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 London's florists are a stylish bunch and, far from mass-producing a plethora of long-stemmed red roses this Valentine's, they know how to tempt and tease their blooms into the most elegant and eye-catching bouquets. From hand-picked posies to extravagant designs and picking your own, you'll definitely be able to say it with flowers...
 Angel Flowers 60 Upper Street, N1 0NY The fact that 'Tatler' recognised this florist's as one of the top five in London shows what type of clientele they're used to, but we won't hold that against them. In the hub of trendy Islington, Angel Flowers is positively buzzing with a contemporary spirit. The designs can be understated and delicate or exotic and elaborate but they've all got the same distinctive flair, cultivated under the direction of Belgian founder Marco Wouters. Even the most commonplace blooms are transformed into glamorous designs with flamboyant splashes of colour or an eye-catching shape, so you can rely on your Valentine's roses to have a bit of personality about them. The shop receives deliveries of the finest, freshest flowers from the Dutch flower markets four times a week, so your bouquet won't droop at an inappropriate moment. Angel Flowers has a loyal following of 'Tatler' socialites like Lord Hoo-Hah and his latest mistress but they're also a talented bunch, welcoming those who are just in need of some funky flowers. Address: 60 Upper Street, N1 0NY Phone: 020 7704 6312 Nearest Station: Angel Tube Angel Flowers - Information   Bloomsbury Flowers29 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BB A florist's that doesn't do red roses. Hooray! No romantic cliches here! And the collective heart-sinking of London's male population, who thought splashing cash on an armful of reds every year was a perfectly acceptable thing to do! Of course, Bloomsbury Flowers is making a point - its strap-line is 'Flowers with attitude' (enough said) - and that point is we're dealing with bona fide bespoke bunches. Florists are called designers here and said designers have not announced their Valentine's design for 2009 yet, which presumably will be done with fanfares and (anything but red) carpets! Last year it was called Cupid's Kiss - the cliches have crept back in - and the photos of unique, bespoke exhibit A (a bunch of flowers) look very pretty and pink. Basically this is not the type of place where you can just click on an image and flowers arrive on her doorstep; no, the designers want to 'work with you' on the arrangement. This is great if you know what your Valentine's favourite flowers are and you can say "I'd like something fabulous with freesias and maybe a hint of yellow running through it"...but if you tend to glaze over at the mention of bouquets - and if this all sounds a little bit painful - opt for a dozen red roses... somewhere else! Address: 29 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BB Phone: 020 7242 2840 Timing: Open Mon 7am-5pm, Tue to Fri 9.30am-5.30am Nearest Station: Holborn Tube Bloomsbury Flowers - Information  Columbia Road Flower MarketColumbia Road, Hackney, E2 7RG If your Valentine's more of a country bumpkin than a city slicker, you'll just love the straight-from-the-garden feel of flowers from Columbia Road. Forget bespoke bouquets of all-white roses, this is the real deal; a vibrant, rustic bunch of blooms. With stall upon stall of lush greenery and colourful cut flowers, half the fun is hand-picking your floral (or horticultural if you're feeling adventurous) creation so the buying flowers/shrubs/rose tree bit can double up as a date (although sadly not on Valentine's Day as the market only happens on Sundays). But if you're looking for something a little bit more flamboyant and personal than the elegant but oh-so-clichéd perfect dome of classic stems, then get down to Columbia Road and take advice from the friendly and knowledgeable traders, most of whom bring their home-grown products from their own nurseries in Essex. Address: Columbia Road, Hackney, E2 7RG Phone: 020 7377 8963 Timing: Sun 8am-2pm Nearest Station: Old Street Tube Columbia Road Flower Market - Information  Fake Landscapes164 Old Brompton Road, SW5 0BA As much as sending fresh, sweet-smelling, cut flowers is a heady romantic gesture, the last thing you want to do is to send your Valentine into a fit of sneezing over a bunch of beautiful blooms. So, if your partner's pollen allergy is a concern, or if you just fancy something that won't wilt