Written by Rona Wheeldon
September 04, 2016
Beautiful blooms in autumnal shades are starting to appear at New Covent Garden Flower Market this month. And continuing to steal the show are dazzling dahlias…many of them homegrown.
There are so many colourful varieties available like the ones shown here. And of course, there's the highly sought after Cafe au Lait!
Read on to discover what else you can expect to find on your next visit to Nine Elms…
British Flowers
According to a recent article in The Telegraph, gladioli sales have rocketed and this classic flower is experiencing a return to popularity! You can read the full article here. It was also the flower of choice for Eva Longoria when she got married earlier this year. So, head to Pratley if you’d like to stock up on British gladi.
A cousin of the gladioli is Acidanthera murielae. With its delightful scent and great vase life, it’s available at Zest Flowers.
Commonly known as ice plant or stonecrop, you’ll find British sedum at Pratley…an excellent filler flower.
Or for something way more colourful, they have asters aplenty.
Outside at Porters Foliage, the soft muted shades of pink and blue can be found on trolleys laden with homegrown hydrangeas.
British flowers wise at the Market, you'll also find alstroemeria, sunflowers, lilies, pinks and cornflowers.
World Flowers
Ageratum, which is also known as floss flower or whiteweed, can be found at Dennis Edwards Flowers. With its small, fluffy clusters of purple blooms, it's a fabulous accent flower.
Some people liken tricyrtis, which is in the lily family, to wild orchids and I can certainly see why. Its common name is toad lily and it looks super in buttonhole designs.
How ethereal is this Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus'?
Great for adding texture to a design with its wavy leaves, Brassica Bogdana is available at The Floral Garden Group. Did you know that they also sell flower bulbs?
The fragrant lavender-pink flowers of Syringa 'Josee' would look lovely in a hand-tied bouquet…
…as would this pretty Snowberry ‘Charming Fantasy’. You’ll also find white varieties currently available at the Market.
I adore the colour of this Golden Mustard rose at Bloomfield!
Have you seen this before? It's frangipani (Plumeria) which has a exquisite sweet scent and it's available at Dennis Edwards Flowers. You could use it in a buttonhole or perhaps a floral crown.
Pink, orange and white asclepias can be found in abundance. How lovely is this variety called Soulmate?
Staying with pink, if you need a good substitute for Blue Curiosa or Coolwater, why not use Rose Maritim at Zest Flowers?
Certain to add a splash of colour to a ‘garden-gathered’ style bouquet or tablecentre is this Cosmos bipinnatus at Bloomfield.
Now on to a rich autumnal colour palette and what better than Hydrangea 'Magical Coral Classic'?
Or for something to add a real pop of red plus a prickly texture to boot, there’s Ricinus communis.
Berries are in plentiful supply including Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’ at DG Wholesale Flowers.
And another perfect addition to a seasonal design is this Carthamus ‘Zanzibar’ at The Floral Garden Group.
Such fun flowers…zinnias can also be found at Nine Elms.
British Plants
Bob at Lou Mills has British begonias in trays of mixed colours.
And how gorgeous are these white Echinacea which he also has?
World Plants
Over at Evergreen, there’s an explosion of lofty Hydrangea paniculata ‘Silver Dollar’ plants.
They also have Calluna vulgaris ‘Loki’ which is ideal for pots, containers and window boxes.
Or you may like to use Erica vulgaris, which can be found at Quality Plants.
Hanging plants continue to be a big trend and they’re the Flower Council’s Houseplant of the Month. How about this Epiphyllum anguliger at Arnott & Mason?
Or Rhipsalis ramaloris? Arnott & Mason have a wide selection of hanging plants…so do take a look the next time you’re at the Market. Some of the plants are out on display and some are in boxes on shelves. Just ask the salesmen and they’ll be more than happy to help you with any questions.
British Foliage
If you love using berried ivy in your designs, then you’ll be delighted to know that there’s a plethora of it available at Porters Foliage.
English salal with tiny black berries, also known as go-go, can also be found.
And there are containers brimming full of cotoneaster.
Just how stunning is this heather at GB Foliage? A must-have for a natural, informal design…
And there's also pieris.
Sundries
Grant at C.Best tells me that artificial foliage and plants are very popular at the moment! They have an extensive range including these grasses…
...very life-like looking ferns…
…and hedging in lots of different sizes, which is being used in restaurants and on roof terraces.
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. Grant at C.Best also mentioned that their Christmas stock will be starting to come in soon!
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