Welcome to Flower Petals
Articles on the latest flower shows, floristry techniques, and the flowers that fill our gardens.
Browse by Category
Welcome to Flower Petals
Flowers in British gardens bloom in a sequence that begins with the spring bulbs. The first bloomers of the season are the snowdrops, some early crocuses, and the first wild narcissi. These flowers start the bloom clock well before gardeners in the British Isles start preparing for the growing season. As the blossoming of season flowers progresses with blooming daffodils and tulips, gardeners plan for the next stage. The next stage is the arrival of tuberous begonia flowers. These bulbs are available late in winter and create beautiful flowers with a big spectrum from white or pale lemon flowers to deep crimson ones. These flowering bulbs are some of the most consistent rewarding summer flowers.
There is a thing or two to consider before planting these frost sensitive bulbs. These bulbs are not frost tolerant as tubers or small shoots, so begonia bulbs need to be started indoors in pots to protect the bulbs from late winter frost. In many British gardening regions, it is not possible to move the pots to some outdoor locations to expose the bulbs to some sun until late in the spring. It is also not possible to plant the bulbs outside until late spring. However, once planted, these flowers are in bloom from the start of summer to well after frost in early winter. This is a much longer flowering period as compared to other bulbs.
Latest from the Garden
-
Planting Bulbs to Naturalise: Getting it Right the First Time
Many gardeners think of spring bulbs as something that should be purchased every few years. This is only true for some spring bulbs. British gardeners purchasing tulip bulbs discover that under British garden circumstances, tulips are not reliably perennial. British summers are not warm nor dry enough for tulip bulbs to ripen, which leads to…
-
Harrogate Spring Flower Show 2026
Because of its placement in the horticultural calendar, the Harrogate Spring Flower Show is different from most other shows. The show is in late April, when the growing season in British gardens is a tad confusing. The growing season hasn’t started, but the frosts have. The show highlights British gardeners on the verge of action.…
-
Attending your First Flower Show? Here’s what to Expect.
A flower show is an opportunity for florists, growers and artists to come together and show some of their finest work to an appreciative audience.
-
Growing Daffodils in your Garden
Daffodils are one of the most iconic flowers that we grow in British gardens, showing us that the spring months have arrived.
-
Pruning to Create the Ideal Garden
Pruning is a really important step in the gardening process. You will need to regularly prune back your trees, bushes and shrubs.
-
Garden Design – More than Just some Pretty Flowers
Garden design takes more than just choosing some pretty flowers. A lot of people simply won’t have the knowledge to put together a good garden design.
Stay in Bloom
Sign up to receive seasonal gardening tips, flower show updates and arrangement inspiration straight to your inbox.