National Houseplant Week falls conveniently into the lull that comes after the Christmas decs have been packed away and before the prep begins in earnest for Valentine’s Day.  A time when people need a little pick me up and, after recovering from a busy festive season, perhaps nothing too challenging either, so here are my personal top five houseplants that are guaranteed to chase away January blues and brighten up an otherwise grey month.  My top 5 Customer Friendly Plants 

Su Whale's comprehensive guide to choosing and using UK-grown flowers and foliage.

The tulip is an iconic spring bulb and one which has been growing steadily in popularity at Valentine’s Day

With flower prices at a premium and ongoing supply worries, concerns have resurfaced over the cost and availability of red roses for St. Valentine’s Day .

There’s more than one way to say ‘I love you’ than with a dozen red roses, however gorgeous!

Cyclamen make great houseplants at this time of year, but did you know they can also be used as a cut flower and a foliage plant?

Roses, especially red, have been associated with love and romance since Roman times.

Su Whale shares some essential facts about Hippeastrum, surely the most flamboyant of Christmas flowers.

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

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

Dyed Flowers…Yes or no?  Love them or loathe them, dyed flowers are an established part of the vast choice of fresh materials available from wholesalers, and, as they can be conveniently dyed to suit the colours of the seasons they tend to peak in popularity round Christmas and Valentine’s Day.  Why dye flowers?  Why indeed, when nature has done such an incredible job of providing an unrivalled spectrum of colours herself. The desire for blue flowers, more specifically blue r

Cloud Dancer  ‘A lofty white neutral…a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world’ is how the Pantone Color Institute defines its much anticipated Colour of the Year for 2026.   Or is it just a little bit…boring?  Pantone have been choosing an annual colour since 1999, but this is the first time they have picked white as the colour which will define the trends and styles of fashion and interiors across the globe. The reaction has been mixed, with some calling the decision uni

Selling Houseplants for Christmas? Now’s the time to give them a seasonal shine. If you’re experiencing a bit of a lull, this is the ideal moment to sort out, tidy up and organise your houseplant displays ready for the festive season.  How to revamp your houseplants display  Work in sections: a shop with a lot of plants can be a bit daunting to tackle, also, you don’t want to have a counter strewn with plants and pots just when a customer comes in, so go through them methodi

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.