The third Monday of January is labelled as ‘Blue Monday,’ a date not based on scientific fact, although it was first suggested by a health psychologist before being taken up as a marketing tool by a travel company. Despite that, January is genuinely a very difficult month for many, with the combination of short days, the post-Christmas slump and seemingly weeks to go before pay day. So how can we cheer up our customers (and ourselves) in these dark, dismal days? Without a

This week Su celebrates the arrival of Cornish-grown Narcissi; another welcome sign that spring is on the way.

Expand your Valentine’s gift range to include Gerbera

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

Originating from South Africa, the Protea family is an ancient one, with evidence from fossils showing that they were growing 75-80 million years ago. They are unusual flowers, with lots of small, densely packed showy florets surrounded by waxy bracts, forming a cup shape. Spring flowering in their natural environment, cultivated Protea are available all year round, with different varieties peaking within that time. What colours are Proteas available in? Shades of pink an

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.

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