but will stand the test of time... the next best thang is to 'fake it'. Don't be shocked; faking it may sound like a dramatic thing to do but the trick is to make it look real! This is where Fake Landscapes comes in – it's London's answer to creating an entire garden of loveliness without any of the hassle. And if fake flowers make you think of a clown pulling a plastic bunch of yellow daisies from behind his back then think again. From English country blooms to floating water lilies, these delicate, silk flowers make wonderfully authentic-looking bouquets or can be styled in your own vase for a contemporary display. Flowers are for life, not just for Valentine's Day... Fake Landscapes don't actually do anything special for Valentine's but you're welcome to drop by the shop and have a browse for yourself. Address: 164 Old Brompton Road, SW5 0BA Phone: 020 7835 1500 Timing: Mon to Sat 10am-6pm Nearest Station: Gloucester Road Tube Fake Landscapes - Information  Jane Packer32-34 New Cavendish Street, W1G 8UE For sheer quality Jane Packer has to be a top pick. The lady herself is famous for arranging the flowers at Charles and Diana’s wedding and her client list is brimming with A-listers and VIPs. Starting out in a small flower shop in the West End in the 1980s, she transformed the world of floristry, using wild, colourful flowers and unusual textures and shapes to create fresh, artistic arrangements. Her designs still have just the right amount of edge; they’re adventurous enough to be stylish and glamorous but not too arty so that the flowers keep that natural, just-picked look. From bold, striking styles to clusters of soft pinks, the range caters for all tastes and, for such an exclusive establishment, prices are surprisingly affordable with some gorgeous bouquets starting at £30. They’ll have some fabulous and fashionable ideas for Valentine’s Day and they’re guaranteed to deliver on quality and style… and on time! Address: 32-34 New Cavendish Street, W1G 8UE Phone: 020 7935 2673 Timing: Mon to Sat 9am-6pm Nearest Station: Bond Street Tube Jane Packer - Information  Moyses Flowers at Peter JonesSloane Square (Symons Street entrance), SW1W 8EL Moyses Stevens has been in business since 1876; as one of London’s oldest florist's it has been providing besotted lovers with bouquets for generations. As you can imagine, there is something romantically traditional about their classic hand-tied bunches – they’d look at home in any country kitchen with their profusion of woodland foliage, berries and rustic blooms but they’re also so expertly styled that they are effortlessly elegant. Moyses Stevens imports only the finest flowers and ensures that Fairtrade practices and sustainable harvesting techniques are used, working closely with their suppliers in Ecuador and South Africa, and developing links with English growers too. A dozen red roses may be a bit of a romantic cliché, especially on Valentine’s Day, but an armful of Moyses' seasonal white or yellow Fairtrade ones is a unique chance to be hopelessly lovey-dovey and super ethical at the same time. They have some wonderful classic bouquets and you can expect a flurry of thoroughly adorable designs around 14th February. With a team of hugely creative florists and plant experts, they prepare bouquets and arrangements for delivery across the UK. Address: Sloane Square (Symons Street entrance), SW1W 8EL Phone: 020 7881 6425 Timing: Mon & Tue and Thu to Sat 9.30am-7pm, Wed 9.30am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm Nearest Station: Sloane Square Tube Moyses Flowers at Peter Jones - Information  New Covent Garden Flower MarketNine Elms Lane, SW8 5NX If the thought of spending a week’s salary on a single red rose (mostly pink tissue paper and red ribbon) brings you out in a cold sweat, fear not. As long as you’re feeling floral, there is a great alternative to spending a fortune this Valentine’s Day – and it’s rather romantic too. New Covent Garden Flower Market is where the florists go, meaning that you can buy flowers, plants and foliage at wholesale prices. There are fresh daily deliveries from abroad as well as a full range of English produce available with 55 companies setting up camp at death o’clock (3am) every weekday morning (traders have a lie-in and don’t get there till 4am on Saturdays - so you'll get an extra hour in bed on Valentine's Day!) to sell their stock. The selection is vast but that’s half the fun as you mix and match colours and types to create the ultimately personal bouquet. It