Written by Rona Wheeldon
March 01, 2017
Spring has well and truly sprung at New Covent Garden Flower Market this month! And you'll find pockets of the intoxicating scent of homegrown narcissi greeting you on many stands.
As well as this vibrant yellow and orange variety from the Isles of Scilly called ‘Hugh Town’, there's Paperwhite and Erlicheer narcissi in abundance. Plus there are several different types of daffodils available.
Read on to find out about just some of the other flowers, foliage, plants and sundries at Nine Elms to help you with your plans for International Women’s Day on March 8th and Mother’s Day on March 26th.
British Flowers
Just how charming are these bunches of Cornish snowflakes at Pratley?
Perfect for Mother’s Day are these ‘Flaming Flag’ tulips from Lincolnshire...so pretty with their white blushed lilac petals and feathered streaks of rich purple.
And if you’ve got your heart set on widow iris, make sure you get to Pratley early as these dainty velvety blooms are very much in demand!
World Flowers
How utterly stunning is this red and white variety of anemone called Anemone Mistral? You'll also find them available with pale lilac and white petals.
There are so many different types of tulips at Nine Elms this month. For a cerise pink variety, why not choose ‘Double Princess’, which is available at DG Wholesale Flowers.
And from the ‘Scoop’ family of Scabiosa atropurpurea, various different shades can be found. If you’re looking for pink, pick ‘Candy Scoop’ at Zest Flowers.
And for a soft vintage pink, there’s 'China Pink' hyacinths.
Have you ever thought of using cut Kalanchoe in designs? They have a great vase life and DG Wholesale Flowers have a lovely selection at the moment.
They’re back! Fritillaria imperialis with their striking petals at Dennis Edwards Flowers.
If you’re looking for Helichrysum, also known as everlasting flowers, head to Porters Foliage.
Ideal on its own as a simple bridal bouquet, as illustrated beautifully here by McQueens, is Matricaria with its delicate blooms.
How fabulous are these 'Moon Kick' gerberas at Zest Flowers with their double white petals and pale lime green centres?
What a strikingly vibrant shade of green these brand new Chrysanthemum Bombellini at S Robert Allen have!
I’m so happy to see the return of Persian Fritillaries (Fritillaria persica) to the market. With their unruly wayward stems, they’re wonderful for adding movement to floral designs.
And I couldn’t resist sharing these black Cloni Ranunculus at Bloomfield with you!
Pots of Muscari armeniacum can be found at several wholesalers.
Plus you'll find these Dyed Rainbow Hydrangeas at Dennis Edwards Flowers. Ideal for an event or party...
I’d heard that a new ranunculus was soon to hit UK shores. And here it is, the Butterfly Ranunculus! This particular variety is called Theseus and you can find it at Bloomfield. Petalon have included it in one of their weekly bouquets, as you can see here on the right.
British Foliage
Outside on Foliage Row, there are containers brimming full of single white cherry blossom.
And at GB Foliage, you’ll find pink prunus blossom.
Different types of homegrown pussy willow can be found at Porters Foliage...
...where they also have willow. Apparently though, if you would like to order it, it’s referred to as orange dogwood!
And there’s twisted willow in abundance too…
World Foliage
How wonderful is this foliage with all its different colour variations at GB Foliage? It’s known as autumn eucalyptus.
And inside, if your bride-to-be has her heart set on Dusty Miller (Senecio), simply pop by S Robert Allen. The guys there have recently joined Instagram, so do follow them there for up-to-date news on their flower and foliage availability. You’ll find them here.
World Plants
Helleborus Lividus plants are available at Evergreen. And just in case you missed my report all about Hellebores last month, here’s a link if you’d like to take a read. It features not only plants but also cut flowers
I adore these Primula ‘Glorious Laced Gold’ plants at Evergreen, with their chocolate brown, yellow-centred flowers and gold laced edges to their petals.
Staying with the same plant family, they also have Primula obconica plants.
Sundries
The Flower Store, which is part of Bloomfield, always have a great selection of pots. Do check them out if you’re thinking of offering potted plants or bulbs as an alternative gift idea to bouquets for Mother’s Day. They have verdigris terracotta pots...
...glazed ceramic pots in dusky pink and various shades of grey...
...plus bark effect cement pots.
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. We’re holding special preview days if you’d like to visit the brand new Flower Market, before it opens on April 3rd. They are on Thursday 16th March, 4:30am-10:30am and Sunday 19th March, 10am-2pm. Click here if you'd like to find out more details.
Comments