This Life Ruby Grimes

The Glasgow florist’s eye for colour is put to good use in both her west-end home and her sculptural bouquets and arrangements

- Catherine Coyle

In between styling local bars such as the Finnieston and the  Kelvingrove Café, hosting masterclasses at Jo Malone in Princes Square, talking through wedding flowers with prospective brides, and creating floral arrangements for hotels, private homes and businesses, Ruby Grimes tries to grab five minutes to slow down and take stock. The Glasgow-based florist made the decision to give up the lease on her shop in Hyndland five years ago, opting for a studio and workshop space instead, and investing in a classic little French van so her business, Ruby Flowers, could become mobile. “I wanted to give myself freedom and not be tied to a shop,” she smiles.

“Besides, the supermarkets had gotten really good at flowers, the recession had hit, my perspective had changed and I knew I wanted to be able to spend more time with my husband and children as well as my extended family, which I wasn’t really able to do when I had the shop.”

Although her schedule is just as hectic, Ruby’s new routine allows her the space to pursue more varied projects and to fit in more downtime with the people closest to her. As the youngest of four, she has a large extended family, mostly Glasgow-based but with a nomadic and entrepreneurial spirit. The maternal side of the family owned their own business, CW Cameron Ltd, while her father was an engineer. Her siblings all went off travelling as teenagers, and when her turn came, Ruby announced that she was off to London.