, the flowers that inspire us and the contributions to the science of botany made by some of the scholars from the area.
Internationally renowned as the ‘Oil capital of Europe’, there is far more to Aberdeen than meets the eye. Whilst it is true that the discovery of oil in the North Sea in the 1970’s led to a boom in the local economy, Aberdeen and the surrounding area has a long tradition of working with nature and thriving. The city also has strong links to areas of outstanding natural beauty and a little-known, yet long, history of florists and nature lovers.
Robert Morison was an outstanding scholar born in Aberdeen. He gained his Master of Arts degree from the University of Aberdeen at the age of eighteen and lived an eventful life. This included stints as director of the Royal gardens at Blois, central France (where he was introduced to various exotic flowers, and new techniques), as physician, botanist and superintendent of all the royal gardens to Charles II and, in 1621, began teaching at Oxford where he developed the first systematic classification of plants. Perhaps Mr. Morison can be viewed as the first florist of Aberdeen.
Building on that botanical history Aberdeen has numerous parks and green spaces with facilities to cater for all ages and tastes, whether you want to enjoy sports, or relax and enjoy the scenery. Aberdeen is also known as a ‘city in bloom’ and has gained international recognition via its flower displays in addition to winning numerous awards at local and international level. In total, Aberdeen has 14 public gardens and parks, as well as countryside parks, nature reserves, trails and over 3000 acres of publicly owned accessible woodlands. When the flowers are in bloom, it is hardly surprising that there are so many artisanal and amateur florists in the area.
The David Welch Winter Gardens can be found in Duthie Park, to the south of the city centre, and are the third most visited gardens in Scotland. They boast a paradise all year round and are home to many rare and exotic flowers and plants from around the world. Amongst the attractions on offer are the temperate House, Corridor of Perfumes, Fern House, Victorian Corridor, Japanese Garden, Tropical House and Arid House. This last being home to one of Britain’s largest collections of Cacti and Succulents, and the world’s only known talking Cactus! It is no wonder they attract visitors, and florists from around the world.
An hour’s drive from the city is Britain’s largest, and youngest, national park, Cairngorms National Park. It was inaugurated in September 2003 to protect and care for the unique and diverse wildlife and countryside found here. As a result, the Cairngorms are unique in being home to approximately 1600 residents who were already present before national park status was granted. These residents work in co-operation with local authorities to ensure that local flowers and animals are not put under any unnecessary stress. Around 25% of the nation’s endangered animals, plants, flowers and birds are also resident in the Cairngorms, in addition to 4 of the country’s highest peaks. The Caledonian Pine forest found in the park comprises of rare pinewood only found in two sites worldwide, and the various lochs, rivers and streams in the area are considered some of the cleanest in the country.
We pride ourselves on arranging artisanal bouquets and believe we are the right florists to deliver perfection for any occasion.
