Beautiful berries without the prickles!   Christmas designs cry out for holly berries, and this particular Ilex is possibly one of the most impressive of all the Christmas foliage. Its tall, straight stems of impressive, bright berries will give contemporary arrangements height, brilliance and structure. It is excellent for contract Christmas designs when even just two or three stems will deliver that all important wow factor.   Commonly known as Winterberry, this variety of

Su Whale sings the praises of native South African flowers that become the stars of the show at this time of year.

Make the most of this fabulous seasonal favourite. Su Whale advises how to condition and use hyacinths in floral work.

Su Whale helps you choose the best blue-grey foliage for all your floristry work.

Su Whale shares her secrets to success with Schlumbergera, the Christmas cactus.

Winter weddings are increasingly popular and they provide a wonderful opportunity to be creative with what nature has to offer.

Sandwiched as it is between Halloween and Christmas, November can seem to be a rather dull month colour wise.

Also known as the China or Matsumoto Aster, this member of the Aster family has strong associations with autumn, despite being available from the Dutch auctions for most of the year. Pronounced ‘kal-lee-STEPH-us’ it is a cheerful, multi-petalled flower with a bright yellow central disc and can be bought in either single or double forms.  Colour Range : White, lilac, pale pink, dark pink, red, purple.  Vase life : 7-10 days. Peaks March – December, seasonally available August

The Royal British Legion adopted the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

Here's the best flowers and foliage still available from UK growers to use in your floristry work.

One of the joys of floristry is its seasonality, and the passage of summer into autumn is a moment to celebrate and set the seasonal tone in store and out. And if there is one thing florists can do which is heads and shoulders above supermarkets and garden centres, it is shop display. Autumn is without a doubt one of those moments to show off how creative we can be.  There is still time for planting outside while the soil still retains the warmth from the summer. Encourage yo

Bromeliads are perfect impulse purchase plants - colourful, fun and easy to care for.

Fresh berries are perfect if you want to give seasonal arrangements a natural, festive feel, says Su Whale.

There’s something about the colours and the cosiness as nights draw in and fires are lit that makes autumn special for so many people. Capitalise on this warm and fuzzy feeling by promoting this colourful season in all its glory.  How to sell autumn in your store  Even though most flowers are now available all year round, this is the time to concentrate on those that have strong associations with autumn, such as Dahlia, Chrysanthemum, Asters, Gladioli and Callistephus. Pop re

Su Whale shares 10 gorgeous Christmas wreath designs to get you inspired this season.