Written by Rona Wheeldon
June 29, 2016
If you're on the look-out for British flowers, then you'll be absolutely spoilt for choice at New Covent Garden Flower Market this month!
There's homegrown larkspur in a kaleidoscope of colours, plus boxes upon boxes of sweet peas, lilies, statice, poppy seed heads, nigella, brodiaea and so much more! Read on to discover what else you can expect to find on your next visit to Nine Elms...
British Flowers
Just how dainty is this pink saponaria at Pratley? And it's available in white too.
Plus they have a plethora of English 'Sarah Bernhardt' peonies. Do you remember British Flowers Week 2013 when Vic from Scarlet & Violet created these beautiful designs using this popular bloom?
Or British Flowers Week the following year when Simon Lycett made these fabulous floral creations using pinks? Pratley currently have several different varieties including this very pretty pale pink one.
Zest Flowers have an incredible selection of scented British roses! You may have seen where they're grown in a recent Countryfile episode? Utterly breath-taking is how I'd describe this particular variety. It's called St Cecilia, but it's also sometimes referred to as Peony Pink... a small pink rose with a strong vanilla scent that opens to have a true peony shape.
In the British 'Corner' of their stand, they also have verbascum.
Another flower to give height to a design is this lofty eremurus.
For a pop of vibrant yellow in a 'gathered from the garden' style bouquet, there are these daisy like blooms called Inula at Zest Flowers.
Or with a slightly more ruffled appearance to their petals, they have these large white daisies.
To round up the British flowers section of this month's report, what better summer filler than alchemilla mollis?
World Flowers
Now that guelder rose is less readily available, Hydrangea 'Annabelle' with its tiny florets is a perfect substitute. You'll find it at DG Wholesale Flowers.
With a completely different texture and a very lovely scent is Mentha 'Silver Queen'.
I absolutely adore the colour of this scabious (Scabiosa caucasica)! With pale lilac petals, its variety name is 'Lisa' and it's available at Dennis Edwards Flowers.
Looking for striking talk-worthy blooms for a contract design? Then look no further. How about these Salambo artichokes?
The naming of this variety of peony is just so spot... 'Angel Cheeks'! Available at S Robert Allen, they are a large double peony with pale pink guard petals cupping a raised centre of fluffy petals. By the way, do make the very most of peonies as their peak season is coming to an end.
Have you seen this particular type of Achillea millefolium before? It's called Anita Pink at S Robert Allen.
And Nerine bowdenii 'Vesta' is back at Bloomfield. Is it me or do you also think it has a slight scent of chocolate?
Zinnias are one of those flowers that you can’t help but find cheerful...
...as are these 'Sun King' sunflowers at Dennis Edwards Flowers! They'd both look wonderful in a 'Get Well Soon' bouquet.
British Plants
Head to L Mills for a riot of colourful potted plants like these Celosia plumosa, also know as 'Prince of Wales Feathers'...
...or these homegrown dahlias.
For budget-friendly English hydrangeas, make a bee-line for Quality Plants...
...where they also have a wonderful selection of standard roses, including this white variety called 'Iceberg'.
World Plants
The potted rose is the Flower Council's Houseplant of the Month this month. And at Quality Plants, you'll find this gorgeous cream miniature rose variety called Belami Kordana.
That's where you'll also find Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Zebra' with unusual horizontal yellow stripes on its foliage.
Beauty and lifestyle vlogger, Lily Pebbles has recently purchased this well-known plant, Sansevieria, also known as mother-in-law's tongue. So you may find yourself getting requests for it from the younger end of your customer base! They're available at Arnott & Mason.
And how pretty is this Angelonia 'Angelface' at Evergreen Exterior Services?
British Foliage
Over on Foliage Row, you'll find Ligustrum ovalifolium with its clusters of creamy-white flowers at GB Foliage.
They also have oak...
...and box in abundance.
If you're making pedestal designs and are looking for trailing foliage, head over to Porters Foliage for ivy trails.
There you'll also find pretty hebe...
...and beech.
Sundries
These vintage terracotta pots at Quality Plants stopped me in my tracks! They're perfect for an on-trend grouping display of succulents or cacti.
If you need log slices for table centres, you'll find them available inside at Porters Foliage.
And over at Whittingtons, they just received lots of new sympathy cards.
So, I hope you've enjoyed reading this month's report and it's given you lots of inspiration! As always, we'd love to hear from you if you have any comments or questions. Simply fill in the boxes below.
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