Written by Rona Wheeldon
March 04, 2016
It really is 'Tulip Heaven' at New Covent Garden Flower Market this month! There's just about every variety you can possibly imagine available. Single, double, parrot, French and fringed can all be found in abundance. Just how pretty is this pale pink variety of fringed tulip called 'Galerie'?
Other spring blooms, such as anemones, ranunculus and hyacinths, are also in plentiful supply. Read on to discover what else you can expect to find on your next visit to Nine Elms...
British Flowers
Boxes of 'Kung Fu' tulips from Lincolnshire are available at Pratley...
...together with outdoor daffodils from Cambridgeshire.
World Flowers
Tall 'Green Wave' tulips, with their soft mauve-pink and green petals can be found at Alagar.
And this variety of hypericum called 'Coco Casino', which has light pink berries, is available at S Robert Allen.
Just how beautiful are these 'Aljonka Salmon' Chrysanthemums at Zest Flowers? Such a gorgeous colour...!
Or for something more prickly looking how about this Leucospermum 'Soleil' pictured below?
Antirrhinum majus 'Potomac Dark Orange' with their tall, strong stems and long spikes are available at Bloomfield. They're perfect for adding a pop of colour and height to hand-tieds. Or how about using them in hanging installations as illustrated here by Rebel Rebel?
These stunning salmon pink Cloni ranunculus are available at D G Wholesale Flowers. Wouldn't they look wonderful massed on their own in a bouquet for a spring bride?
Lofty sweet peas in a variety of different colours are available at Dennis Edwards Flowers.
And here's Dennis himself with florists Liz from Blue Sky Flowers (left) and Sarah from The Flower Bird (right).
Cappuccino ranunculus can be found at the market, along with standard and Cloni varieties in a wide range of colours. There's a Product Profile about ranunculus if you'd like to take a read.
Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum), with its gracefully arching stems, looks fabulous in tall vase arrangements and hand-tied bouquets. You'll find it at Zest Flowers.
For ranunculus which are just a little bit different to their smooth petalled cousins, how about this variety called 'Success Green' which is also sometimes referred to as 'Green Success'? You'll find it at D G Wholesale Flowers.
Looking to add a bit of a different texture to your designs? Check out this 'Bush Diamond' Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos). Its blooms are white with just a hint of pink.
Oxypetalum coeruleum (Tweedia) is such a delicate blue flower. And here you can see it used beautifully in a wedding flower design by florist Claire from Garden & Wild. Claire's based in Midsomer Norton, near Bath. She visited the Market this month and bought flowers for a wedding fair in Bristol, where she was exhibiting.
If you're after muscari (grape hyacinths), you'll be really spoilt for choice variety-wise this month!
Fritillaries have started to come into the Market, with Fritillaria meleagris (snake's head fritillary) making a welcome reappearance. If you missed it first time round, here's a link to a Product Profile about this family of dainty spring blooms.
British Plants
Trays of 'Stella Snow White' Polyanthus with white flowers and yellow eyes are ideal for pots and containers. You can find them at L.Mills...
...where they also have these gorgeous anemone plants. I l-o-v-e the white variety with its green centre!
World Plants
Looking for an alternative to cut flowers for contracts? How about potting up these gorgeous ranunculus plants? They would certainly add a splash of colour to a reception! Head over to Evergreen Exterior Services where you'll find trays of them...
...together with amazingly scented lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) plants.
Quality Plants have these very cute Muscari armeniacum 'White Magic' plants.
They also have Myrtus communis (Common Myrtle). Have you come across it before? The individual plants are almost like little trees. And in mid to late summer, they bear fragrant, white flowers followed by purple-black berries.
With their arching pinnate leaves, Cycas would add an air of tropical lushness to an outside space. They're available at Arnott & Mason.
They also have standard azaleas, with striking pink blooms, which are ideal for patios.
British Foliage
Over at Foliage Row, there's berried ivy in abundance at Porters Foliage...
...together with pittosporum.
And over at GB Foliage, you'll find box (Buxus sempervirens)...
...plus contorted willow.
And if you're looking for support for hyacinth bulbs in containers, there are lots of different varieties of pussy willow.
Sundries
Artificial plants are back in their usual spot at C Best.
Paul says that they're very popular for smoking areas, plus balconies (especially for second homes). And they also have artificial flowers and foliage for indoors.
Finally, for Easter displays, head to Whittingtons for fluffy yellow chicks in different sizes! 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.
P.S. Did you hear that we've launched #GreatFRESHDaffodilAppeal, a new campaign to run throughout March in support of Marie Curie and their 30th annual Great Daffodil Appeal? Click here for details. It would be great if you'd like to take part.
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