The common primrose, or Primula vulgaris, is always the first plant to flower in Su's garden.

Celebrated globally, IWD promotes the social, political and cultural achievements of woman all over the world.

Reliable and versatile freesia work with every style of wedding and floristry work. Su Whale explains more.

Billy Buttons is just one of the many inventive common names for Craspedia, which is also known as Drumsticks, Woollyheads or Billy Balls.   Pronounced ‘kras-speed-de-uh’ this long-lasting, unusual flower is a native of Australia and New Zealand, although it can be grown in the UK. There isn’t really another flower quite like it with its slim, leafless stem and compact, bright yellow heads. It’s easy to see where its common name, Drumsticks, comes from.  Craspedia in Floral D

Simple sales opportunities with a bit of creative thinking. Su Whale explains.

A beacon of brilliant yellow, Forsythia is currently having its brief moment of glory before being overshadowed by the more prolific blossom of cherries, apples and plums. For eleven months of the year, Forsythia is a rather unremarkable shrub, but in late spring the arched stems of ‘Golden Bells’ or the ‘Easter Tree’ are unmistakable.

Tropical flowers in winter — isn’t that asking for trouble? In this guest blog, Claudia from Magic Flowers shares practical tips on hydration, temperature and storage. With the right treatment, you can use and present exotics all year round. It’s no coincidence that Magic Flowers, together with FleuraMetz, is sponsor of the Aloha Show at IPM Essen. Prefer to wait until spring? From the start of IPM, you can exclusively pre-order all products from the Aloha Show at FleuraMetz.

Where would we be without Hypericum? Dependable and available all year round in an ever-expanding range of colours, this workroom staple ties in seamlessly with every season. Fruiting naturally in the autumn, Hypericum is a deciduous shrub that is covered with simple, bright yellow flowers in summer. Commonly known as St. John’s Wort, Tutsan, or in the States, Coffee Bean; Hypericum is found worldwide, and there are nearly 500 species within the genus.  Hypericum Colour Range

We are so used to having Iris in our shops all year round it’s easy to forget that it is in fact a spring flower, blooming naturally between February and March. Tall and reliable, it has become something of a workroom staple, despite its relatively short vase life.  When and how to buy Iris  Iris is sold in batches of 50 stems with an average stem length of 60 cm.  Tightly budded Iris need time to open, so it’s always a good idea to buy in advance and keep some in stock, part

The Year of the Fire Horse. In China, the horse is a symbol of strength, swiftness, freedom and perseverance. Further adding to its potency, the Fire Horse combines the element of fire with the powerfulness of the horse, signifying a year of passion, activity and progress.    How can florists celebrate the Chinese New Year?  Although it might seem too much to expect to put on a special promotion for Chinese New Year, coming as it does hot on the heels of Valentine’s Day, th

New beginnings, rebirth and hope are just some of the qualities attributed to the delicate and modest Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, also known as ‘Fair Maids of February’. A winter perennial, it is one of the first welcome signs of spring in gardens and woodlands, easy to spot with its dark green glossy leaves and nodding, white bell-shaped flowers.   Buying Galanthus  For the cut flower market, most commercially grown Galanthus are from The Netherlands, where they can be bo

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