might also be the biggest gift of flowers ever as you can’t buy single stems but have to purchase products by the box or bunch. It’s such good value for money though that you’ll soon get into the swing of buying in bulk! And the early start means that you can turn into the Milk Tray Man of the flower world and get an overflowing armful of flowers to your lady in time for breakfast. Aaaaah! Address: Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5NX Phone: 020 7720 2211 Timing: Mon to Fri 3am-11am, Sat 4am-10am Nearest Station: Vauxhall Tube/Rail New Covent Garden Flower Market - Information  Rebel Rebel5 Broadway Market, Hackney, E8 4PH Starting out life as a design company, providing not just flowers but floral experiences for the likes of BAFTA and Christian Dior, Rebel Rebel knows its Kangaroo Paw from, say, a Tulip - but it stocks them both in its oh-so-cool shop. They really have just filled the place with beautiful blooms - oh, and vases and candles for extra inspiration. Of course, the creatives behind this profusion of loveliness have chosen a trendy pocket of East London - Broadway Market - to pop their shop in, but this is good news for all those rich City boys. They barely have time to blow their own noses in between their liquid lunches and conference calls, let alone shop for flowers (don't they have PAs to do that anyway?), but Rebel Rebel is ideally placed to deliver within the Square Mile. Far from being a mad-dash-on-your-way-to-dinner-type purchase, your flowers will be in the safest of hands, stylishly tweaked and bursting with freshness. We'll let you into a secret - if you really want to win her heart, Rebel Rebel's trademark product is flowers in a handbag - yep, two love birds, one stone and she's yours forever... we're not saying they come cheap but the question is how much is she worth? Address: 5 Broadway Market, Hackney, E8 4PH Phone: 020 7254 4487 Timing: Tue to Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm Nearest Station: Bethnal Green Tube Rebel Rebel - Information  Vive la Rose5 Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y 4UY As the name suggests, this bright and airy shop in central London does a wonderful line in roses. Far from being red, red or maybe just red, the roses at Vive la Rose have a bit of flair about them, coming in all different shades, and there’s a brilliant range of other blooms too. Oh, they don’t really do chrysanthemums or carnations but does anyone actually buy these nowadays anyway, except from a petrol station on the way to see the mother-in-law…? Definitely not the type of flowers one wants for Valentine’s Day! Our Vive la Rose favourites are the ‘Antigua’ bouquet of champagne Talea roses interspersed with Palaenopsis orchids and soft greens, and the ‘Madras’, a flirty bunch of exotic saffron roses and sunny gerberas. Their bouquets are always seasonal, so the flowers are thoughtfully-chosen and fresh, and the friendly and knowledgeable florists will be able to design a bunch of bursting, vibrant flowers for your Valentine. Address: 5 Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y 4UY Phone: 0800 043 6996 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Vive la Rose - Information  Wild at Heart54 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LP There’s a definite signature style to Wild at Heart’s adorable hand-tied bouquets, ideal for sending to office blocks around town. Whether it’s a shocking pink posy of roses, a more eclectic bunch of seasonal blooms or a vintage selection of romantic flowers, their creations are prettily picture-perfect and styled with a graceful touch. The florists are potty about exquisitely-designed flowers and their perfectionist tweaking of a petal here or a twig there means that a much-loved creation (wrapped in tissue and cellophane) arrives at the doorstep. There’ll be no fussy flower arranging to worry about; it’s just a case of plonking - or rather placing delicately - in a vase and appreciating the scent and sight of beautiful blooms. Wild at Heart’s classic arrangements don’t come cheap, especially if you’re going for a bigger bunch, but they’re lovely and unpretentious and will be sure to melt hearts and give girls gooey eyes. There are also branches at Liberty and in West London. Address: 54 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LP Phone: 020 7229 1174 Timing: Seasonal opening times Nearest Station: Sloane Square Tube Wild at Heart - Information |
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