Seasonal does not always mean local
These are indicative buying windows, not a stock list. Weather, location, variety and protected growing shift harvests.
Read the full adviceCUT FLOWERS · UK FLOWER GUIDE
Spring cut flowers: what to buy and how to care for them
Spring flowers bring lighter stems, fresh colour and, in some varieties, fragrance. Start with tulips or narcissi early in the season and look for peonies towards its end. A shop’s selection may include imported flowers before British farms begin cutting.
By Ma Petite Fleur · Updated 4 October 2026
Tulipa clusiana ‘Lady Jane’, a botanical tulip photographed growing outdoors; florist tulips may look different.
Photo credit & licence
Photo: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man). Co-attribution must be given to the Chanticleer Garden.. CC BY-SA 3.0. Original photograph on Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted to WebP; any card crop uses the same licence. Educational illustration; plants and cultivars vary.
THE SHORT VERSION
Start with these useful points
Bringing your flowers home
On arrival, unwrap loose stems and prepare a clean vase before arranging.
Read the full adviceA simple vase-care routine
Wash the vase, use clean sharp tools to refresh stem ends and remove leaves that would sit beneath the water.
Read the full adviceFlowers to look for
| Flower | Typical UK availability | Buying check | Vase care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulips | Usually spring; timing varies with grower and weather. | Choose firm, coloured buds and undamaged leaves. | Use a supportive vase; the stems can continue growing and bending. |
| Narcissi / daffodils | Late winter into spring. | Choose fresh stems and partly opening buds. | Keep in a separate vase unless the florist has prepared them for a mixed arrangement; sap can affect other stems. |
| Ranunculus | Spring, including crops grown under cover. | Choose layered heads just starting to open, without crushed stems. | Handle the soft stems gently and keep the water clean. |
| Peonies | Main British window is late spring into early summer. | Ask whether buds are mature enough to open. | Give expanding heads room; a very tight, immature bud may never open. |
Seasonal does not always mean local
These are indicative buying windows, not a stock list. Weather, location, variety and protected growing shift harvests. Imported and greenhouse-grown stems may be available outside the British outdoor season. Ask your florist about origin and substitutions if buying locally grown flowers matters to you.
Choose for the occasion as well as the month. Fragrant flowers may be lovely at home but less welcome beside a meal or in a shared workplace. For a gift, ask about the recipient’s room, vase and pets before choosing large or strongly scented stems.
Bringing your flowers home
On arrival, unwrap loose stems and prepare a clean vase before arranging. Give tulips room to move and avoid squeezing soft stems into a narrow neck. Keep narcissi separate when you are unsure how they were conditioned.
A simple vase-care routine
Wash the vase, use clean sharp tools to refresh stem ends and remove leaves that would sit beneath the water. Add the supplied cut-flower food at its labelled dilution. Decorative packaging is not necessarily a waterproof vase.
Check water every day; replace it sooner if it becomes cloudy. Otherwise refresh the vase and trim loose stems every two to four days. Remove dying flowers and keep the arrangement in a cooler place away from heat and ripening fruit.
Do not crush woody stems or add random household mixtures. Follow the florist’s instructions for a finished box arrangement and ask before taking it apart. Vase life depends on freshness, variety, transport and room conditions; no calendar can promise an exact expiry day.
What to check before buying
Look for firm stems, clean foliage and petals without widespread browning. Some open flowers and some developing buds can make a balanced display, but the ideal stage depends on the species. Dahlias are a different purchase from tulips; the tightest bud is not always the freshest usable flower.
At home, inspect the water and stems if a head droops. Refreshing water and making a clean cut can help poor water uptake, but it cannot reverse age or damaged tissue. Replace a spent stem instead of leaving it to spoil the rest of the arrangement.
Care for the flowers you choose
Further reading
A gift to suit the moment
For hand-arranged roses, boxed flowers and celebration gifts, explore our current collection. Designs and delivery are confirmed for your request before payment.
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Potted flowers · Cut flowers · Month-by-month calendar · All flower guides
VIDEO · RHS
Watch cut-flower preparation
The RHS conditioning guide introduces a demonstration by floral designer Jonathan Moseley on preparing, positioning and caring for cut flowers. This complements the flower-specific advice above.
Open the RHS guide and video ↗The demonstration opens on the publisher’s website. Use these techniques for loose cut stems; follow the supplier’s instructions for boxed or enclosed designs.
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