Flowers by Season: What's Worth Sending Right Now

You want to order flowers and you care enough about getting it right that you are reading this. The single thing that changes everything is season. Seasonal flowers are fresher, they last longer, they cost less, and they are worth more because someone grew them nearby, not flew them halfway across the world.

What season actually means at a florist

At a supermarket, flowers are flowers. At a proper florist, seasonal means British-grown right now. Out-of-season flowers come from somewhere else — Spain, Kenya, Ecuador — and they have spent days in a cold chain. They arrive tired. They last maybe five days instead of twelve. You pay the same money for a worse result.

If a florist says they have what you want but it is out of season, believe them about the quality difference. Good florists would rather tell you \"not right now\" than hand you flowers that will disappoint.

Spring — March to May

Tulips. Daffodils. Hyacinths. Ranunculus. Anemones. Forget-me-nots. Sweet peas arriving in late April and May. This is the season when florists have armfuls of variety. The colours come in clean and bright. Ranunculus are the secret spring flower — they look like roses made of silk but cost half the price and last nearly as long.

Summer — June to August

Peonies in June and early July. Sweet peas through the summer. Dahlias start in July. Cornflowers, larkspur, delphiniums, roses, lisianthus. This is the season of abundance. If you order in August, ask the florist what they would choose to last — some summer flowers peak early and fade fast when heat arrives.

Autumn — September to November

Dahlias continue into September and early October. Chrysanthemums. Asters. Sedums. Rosehips. Hypericum berries in deep reds and oranges. Autumn flowers are heavier and moodier than spring. If the occasion calls for richness or depth, autumn flowers do it better than imports forced to life in January.

Winter — December to February

Amaryllis. Hellebores (Christmas roses). Paper whites. Branches — pussy willow, winter-flowering cherry, contorted hazel. Dried elements and winter foliage. Winter is the smallest season for florists, but what they have is choice. An arrangement built around a single stem of paper whites or a bunch of deep hellebores feels more considered than anything generic.

The florist question

If you do not know what is in season right now, ask. \"What's best this week?\" is a question florists want to hear. They respect it. A florist building an arrangement from what is actually in the shop at that moment will create something fresher and better than someone searching the wholesale list for an idea you had in your head.

The flowers that were worth ordering three weeks ago might be going over now. The arrangement that will last until next weekend is the one the florist builds from what just came in.