For so long the Cinderella of the country’s floral industry, British flowers are finally taking centre stage as the flower buying public start to appreciate the economic and environmental value, and indeed the beauty of seasonal, UK-grown flowers.
With this increased demand there has never been a better time to stock and celebrate British grown. Don’t be shy about highlighting your UK-grown stock. Wherever you display them, inside or out, big them up by using signage telling your customers where these amazing flowers are from.
This article will guide you through the best options available for each season, listed by month.
Jump to a specific month with the links below
UK-Grown Spring Flowers
As the days start to lengthen, there come a steady supply of UK-grown spring flowers available. After all, what better way to lighten dark and cold days than with cheerful bunches of scented narcissi from Cornwall or colourful tulips from Lincolnshire? Papery petalled anemones and even delicate nodding snowdrops are all available from UK growers.
Why not add hyacinths, muscari and hellebores into the mix? There is no shortage of flowers at this time of year!
I love it when spring flowers start to arrive, I never tire of the season. My personal favourites are anemones for their vibrant colours and hyacinths and paperwhite narcissi for their scent. Often UK flower availability will overlap into the different seasons and so I've broken it down into the months below.
Looking for Wedding Inspiration? We've got articles covering different vibes, whatever your couple are asking for, from bright and bold and sunshine yellow themes, through to a more vintage look.
Spring Flowers
Spring Flowers From The Growers | Spring Flowers From The Garden |
Anemone | |
Antirrhinum | Cherry Blossom |
Hellebore | |
Chrysanthemum | Hyacinth |
Heather | Leucojum |
Muscari | |
Narcissi | |
Snowdrops | |
Tulips | |
Viburnum | |
March Flowers
On commercial nurseries and in our gardens spring flowers are in bloom. We can now enjoy miniature Tete a tete narcissi, hyacinth, fritillaria and muscari. And there will be more to come!
One of the most beautiful and delicate of spring flowers, the poppy anemone is easy to identify with its black velvet centre and papery single petals. The anemone is now one of our most-loved seasonal flowers and The March Flower of the Month.
From your UK grower in March, you can source the following seasonal flowers: anemones, daffodils (narcissus) Forget-me-not (myosotis) Snake’s Head lilies (Fritillaria) hyacinth, iris, Lily of the Valley, muscari, tulips.
April Flowers
Clocks have sprung forward, the days are getting longer and growers, from the professional to the artisan are starting to produce more late spring, early summer UK-grown flowers and foliage. Weather at this time of year can be unpredictable, a warm spring will bring flowering forward, a sudden cold snap can easily set everything back.
One of the joys of spring flowers, Ranunculus are an absolute delight. Growing in a tight, cup-shaped, ruffled rosette, they gradually open out to reveal a black centre fringed by richly coloured, tissue thin petals. It’s very easy to see why they are such a favourite with florists, brides and gardeners making it the April Flower of the Month.
From your UK grower in April there will still be the spring flowers, although they are coming to an end, but they will be replaced by early summer flowers, Aster, Bluebells, Ornithogalum, Ranunculus, Asiatic lilies and the reliable Antirrhinum and Alstroemeria.
May Flowers
Flowers are now appearing in abundance, and although Narcissi have finished there is the welcome arrival of scented Sweet Williams. UK-grown foliage, including Eucalyptus, however, is still in short supply as young leaves are unsuitable for picking. At any time of year seasonal storms can affect supply, quantity and quality, so always check with the grower first.
Bold, bright and beautiful, and with what could be described as a ‘distinctive’ scent, Alliums are a popular cut flower and a great favourite with gardeners. As May Flower of the Month they are not just a standout fresh flower, if alliums are left to go to seed, they produce sculptural dried heads which can be cut and used in everlasting designs.
UK-Grown Summer Flowers
Summer is generally the warmest season of the year in the UK and for this reason, we have summer flowers and plants thriving, blooming, blossoming and giving us joy from May through to August. We are so lucky in our part of the world; we have so much choice of Summer flower types, varieties and colours.
Bright or pastel, there is a colour palette to suit any wedding or event, plus a selection of grasses and mature foliage. Heatwaves can do some damage to summer flower and foliage crops however, so there could be a few gaps in the market, check with the grower if in any doubt.
Summer Flowers are important for our pollinators. Many different wild bees are in decline; bumblebees and solitary bees (those that don’t live in colonies) in particular could do with our assistance. Bee-Friendly Flowers and plants help increase and maintain our precious Bees.
The tall and magnificent Delphinium (commonly called Larkspur) are stately flowers that are a favourite of the King, no less. Such a versatile flower, not only are they perfect for large designs and installations, but individual heads can also be glued for more intricate wedding work, and on the subject of weddings, dried larkspur makes colourful, eco-friendly wedding confetti.
