Flower Guides

Everything you need to know about specific flowers — their meanings, varieties, care tips, and when to choose them.

28 articles

All articles Flower Guides The Art of Giving Seasonal Blooms Flowers at Home Love & Occasions

Close-up of deep red roses in soft natural light

Flower Guides—11 Feb 2026—5 min read

The Language of Roses: What Every Colour Means

For centuries, roses have spoken a language all their own. A single stem can say what words struggle to capture — but only if you choose the right colour.

Rich arrangement of mixed garden flowers in soft warm light

Flower Guides—11 Feb 2026—7 min read

The Secret Language of Flowers: Your Bouquet Decoder

Every flower has something to say. Before you send a bouquet, discover what each stem silently communicates — and how to compose a message in petals.

Fresh carnation bouquet in a glass vase — one of the longest-lasting cut flowers

Flower Guides—12 Feb 2026—5 min read

10 Flowers That Last Longer Than a Week

Some flowers are gone in three days. Others stay beautiful for two weeks or more. Know the difference before you order — and make every bouquet count.

Bright sunflowers and cheerful daisies — both safe for households with pets

Flower Guides—14 Feb 2026—5 min read

Pet-Friendly Flowers: Safe Choices for Every Home

Many popular flowers are toxic to cats and dogs. Before you order your next bouquet, here's what to avoid — and what's perfectly safe to send.

Diverse floral arrangement mixing varieties from different global traditions

Flower Guides—14 Feb 2026—7 min read

Flowers Around the World: What Each Culture Sends and Why

A white flower means purity in the West and mourning in parts of Asia. A red envelope is good luck in China; a red rose is a declaration in Britain. Flowers speak many languages.

Close-up of vivid pink and white carnations with layered fringed petals

Flower Guides—14 Feb 2026—5 min read

Why Carnations Deserve a Second Chance

Carnations have been dismissed as cheap and cheerless for decades. That reputation is entirely undeserved. Here is the case for the most underrated flower in the world.

Vibrant arrangement of mixed tulips in pink, orange, and red tones

Flower Guides—15 Feb 2026—7 min read

The Complete Tulip Guide

From species tulips to dinner-plate parrot varieties, tulips are more varied and interesting than most people realise. Here is everything worth knowing.

Elegant white phalaenopsis orchid on a bright windowsill

Flower Guides—15 Feb 2026—6 min read

Orchids Demystified: How to Keep Them Alive and Reblooming

Orchids have a reputation for being difficult. That reputation is almost entirely wrong. Here is the straightforward truth about keeping orchids happy.

Lush bowl of blush pink peonies at full bloom

Flower Guides—15 Feb 2026—6 min read

The Peony Handbook

Peonies are the most beloved flower in Britain, and for good reason. Here is everything you need to know about buying, conditioning, and enjoying them at their finest.

Dried flower arrangement with pampas grass, bunny tails, and preserved roses in warm earthy tones

Flower Guides—16 Feb 2026—6 min read

Everything You Need to Know About Dried Flowers

Dried flowers have moved far beyond dusty Victorian arrangements. Today they offer a genuinely beautiful, long-lasting alternative to fresh flowers. Here is the complete guide.

Close-up of a mixed bouquet showing eucalyptus and gypsophila alongside pink roses

Flower Guides—16 Feb 2026—5 min read

Gypsophila, Eucalyptus, and the Fillers That Make a Bouquet

Filler flowers and foliage are the unsung heroes of any great arrangement. Here is what the best ones do, and how to use them with confidence.

British wildflower meadow with cornflowers, poppies, and ox-eye daisies in full summer bloom

Flower Guides—16 Feb 2026—7 min read

The British Wildflower Guide

Britain's native wildflowers are among the most beautiful in the world. Here is what grows where, when, and how to bring that wild quality into your home without leaving a hedgerow bare.

White oriental lilies with open blooms and prominent stamens

Flower Guides—17 Feb 2026—6 min read

Lilies: Varieties, Fragrance, Safety, and Style

Lilies are majestic, fragrant, and sometimes dangerous. Here is the complete guide to the different types, their scent levels, toxicity concerns, and how to use them well.

Tall sunflowers in a field against a bright blue sky

Flower Guides—17 Feb 2026—5 min read

The Complete Sunflower Guide

Sunflowers are the most reliably joyful flower in existence. Here is everything worth knowing about varieties, care, and how to use them beyond the obvious.

