You may also see Brian our lovely cat pottering around, he will be sure to say hello as he loves attention!
Hello! My name is Marianne Yeomans and I am lucky enough to live at Ashcraig North Lodge, Skelmorlie, on the truly beautiful west coast. Our house was once the gardener’s cottage for the former Ashcraig Estate, and having recently left my job as a movement and drama tutor in youth theatres and school nurseries (something I have done for almost 40 years, eek)!!! I now have the time to indulge my passion for all things natural and floral. Almost all the flowers and foliage I use in my arrangements are grown in the garden, so they are very locally sourced! I love the transient, etherial, fleeting nature of seasonal blooms and greenery and love to pick and arrange whatever is in season, loosely combining whatever the day offers in a wild and naturalistic way. Sometimes the garden and surrounding countryside offer roses, alstroemeria, lupins and sea holly. On other days it might be coreopsis and lavender. At different times of the year, holly and Douglas fir can be combined with ethically -sourced roses. You get the idea! My flowers and arrangements are not cookie-cutter perfect - I love wonky stems, slightly nibbled leaves and wildflowers, and enjoy clashing colours and unexpected combinations. Wherever possible, I endeavour to use nothing other than scissors, water and natural raffia in my hand-tied bouquets which are wrapped in biodegradable packaging if packaging is desired. If foam must be used, it will be a more bio-friendly option, certified to biodegrade in 365 days. However, uncoated wire can give excellent results…and scrunching it into shapes covered in moss from the ancient sandstone walls here, or making twirly,whirly willow/twig supports is strangely therapeutic, so I prefer to do that!