Traders report that the demand for British flowers continues to grow. And this is reflected in last summer's report which announced that British flowers now account for 14% of all flowers sold in the UK, up from 12% in 2015! The British Flowers Week campaign, which was founded by New Covent Garden Market in 2013, has been integral to this renaissance of interest in homegrown blooms.
by Rona Wheeldon
And with the continuing trend for meadowesque, natural-looking flowers, we predict that 2020 will also see British blooms being in their element! With peak availability from May to October, homegrown flowers in some form are available throughout the year, with the main suppliers being Pratley (pictured below) and Zest Flowers.
Dried flowers & grasses
Another trend which has been gaining momentum is dried flowers and grasses. And the ever-growing range of different varieties has aided this huge revival. Whether it's Helichrysum, Spray Roses, Lavender, Statice or Rodanthe, you'll find it available at Nine Elms. Plus dried Pampas grass is proving to be heavily sought after, not only in a range of different colours, but also in its natural state of cream.
The two main suppliers are Porters Foliage and Lavenders of Covent Garden, both pictured below. However, you'll also find availability at some of our other wholesalers. For more details about this trend, you may like to take a read of A florist's guide to dried and preserved flowers, foliage and grasses.
Colour: From apricot & nude to toffee & brown
Several of the traders have noticed an increase in demand for flowers in the colour palette of apricot and nude through to toffee and brown. Popular rose choices in these shades are Sahara, pictured below, in addition to Combo and Toffee varieties...
Plus Caramel Carnations, pictured below, together with the Copper Extasis, are favourites too.
Varieties of brown Lisianthus are also very much in demand. Head to these Instagram accounts for examples of beautiful designs in this range of colours: Urban Flower Co and Grace & Thorn.
Rich black & deep aubergine
Whereas in previous years, shades of apricot and dark, moody colours have featured separately in arrangements, lately there's been a movement towards mixing these tones together in designs, both using flowers and foliage. For example, using Black Baccara roses...
...and Anemone Mistral Bordeaux.
Check out these stunning examples at the McQueens Flower School and That Flower Shop.
Varieties: Limonium
Two different types of Limonium are becoming florists' favourite fillers and the first one echoes the current trend for the apricot colourway. It's Limonium sinuatum Sinuet Honey Apricot.
And the second variety is the well-known Limonium Beltlaard, which is perfect for adding an ethereal touch to a design.
Butterfly ranunculus
First introduced in 2017, when in season, Butterfly Ranunculus are highly sought after. With their lustrous petals in yellow, peach, orange, pink and red, they're starting to reappear again this month at Nine Elms! Keep a look-out for this stunning variety called Theseus.
French tulips
Another nod to the trend for apricot flowers can be found in this particular variety of French Tulip called Menton.
Foliage
The beauty of being seasonal is that as each season begins, there's a flourish of new greenery gracing our foliage specialists' stands. So it can be tricky to specify obvious trends. However, the following foliage proved to be very much in demand last year and is predicted to continue to be popular in 2020.
Mimosa
Mimosa Moonlight, pictured below, with its yellow flowers, together with Acacia Baileyana (purple) and Acacia Denis Boden (pale grey) are proving to be a hit with customers.
And English Myrtle too is going down a storm...
Eucalyptus, in all its different forms, is much in demand, ranging from homegrown Eucalyptus parvifolia (pictured below) and Eucalyptus nicholii...
to Eucalyptus Populus with its miniature berries (pictured below), Eucalyptus cinerea and Eucalyptus stuartiana from further afield.
Bleached foliage, including Ruscus, Broom, Bearded Wheat and Teasels, is proving to be extremely sought after. Take a look at these wonderful design for inspiration : Joanne Truby Floral Design.
Plants: Houseplants
Demand for indoor plants at New Covent Garden Market continues to build up pace. The ever-growing interest in decorating homes with greenery is a result of interior design trends and many young people's desire to have something to nurture and care for, some of whom may not remember the 1970's houseplant trend!
Social media also plays its valuable part with hashtags such as #houseplants and #plantsofinstagram being used in their millions! The craze for hanging plants too shows no sign of abating. For example, Rhipsalis pulchra, as pictured here with Dean at Quality Plants.
Supersized, show-stopping specimen plants, like Alocasia zebrina with its giant leaves and contrasting stems, are increasing in popularity.
Lofty Schefflera plants, with the common name of Umbrella plants, are also flying off the shelves.
Also fuelled no doubt by the impact of social media, the trend for Calathea plants is picking up speed. On Instagram alone, there are over 168K posts with the #calathea hashtag!
Miniature varieties of houseplants in 6cm pots like these Maranta leuconeura Amabilis, which are suitable for terrariums have been sought after! They're being used not only at terrarium-making workshops, but also sold in ready-made terrariums.
In the same vein are these small Peperomia caperata plants.
Sansevieria (pictured below), Ferns, Monstera and Kentia palms are also very on trend at the moment.
Sundries: Sustainable floristry
Sustainable floristry, sometimes referred to as environmental or green floristry, is currently a very popular movement in the floristry industry. If you're looking for a foam-free way of creating a tablecentre, The Flower Store (part of Bloomfield) have a wonderful selection of recycled plastic vases in different sizes with pillow cages to support your flowers and foliage. Chicken wire is also proving to be a real hit for that Constance Spry-esque look to vase arrangements.
Silk flowers
The trend for faux blooms continues to grow. These 'ever-lasting' flowers are the perfect floral ingredient for flower walls and shop window displays. And not just stems, but also faux plants are proving to be a big hit, with the amazing life-like quality of Phalaenopsis orchid plants in particular.
New Covent Garden Market