Bright yellow daffodils with orange centres growing in a garden in spring

Flower Guides—24 Feb 2026—7 min read

The Definitive Guide to Daffodils

Britain's most beloved spring flower is also one of its most varied. From tiny jonquils to trumpet varieties taller than your hand, daffodils deserve far more than a single mention in March.

Close-up of vibrant magenta chrysanthemum flowers in full bloom

Flower Guides—24 Feb 2026—6 min read

Why Chrysanthemums Deserve Far More Respect

Long dismissed as a supermarket standby, the chrysanthemum is in fact one of the most sophisticated and long-lived flowers available to British buyers. It is time to reconsider.

Blue and white hydrangea flower clusters growing in a shaded garden

Flower Guides—24 Feb 2026—8 min read

Everything You Need to Know About Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are the statement flower of the British summer garden, yet they are also supremely versatile as cut flowers. This is your complete guide to growing, arranging, and understanding them.

Orange ranunculus flowers in glass vases on a sunlit white table

Flower Guides—25 Feb 2026—6 min read

Ranunculus: The Florist's Best-Kept Secret

Ask a professional florist which flower they reach for when they want to create something genuinely extraordinary, and the answer is often the same: ranunculus. Here is why.

Delicate wild anemone flowers arranged in an ornate ceramic vase

Flower Guides—25 Feb 2026—5 min read

Anemones: The Drama of a Single Stem

Dark-centred, jewel-bright, and available only in the cooler months, the anemone is a flower of quiet drama. Once you have seen one, you will always know to look for them.

Close-up of a vibrant pink gerbera daisy in a glass vase

Flower Guides—25 Feb 2026—5 min read

Gerberas: Bold, Cheerful, and Chronically Underrated

The gerbera daisy is one of the world's most popular cut flowers, yet it rarely receives the editorial attention it deserves. This is the guide it has been waiting for.

Elegant pink lisianthus flowers arranged in a woven basket

Flower Guides—25 Feb 2026—6 min read

Lisianthus: The Flower That Impersonates a Rose

At first glance, lisianthus is sometimes mistaken for a peony or a garden rose. It is neither, but it may be better suited to the vase than either. This is the guide to the flower you should know.

Purple spherical allium flowers on long stems against a green background

Flower Guides—26 Feb 2026—6 min read

Alliums: The Architectural Flower the Garden Needs

Rising on tall, straight stems to present a perfect sphere of tiny star-shaped florets, the allium is one of the most structurally dramatic flowers in the garden and the vase alike.

Close-up of pink snapdragon flowers in bloom against a blue sky

Flower Guides—26 Feb 2026—5 min read

Snapdragons: The Unsung Hero of the Summer Cutting Garden

Cheerful, architectural, and available in every colour imaginable, snapdragons are beloved by professional florists yet largely overlooked by the home grower. It is time to change that.

Shallow focus of delicate small white flowers on soft-focus background

Flower Guides—26 Feb 2026—5 min read

Waxflower: The Art of the Perfect Filler

Small, fragrant, and structurally remarkable, waxflower is the filler flower that does far more than fill. In the hands of a confident arranger, it can transform a bouquet entirely.

Delicate freesia stems in pastel yellow and white against soft natural light

Flower Guides—12 Mar 2026—4 min read

Freesias: The Underrated Flower With the Most Extraordinary Fragrance

Freesias are rarely the first flower people choose, and that is a shame. No cut flower available in Britain produces a fragrance quite like theirs — light, sweet, and precisely spring.

Fragrant sweet peas and roses in a glass vase by a bright window

Flower Guides—20 Mar 2026—5 min read

The Most Fragrant Flowers for the Home

Fragrance in the home is one of the simplest and least expensive pleasures available. These are the cut flowers that deliver it most generously, and how to use them well.

Rows of colourful tulips in fields — red, yellow, pink, white, and purple

Flower Guides—23 Mar 2026—4 min read

Tulip Colours and What They Mean

Roses have a well-known colour language, but tulips carry their own set of meanings that are both distinct and surprisingly nuanced. Here is what each colour communicates.

A quintessentially British country garden in full bloom in early summer

Flower Guides—25 Mar 2026—6 min read

The Flowers That Define British Life

Britain has an unusually intimate relationship with certain flowers: the daffodil of spring, the sweet pea of summer, the poppy of remembrance. Here is what they say about who we are.