Timeless roses and a soft pastel colour palette. Su Whale describes the detail.

They are fabulous as cut flowers, everyone knows that, but as an indoor plant, Zantedeschia or Arum/Calla lily, are equally spectacular. Tall and impressive, their stylish arrow shaped leaves and elegant trumpet blooms mark them out as an exclusive, luxury buy. Native to South America, Zantedeschia are a tropical flower in the Araceae plant group, the same as Anthurium. Getting to know the origin of your plants is always useful, as it gives you and your customer a better und

Do you know what the term ‘pro rata’ means and how to work out pro-rata pay and holidays for your employees? Croner explain.

Su Whale shares her professional tips for effective, good quality basing work.

In February the Church of England Synod passed the Diocesan Synod Motion introduced by the Diocese of Worcester, encouraging churches and cathedrals to consider creating floral arrangements without floral foam and using UK-grown flowers and foliage. It caused a wave of anxiety amongst florists thinking that there was going to be a full ban that would extend to all of us. Luckily this motion does not introduce full bans or rules and is very much for guidance, and is advisory

Gross misconduct allows UK employers to summarily dismiss an employee without notice or pay, but only after following a fair disciplinary process (investigation, hearing, right to appeal) in line with ACAS guidelines. To minimise unfair dismissal risks, clearly define gross misconduct in contracts/handbooks, document everything thoroughly, and send a precise termination letter stating reasons, termination date, and appeal rights. What is gross misconduct? What is the best app

Easter is a growing retail opportunity for florists. Easter is not just a small seasonal event—it’s a major spring retail opportunity driven by home decorating, gifting, and family gatherings. By focusing on seasonal flowers, gift bundles, table décor, and early promotions, florists can significantly increase sales during the Easter period. I have found that over the years in retail floristry, Easter has had its highs and lows, but in recent times, especially in the UK, spend

Easter can be an unpredictable trading period for florists depending on when it falls in the calendar. Too early and business can be affected by the weather, and a late Easter may mean that the spring flowers, which are traditionally associated with this time of year, are coming to an end. Easter puts a full stop on a busy few months, the peaks of Christmas, Valentine’s and Mother’s Day have come and gone, the days are warmer and longer and ahead is the summer. Capitalise on

Discover the best free marketing tools to support your small business, from email marketing and CRM to automation platforms and analytics tools. Marketing doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective. For small businesses with limited budgets, the right marketing tools can make a big impact, and many of them are free. Whether you're looking to automate tasks, manage customer relationships or monitor campaign performance, there are digital marketing tools available that cost n

How do you deal with a difficult bride without losing the contract? Karen Barnes shares her tips and explains why diplomacy is so important.

Su Whale shows how spring flowering bulbs can make profitable impulse purchases for Easter gifting.

Don't miss a deadline! Stay on top of your annual payroll duties and prepare for the new tax year ahead with our handy checklist of seven payroll tasks for April. Running payroll every month, whether yourself or outsourced to payroll experts, is a weekly or monthly routine. But every April, when a fresh tax year begins, new employment law changes come into force and there are annual payroll duties to carry out. Payroll experts at the Federation of Small Businesses have put to

Flowering, potted Kalanchoe is one of our most recognisable houseplants, inexpensive and cheerful, it can flower for months. The Kalanchoe as a cut flower however does not have such universal recognition, even though it shares the same long-lasting qualities and is able to retain its beauty for up to four weeks. Did you know? Kalanchoe (pronounced Kal-an-co-e) is a succulent which can survive for several days without water, so can be transported dry, which cuts down its en

Spring is one of the most vibrant and commercially exciting seasons for florists especially in the UK. From Mother’s Day to weddings and Easter displays, customer expectations are high and so are the stakes for freshness. As temperatures fluctuate between chilly mornings and mild afternoons, proper handling becomes critical. I have created a practical, season-focused guide to help extend vase life, reduce waste, and keep customers coming back for longer-lasting blooms. I alwa

Is there a true blue flower? Fewer than it would appear actually, as many blue flowers are often, on closer inspection, a combination of shades and hues of lilac, violet, purple or even turquoise (a combination of blue and green). Spring is an abundant season for blue, or nearly blue flowers however; Anemone, Muscari, Myosotis and Hyacinth bloom in every shade of this popular, enduring colour. A little bit about blue Blue is a primary colour, alongside red and yellow, but