Su Whale explores spring flowers typically associated with Easter.

Looking for something interesting and unusual to stock? Air plants are perfect for children who want to spend their pocket money on something small and if it’s something that they themselves find fascinating, then even better. What is an air plant? Air plants are in the Bromeliad family, native to the tropical Americas, where they live on trees, rocks or any hard surface. They absorb nutrients and water from the air, not through soil so they have little or no root systems

Cymbidium orchids are prized for their colour range, elegance and long vase life. Su Whale shares her tips on caring for and using them.

There is nothing that lifts the spirit more than the sight of the sun shining through cherry blossom on a warm spring day. This spring ‘pick-me-up’ is a universal feeling, celebrated all over the world, most famously in Japan, when every year the Japan Meteorological Company release its predictions for peak bloom season. This usually falls around the end of March and the beginning of April, when the nation comes together in a centuries old tradition to view the blossom and p

Who doesn’t love spring flowers? A welcome sight at the gloomiest time of year, it is currently peak time for these seasonal beauties, so here is an ‘At a Glance Guide’ of caring and conditioning our most popular spring flowers. Anemone Temperature: Cool, approximately 2°C. Susceptible to bacteria so ensure all vases and containers are clean before use. Place in shallow water which should be topped up daily. Display in a cool spot with good air circulation. Soft Anem

Su Whale praises the shamrock and suggests some suitably green foliage alternatives for floristry work.

Su Whale encourages us to embrace scented shrubs to add style and colour to spring arrangements.

Supermarkets will be full of prewrapped cellophane bunches and bouquets for Mother’s Day at all price points and in all colours. Easy for the shopper to pick up but distinctly lacking in originality. This is where florists’ have the advantage of being able to design not only bespoke gifts but wrap flowers and plants far more inventively and creatively to suit individual tastes and budgets. That being said, Mother’s Day is not the occasion to be spending lots of time on comp

While spray roses are sometimes viewed as the little sister of single headed roses, they are anything but. In every shade and variation of colour that you could wish for, they are good value for money with anything between five to a dozen heads on a stem, depending on variety. How to buy spray roses Stem Length: 40-70cm, sold in batches of 10 stems. Cost per stem can vary, based on the length of the stem and the size of the flower heads. The taller varieties with large bloom

Make the most of seasonal flowers and foliage.

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

Leafy Couture in Leeds have been creating beautiful flowers, arrangements and installations since their establishment in 2006. Its founder, Sarah Richardson, has trained with some of the best floral designers and creatives in the UK and US and now, as a college-level tutor, teaches and mentors budding and professional florists alike. She has styled photoshoots for luxury brands like Jo Malone, Joe Browns and Anthropologie, and is the recommended florist for some of the North’