There's something ineffably charming about browsing a florist, isn't there? Absorbing the hues and aromas of fresh cut flowers, then picking out an arrangement that's just so for someone dear to you.
Whether you're after a romantic gift, a way to say thank you, or something to brighten up your home, visit London's best flowers shops and markets for all your bouquet needs. Here, we sniff out our personal favourites.
Battersea Flower Station, Battersea
Predominantly a garden centre, this little treasure of a flower shop with a marvellously punny name is tucked away in an alleyway alongside a railway track. Sounds unglam, but colourful bunting and quirky signs give it a kitsch (read: Instagrammable) twist.
Head to the Battersea Park Road end of the passage for the resident florist, a charmingly makeshift set-up of bouquets and bunches displayed in buckets — spilling out of the shed and spreading beneath a large parasol. Whatever time of day you visit, the choice is ample, and you can buy that all-important card while you're there too.
Bouquets are available to order online with delivery to selected SW postcodes, though the company itself admits that due to congestion charges, it's probably cheaper for you to collect your blooms yourself. Hand-tied bouquets are available to buy in store twice a week, the design changing each time.
Battersea Flower Station, 320 Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BX
You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Hither Green
Honestly, it was the cake that coaxed us into this place first — it's a florist that doubles up as a cafe. The floral side of things resides downstairs, with fresh bouquets and potted plants wedged in the gap under the stairs, as well as tumbling out onto the pavements under the cute awning.
The whole thing feels like a time warp in the best possible way — despite the railway roaring past at the end of the road, this is a village-y part of town, and the sense of nostalgia only heightens once you enter the cafe, all yellow formica tables, floral patterned chairs and mismatched china.
You Don't Bring Me Flowers, 15 Staplehurst Road, Hither Green, SE13 5ND
Moorgate Flowers, City of London
There are no frills at this stall, situated outside M&S on one of the Square Mile's busiest roads, but it's a proper London market stall. The City crowds are the target audience, yet prices are more reasonable than you'd find in most upmarket flower shops. Stock varies, but there's always a decent choice of bouquets, seasonal blooms and a fair few pot plants and succulents, in case you're looking for something to brighten up your office desk.
Moorgate Flowers, Finsbury Pavement, EC2A 1SA. Delivery available on request.
Neill Strain, Belgravia
Even when we're not planning on buying any blooms, we like to wander past Neill Strain when in Belgravia. The flower shop — sorry, boutique — is a masterpiece in itself, a regularly-changing arch of flowers heralding its location (and unsurprisingly an Instagrammer hotspot), and it's the supplier and designer for many of the local businesses during the annual Belgravia in Bloom festival, always donning one of the event's best displays. Neill Strain himself is a luxury floral designer, specialising in Dutch flowers and regularly making trips overseas to source the finest blooms.
But you're probably not in the market for a whole arch or floral octopus to lug home on the Tube. If it's a bouquet you're after, you'll need deep pockets in SW1X, as a Neill Strain hand-tied bouquet will set you back £100+. Going big on romance? You're looking at upwards of £250 for a bouquet featuring a dozen red roses!
Neill Strain, 11 West Halkin Street, Belgravia (with a concession in Harrods too).
Rebel Rebel Flowers, Hackney
Mare Street Market was the original base for Rebel Rebel, a florist whose name was thought up on a whim, and whose clients have included Dior and the BBC, though it's now based just around the corner at Regent Studios on Andrews Road.
The business was established by two friends back in 2000, expanding to employ several florists, run workshops in London and Tuscany, and create floral displays for weddings and the like, as well as this Hackney shop. Flowers are brought fresh daily from Covent Garden Market.
Flamboyance is the name of the game, with past bouquets inspired by the likes of Beyonce, Whitney Houston, ABBA and Madonna — in fact, almost every one of their bouquets has a whimsical name. One of Rebel Rebel's signature products is Flowers In A Handbag — literally, flowers arranged in a (lined) vintage handbag, so your recipient gets two gifts in one. Scented candles are also available to accompany your floral gift.
Rebel Rebel, 8 Andrews Road, Hackney, E8 4QN.
Moyses Stevens, Belgravia
Moyses Stevens has been in business since 1876, and with florist shops dotted all over London, it's fair to say the company knows what it's doing. It also claims to be "the florist who invented the hand tied bouquet", and who are we to argue with that. To this day, things are kept traditional — if extravagant — with huge, colourful bouquets that change seasonally.
The Belgravia branch in particular is a hit with bloggers and Instagrammers, no doubt helped by its proximity to Peggy Porschen. There's now a Flower School in Battersea Power Station, for anyone who wants to have a go at recreating the colourful collections themselves.
Oh, and if you find yourself in a last-minute bind, Moyses Stevens offers a same-day delivery service in London on certain products.
Moyses Stevens Flowers, shops in Belgravia, Battersea, Chelsea, Selfridges and St Pancras.
Wild at Heart, Liberty
Wild at Heart is probably London's most Instagram-famous florist, thanks to its location at the main entrance to Liberty department store. Sat below the mock Tudor frontage, the display pours out of the beautiful wooden door, and despite the regal stone lions and swarming crowds, manages to make one of London's busiest shops feel like a bucolic village store. We're particular fans of the single stem bouquets — pick the recipient's favourite bloom when they're in season (tulips for us, thanks) and the bouquet will be constructed entirely from that flower.
Wild at Heart at Liberty of London, Great Marlborough Street (with other shops in Notting Hill and the Cotswolds).
Columbia Road Flower Market
Take to the streets of Hoxton on a Sunday morning and you'll find people wandering around armed with bunches of flowers, trays of plants, lemon trees, even mini palms. The source of all this greenery is Columbia Road Flower Market, a haven of flowers and plants with knowledgeable stallholders who dish out proper East End banter like it's going out of fashion. "Jasmine a tenner. Like your mother-in-law, it'll never die".
The market is as prolific as it is legendary; cut and planted flowers, house plants, fruit trees and succulents are sold side by side. That said, ready-made bouquets are less widely available, so if it's a beautifully arranged gift you're after, you'd be better sticking with a traditional florist.
Our tip? Go early — 8am early. It is heaving between around 10am and 1pm, and after 1pm it's a case of making do with what's left (although stallholders often slash their prices later in the day).
Covent Garden Flower Market
If you thought Columbia Road's 8am start time was a bit keen, this one probably isn't for you. But if you can get yourself down to Nine Elms for... ooh, 4am, you'll be spoilt for choice. Covent Garden Flower Market is where the majority of the capital's professional florists, including many mentioned above, source their flowers. Shipments arrive daily, refrigerated lorries and vans carrying plants from all over Europe and beyond, and the vendors here really know their stuff. It's predominantly a trade market, but it's open to the public Monday-Saturday, 4am-10am, when you're likely to find people stocking up for occasions such as weddings.
It carries on the tradition from the fresh produce market that used to be held at — you guessed it — Covent Garden, moving out of central London. The current market opened in 2017, with some 20 wholesalers peddling their wares.
If you're buying bouquets from any of the above florists, chances are your blooms came from here. Sure, you could cut out the middle man and buy your own flowers direct, but do you really know your way around a stem like a trained florist? They can do things with ribbon that we can only dream of.
Deptford Flower Market
Deptford Flower Market takes place on the first Saturday of each month in Deptford Market Yard, combining creative, foodie and flower traders from the local area. So alongside your flowers you can pick up brownies, books, essential oils, candles and other goodies. Sounds like a win-win.
