The small, yet dedicated, team of florists at Louise Florist believe we have the experience and passion to provide flowers and floral arrangements for any occasion. Naturally, we are passionate about flowers, but we are also passionate about the history of our town and the natural beauty surrounding it. We constantly find inspiration in the scenery around us, and we think that after sharing some local history others will be inspired, too. Our artisanal florists are committed to promoting and protecting the wonders of nature, whether it is the wildlife, the moors or the coasts on our doorstep.
Scarborough is town with a population in excess of 60,000 on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire, and at its highest point lies 230ft above sea level. The harbour, which is protected by a rocky headland, rises steeply north and west towards limestone cliffs. The towns origins are shrouded in mystery, with a local theory of its founding by a Viking raider named Thorglis Skarthi unsupported by archaeological evidence. There was a Roman signal station located on Scarborough headland in the 4th century, although there is also evidence of Stone Age and Bronze Age settlements. Unfortunately, due to Viking raids any settlements were razed to the ground, meaning there was little evidence remaining to be recorded in the Domesday Book of 1085. Today, the town is best known as coastal resort and tourist destination, and is the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast. Its origins as a resort town are somewhat less shrouded in mystery. When a stream of acidic water was discovered running from the cliffs to the south of town in 1626 by Mrs Thomasin Farrer, Scarborough Spa was established. It was Britain’s first seaside resort, and the construction of the Scarborough-York railway in 1845 increased the tide of visitors which continues to this day.
As a holiday resort there a number of parks and green spaces within the town. Valley Gardens is an ornamental garden that has a varied collection of plants and flowers, with a very impressive Daffodil trail. It also hosts an annual Design a Flowerbed competition, aimed at inspiring the next generation of florists by allowing local schools to design and help plant three flower beds each summer. South Cliff Gardens offer spectacular sea views and were created in 1889, although took over 40 years to complete. There are many hidden secrets amongst these woodland slopes, from a star map to the Italian Gardens with its formal terraces and various plants and flowers, including a beautiful lily pond.
Inland from Scarborough lies the North York Moors National Park, which was established in 1952, and is one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. There are three distinct types of landscape found here; the moorland, Limestone belt and the coast. As sandstones erode slowly they form poor acidic soils which are deficient in nutrients, this leads to the formation of Shagnum moss bogs, which gradually form peat. Cotton grass, with its fluffy flowers also grows in boggy areas, and help to dry out the bogs. As the bogs dry heather invades the area, and the result is the rich heather covered moorland we can see today, and when the heather flowers it vastly changes the appearance of the moors.
The Limestone belt produces rich alkaline soils and as streams cross the area the nutrient rich waters support an abundance of aquatic life. The area is also famous for its wild daffodils in spring. Along the coast, there are a number of seashore habitats to explore. Rocky shores offer a vast array of seaweeds, and rock pools are home to a variety of sea life. Sandy shores are home to a diverse array of plants and flowers, not to mention invertebrates which in turn attract numerous seabirds that come here to feed and breed.
Our florists are rightly proud of the diversity of the region we call home. At Louise Florist, our florists believe the inspiration we find on our doorstep makes us the perfect choice to provide floral arrangements regardless of the size or occasion.
