The Seasonal Flowers To Buy Now
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White Amaryllises
“For tablescaping or adding a winter arrangement to your home using white florals, there’s no flower better than white amaryllis. This long-lasting traditional Christmas flower is a showstopper and will last for weeks if tended to properly. Styling a winter white amaryllis is easy, too – it goes so well with any English evergreen foliage, eucalyptus, silver berries and pussywillow. Cushion the foliage around the amaryllis and add in long-lasting pine and eucalyptus foliage. To finish, dot in silver Brunia berries and fresh pussywillow, cut to size and place in your selected vase. A perfect, elegant centrepiece that will last throughout the festive season.” – Ronny Colbie, founder of Ronny Colbie
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Narcissi
“It would be easy to think British-grown stems aren’t available come December, but there are some really lovely options out there if you know what to look for. There's an abundance of narcissi this time of year, grown on the Isles of Scilly, where the micro-climate means these flowers are ready ahead of the mainland. Our favourite varieties are snowy Paperwhites, joyously yellow Sol D’or and the lemony coloured Grand Primo. Display them in your favourite vase, somewhere you can enjoy the fragrance. And then there are rosehips; just a few wild and unruly stems in a vase will have a big impact.” – Vicki Baker, founder of Uncut Stems
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Hydrangeas
“Hydrangeas are the perfect fresh-cut stem at this time of year because they dry beautifully, extending the lifecycle of the flower for weeks rather than days. It’s really important to choose hydrangeas that are colourful though, because the lighter coloured/white varieties go soft and don’t dry as well. My absolute favourite is a Pimpernel Blue because the purple-blue tone is so refreshing next to the traditional Christmas colours of red, greens and golds. Hydrangeas are great both inside and out, so I use them in my door wreaths in addition to vase displays. They are very easy to care for; just dry them at home and keep away from direct sunlight so they retain their colour.” – Lucy Vail, founder of Lucy Vail Floristry
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Hellebores
“Hellebores, known as the Christmas rose, come in beautiful shades of white, dark green and mauve. White hellebores make a beautiful, fresh winter wonderland tablescape. I display mine in a silver sparkly vase or container and run them along the table. They tend to droop a little, so make sure the water is clean and the stems are freshly cut. If you change the water every few days, they will thank you. To perk them up, you can wrap the stems in tissue paper overnight somewhere cool. They will look fresh and rejuvenated in the morning. Also, keep them away from direct heat like fire or central heating.” – Lauren Eastwood, florist at Wild at Heart
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Bleeding Heart Vines
“The bleeding heart vine is best styled with a beautiful vase, one that is intricately designed, leaving the flower to shine on its own when displayed on a dinner table or even on top of a mantlepiece. Another way of styling this pretty flower is with a bunch of delicate fairy lights. Keep them away from drafts or radiators – humid temperatures are best and grouping plants together can help to raise the humidity. Keeping the plants close to a sunny window or natural light is ideal.” – Diana Bilenko & Halla Al-Saad, founders of Grace Floral London
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Skimmia
“This beautiful planted foliage has a lovely soft red colour. You can grow skimmia in pots and place them down your table surrounded by tapered candles, dried fruits and pine cones during the festive season. Afterwards you can plant them in your garden to be used again and again. In pots, they are very easy to care for, just water regularly and make sure the soil never dries out.” – Lucy Vail, founder of Lucy Vail Floristry
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