We are simply spoilt for choice in the summer flowers range, no sooner does one seasonal flower finish, it’s replaced by another. Image a flower border filled with all your favourites, tall, stately Delphiniums and Lupins forming a sea of blue and pink at the back, in front of them nodding heads of Cosmos and Echinacea edged with soft clouds of Alchemilla mollis dotted with sky blue Cornflowers.
Summer Flowers
Summer Flowers From The Growers | Summer Flowers From The Garden |
Agastache | |
Campanula | |
Cornflower | |
Daucus | |
Delphinium | |
Digitalis | |
Brodiaea | Feverfew |
Gladioli | |
Lunaria | |
Nigella | |
Peony | |
Ranunculus | |
Iris | Sweet Peas |
Sweet Williams | |
Limonium | |
Solomon's Seal | |
Scented Pinks | |
Veronica |
June Flowers
We’re entering peak season for British grown flowers; scented stocks and sweet Williams are in abundance and there’s the welcome appearance of British grown peonies.
June Flowers of the Month: Sweet Peas. Delicate and colourful, whether scrambling though trellis or tumbling out of hanging baskets, the pretty butterfly-shaped flowers of sweet peas are irresistible.
And don’t forget herbs! There may be a dearth of British grown evergreens as immature leaves are unsuitable for picking, but there are plenty of aromatic fresh herbs such as mint, rosemary and oregano to add zing to designs.
July Flowers
High summer means flower growers across the UK are in full production mode with some wonderful seasonal blooms coming your way. Hot sun, warm temperatures and high humidity can seriously affect a cut flower's vase life, not just in the shop but in the home as well. For tips to combat Flowers in Heat, we have you covered ensuring the best from your British grown July flowers.
And let’s not forget the reliable, robust Alstroemeria. Although it is one of the few British-grown flowers available all year round, it is in the summer, when it would naturally be in bloom that it really comes into its own. Alstroemeria is July Flowers of the Month.
August Flowers
Falling between the end of summer and beginning of autumn, August flowers offers a myriad of choices. Flower growing is at its peak with a proliferation of blooms to choose from. Some of my favourites include the August Flower of the Month: Roses
Vivid colours are very much in demand now, with shades of yellow, orange and gold helping us to transition seamlessly from summer into autumn. Look to Flowertales by FleuraMetz for seasonal design inspiration. Their warm and welcoming flower combinations are perfect for brightening up any living room.
UK-Grown Autumn Flowers
One of the great joys of buying from UK commercial and artisan growers is the seasonality, and for many, autumn flowers are some of the most exciting to buy. Despite the advance of autumn there are still British grown flowers to be had. What can be better than a warm, hazy autumn day, filled with rich glowing shades of gold, red and bronze? For many people Autumn is their favourite time of year. Capitalise on this by using the best of the autumn flowers in your displays and floral gifts.
There is something about the gradual change of season which makes the abundance of flowers and foliage even more meaningful. It is a delight to welcome Gladioli, Sunflowers, English Chrysanthemums and or course the much loved Dahlia. Berries abound, Rosehips and Blackberries fill the hedgerows and fluffy Clematis seed heads add a touch of softness and romance.
Want to put together an autumn range of designs with a touch of Halloween and need a little inspiration? This article, Autumn Flowers for Creative Designs, has everything you will need with suggestions for flowers, foliage and berries.
The textures of autumn flowers help to encourage us to think more creatively about composition and layering. Celebrate this inspirational season with designs that are simply bursting with autumnal flowers and berries such as Callicarpa, Physalis and Chrysanthemums combined in a classic autumn palette.
Autumn Flowers
Autumn Flowers From The Grower | Autumn Flowers From The Garden |
Ammi visnaga | |
Achillea | |
Aster | Antirrhinum |
Amaranthus | Aster |
Cosmos | |
Asiatic Lily | Dahlia |
Daucus | |
Feverfew | |
Dahlia | Helianthus |
Hydrangea | |
Nigella | |
Phlox | |
Solidago | |
Statice | |
Verbena | |
Limonium | |
Veronica | |
Zinnia |
September Flowers
UK-grown flowers are still in the spotlight, with some fabulous September flowers and foliage to tempt both florists and consumers. One of the great joys of buying from UK commercial and artisan growers is the seasonality, and for many, autumn is one of the most exciting times to buy. So what flowers can you expect from your local grower this September?
Delicate, pretty Aster will complement bolder autumn flowers, such as Dahlia and Chrysanthemum. Also known as black-eyed Susan or orange coneflower, Rudbeckia is a cheerful bloom that will add a pop of bright colour to bouquets with its charming, daisy-like flower.
September's Flower of the month is Dahlia, for such a seemingly quintessential British flower it might come as a surprise to some that the Dahlia originates from Mexico and Central America. The Aztecs were also in love with Dahlias using them extensively, as a food source, for decorative purposes, even their hollow stems as water pipes.
October Flowers
Winter flowers are now in our sights as we head towards the moment when the clocks go back, but that doesn’t mean that British growers have hung up their spades and forks just yet. While the weather stays relatively dry, harvesting of autumn flowers continues, especially in Cornwall, a county which benefits from a milder climate than the rest of the UK.
