About Us
Ochre (OH·kur) Botanical Studios is floristry design studio and micro flower farm based in Edinburgh and the Highlands.
Ochre Botanical Studios is, by definition, a collective. Founded by Julie Cook, Marion Sandwith, Sophie Erskine, Sarah Walker, Fiona Hay and Cynthia Fan, Ochre began in 2020. Cynthia has subsequently relocated to London, and the very lovely Claire Sylvester joined our number in 2023.
We have formed and assembled together through a shared appreciation of the wiggles and lines, the delicate hues and the bold, bright audacious tones, the gentle scents and the slap-in-the-face olfactory hits that all belong to flowers grown right here, in our own soil. Unquestionably, we all talk in the same language when it comes to our uninterrupted love of brown flowery chums. We all cherish collaboration and each other.
Our work is collaborative for both our designing and growing endeavours, where the power of the collective serves to support us and enable us to reach further, tackle larger-scale projects and ultimately share the joy of flowers with one another. We are based in Edinburgh, with an outpost in the Scottish Highlands, but willingly travel all over Scotland for weddings and events.
collective · 1. formed or assembled by collection · 2. forming a whole or aggregate · 3. of, done by, or characteristic of individuals acting in cooperation.
Hi, we're Ochre
If you’d like to get to know us a little better as individuals, you can click on our photographs below to read a little more about us in turn.
Julie
Marion
Sophie
Sarah
Fiona
Claire
Our Journey
As a floristry studio and cutting garden, Ochre fundamentally embodies our core values of working in an environmentally conscious way and promoting floristry practice that is responsible, ethical and that has a sustainable future.
Our growing space is tucked in the corner of Granton Castle Walled Garden; a 3+ acre community walled garden in North Edinburgh that is being lovingly restored to its former glory by a group of loyal and industrious volunteers. We share an enthusiasm for nature, heritage seed varieties and making space for biodiversity in the garden.
The fine folk of GCWG are always generous with their time, botanical knowledge and gardening know-how so we cherish being part of this particularly special community.
Since Sophie moved up to the Highlands, she has widened Ochre’s orbit by establishing another small growing space near Aviemore, similarly bringing locally grown flowers to the local communities there as we do here in Edinburgh.
©Éva Németh
Growing
Given that we are based in Scotland, our main growing season for cut flowers is usually late March until October. We have a small polytunnel at our plot in Edinburgh to help extend our season. We grow on a very small-scale, so we grow only what we love with a favourite stem for each precious week in our season.
The welcome, support and encouragement we’ve had from other British growers and designers has been phenomenal. We are proud members of Flowers from the Farm.