Traditionally an autumn flower, English chrysanthemums in shades of tawny brown, bright yellow and burgundy are the perfect seasonal pick-me-up. Sedum is such a versatile flower, you can see why this succulent is called ‘Autumn Joy.’ Use Solidago for a bright pop of yellow in autumn hand-tieds.
Halloween pumpkin workshops are gaining in popularity and although traditionally they have been arranged using floral foam, it is possible to achieve the same result foam-free.
November Flowers
With a busy Halloween hot on the heels of a glorious autumn, it’s time to take a moment to pause and regroup before the razzamatazz of Christmas is upon us. This is a month for being wrapped up against the weather and for shop interiors to reflect that cosy feeling with warm colours, vintage items mixed with new, and the rich textures of coloured glass, natural wood and stone.
November is a month of textures, from smooth seed pods, crinkled fallen leaves and rough, bare twigs. Florally, think spiky Dahlia, shiny hypericum berries and fluffy clematis seed heads. For more inspiration have a look at our November Flowers Mood Board.
Before the first frosts hit, there is still time to stock up on some local, UK-Grown beauties Nerine and Hydrangea are good examples of some British grown flowers that can still be found this late in the year, weather permitting!
UK-Grown Winter Flowers
As the winter draws in, the cold and dark can make it harder to source British winter flowers but there are still plenty of options available from the use of greenhouses and covers. All year round flowers include Alstroemeria and Chrysanthemum. There is also plenty of winter foliage available, gather pine and spruce to decorate our homes with garlands and swags, make door wreaths representing the continuity of life and to remind us that spring is not far away. Sprinkle in some British grown Winter flowers, to add a little extra to your wreaths, garlands and swags.
Winter flowers are most associated with the peak season of Christmas, one of the most creative times of year, when you really can let your imagination fly. Embrace the traditional festive colours of rich red and green, indulge in the crispness of pure white and silver or perhaps plunge into the luxurious combination of purple, pink and gold – whichever you decide just don’t forget to add that all important touch of festive sparkle! To help you survive and thrive this season, we’ve created this florist-focused Christmas Hub, bringing together all of our Christmas knowledge.
This is the time to bring nature indoors, decorating our homes with boughs of holly, ivy and evergreens, traditional and time honoured ways to celebrate the season. And indeed, the first of the seasonal spring flowers will start to make their appearance in December, with early flowering Narcissi, Anemones and Hyacinths courtesy of Cornwall’s mild climate and dedicated growers. Also look out for nodding Hellebores and delicate snowdrops as the seasons continue to turn.
Winter flowers
December Flowers
This is the season where OTT is OK. As flower prices continue to climb, elevate chrysanthemums from filler to focal as their long-lasting qualities will stand them in good stead over the festive period.
And although the days are shorter, there is still colour to be found to brighten winter days. Now is the time for branches of cheerful red berried holly, swags of variegated ivy, bowls of chestnut coloured pine cones and the classic white and green combination of Mistletoe.
To help you survive and thrive this season, we’ve created this florist-focused Christmas Hub, bringing together all of our Christmas knowledge, information and inspiration. From Christmas Wreath Inspiration to Planning, Houseplants and everything you will need to prepare for the season.
A must for December flower designs, shrubby Euphorbia fulgens (Common name: Scarlet Plume) has slim, upright, arching stems, attractive oval leaves and tiny, brightly coloured flowers. This December Flower of the Month is versatile, it will impress in large, contemporary designs, where its elegant shape and height can be appreciated
January Flowers
Falling between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, January can be a welcome pause, a month to take a moment to enjoy the more subtle tints and tones of winter flowers. If the shop looks empty after the last decorations have been packed away, then fill it with refreshing shades of pale blue, soft white and green offered by british grown January flowers. Find more inspiration in this article about Working with a winter palette.
A familiar wildflower spotted under hedgerows and on grassy banks, the common primrose, or Primula vulgaris to give it its botanical name, is always the first plant to flower in my garden. A fantastic winter flower I am always pleased to see.
The much-loved hellebore is one of our earliest flowering plants, giving colour and form to garden borders even in the depths of winter. This is why it is the January Flower of the Month.
February Flowers
Growers from the Isles of Scilly to Lincolnshire and beyond are busy bringing the best of the spring flowering bulbs to our doors. At this time of year in particular weather can affect supply, quantity and quality, so always check with the grower first.
The UK has a healthy tulip-growing industry centred mainly in Lincolnshire, and British-grown blooms are available to buy alongside their Dutch counterparts. Making Tulips the February Flower of the Month.
Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over twenty-five years' experience in the floristry industry. She is the author and publisher of three best-selling books: Cut Flowers, 4th edition (2020) Cut Foliage, 2nd Edition, (2021) and Houseplants (2019), all bookshelf essentials for the professional florist.
