Amaryllis is a favourite, with its tall, thick stems and large, colourful flowers. It’s 70 different varieties is available in a spectrum of colours which includes red, pink, white, cream and orange, and even striped and variegated shades of several other colours.

They are remarkable, and perfect for placing singly in display vases, to show off their fragile beauty. Their ferny leaves make a perfect frame for the flower heads.  Vibrant shades of red, purple and pink, with jet black hearts ringed with white are available. The all-white anemone is rare, it has a yellow-green heart.

A genus rather than a single flower variety, the Aster family includes some 600 species of widely distributed flowering plant.  As well as being a symbol of love and caring, aster is also believed to symbolise "after thought". To get the best effect combine the aster with other pretty, traditional flowers.

The stems of these plants are topped by 8-12'' plumes smothered with tiny flowers, beautifully set off by attractive glossy foliage.

The Common Bluebell flowers in from March to May. The stems are 10-30 cm long and bend over at the top. The lavender-blue flowers are pendulous, bell-shaped and slightly fragrant. The anthers are yellowish-white.

The flowers are loose clusters of tubular starlet, fringed with leaves and carried on tall stalks. Each stem resembles a small bouquet in bright firework colours. Bouvardia comes in white, pink, salmon, and red colour and lives for one to two weeks. The dainty flowers and soft colours bestow an air of femininity wherever they make an appearance. They also have a faint delicate scent.

Camellias are the undiscovered stars of the garden in winter and spring, with waxy blooms unfurling in pristine white and candy pink, through to sumptuous ruby red. But their blooms are only part of the bargain, the camellia's dark, glossy, evergreen leaves also provide an excellent display.

Carnations are the UK's best-selling cut flower, by miles. They are an excellent cut-flower, great value, very long-lasting, Since the 1950's they have been frowned upon by the style gurus, but are now making a comeback.  They are available in a huge range of colours, almost all except blue. A mauve carnation with a blue tinge has been developed by Florigene in Australia. But they look best in hot Latin shades of red, pink and orange.

Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. They bloom and usually fall within a week, before the leaves come out.

All the energy of the plant is directed into this bud which then grows to a huge size. Blooms come in many different forms, just like dahlias. Some are tight petalled, with all the petals curling upwards. Some have petals which curve and twist like a huge feather hat.  he chrysanthemum flower has been known since before 5000 BC in a small yellow form.

Six outer petals surround a cup creating a trumpet-style look of this cut flower. Some stems produce one flower; others produce clusters. The outer petals are yellow or white; cups may be white, yellow, orange or salmon, and some have an orange edge.

The Daisy Family is one of the most successful of all the flowering plant families.  All of the plants in this group produce a flower head, which is actually made up of lots and lots of tiny flowers (florets) growing together in a disc-shape. They are mainly insect-pollinated.  This family group includes the soft daisies and dandelions, as well as the prickly thistles.

The plant has deeply cut leaves shaped like holly, and sometimes just as spiky. The leaves surround the stem like frilly collars, culminating in a raspberry-like flower head at the top of the stem. It is available in all shades of blue-green from navy with bottle green, through steel blues and gunmetal, to a brilliant sky-blue, and is available all year round.

Euphorbia has long, elegantly curved branches with tiny pointed leaves along the whole length. These are densely interspersed with small rounded flowers. Flowers are available in red, orange, yellow, salmon pink or white.

These delicate flowers that are occasionally funnel-shaped, and are pink, blue, yellow or white.

Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world, with over 110 million stems sold in the UK each year. They are available all year long.  They come in a wide range of colours including yellows, red, pinks and white.  One of the nicest varieties is "Ballerina", which look like elegant dancers. If you want highly scented freesia look for pink and red varieties.

Gerberas offer an incredibly wide range of colours with every colour except blue represented (including fashionable shades of buff and maroon).  They are available all year round.  There are over 200 varieties of gerbera and breeders have developed many variants from serrated or frilly petals to double flowers and extra wide petals. A new development is the mini-gerbera or 'germini' which have the same wide choice of colours but are smaller and more appropriate for smaller flower arrangements.

Gypsophila has many slender branching stems, each bearing many tiny button-shaped flowers at the ends. Gypsophila has a chalky white flower, although cream and pale pink varieties are sometimes found, and is available all year round.

The real flowers are tiny and inside the "beaks". Some less-common species may have furry beaks. The variety shown here has upright facing flowers; some forms, called hanging heliconia, have flowers which dangle down from the main stem.  They are available in red, orange yellow and pink all year round.

The long, packed flower heads have as many as forty single or double flowers that are tubular-bell shape. It is available in many colours including purple, pink, cream, orange, yellow, red, blue or white and is very fragrant.

Iris means "rainbow" in Greek. Garden irises come in a broad spectrum of colours, but cut flower irises are mostly blue, white and yellow like the summer sky.

Long-stalked spikes of fragrant purple flowers. The leaves and flowers can be dried and used for pot pourri.

Some forms (Lilium longiflorum, L. candidum, oriental lilies) are highly perfumed but white only; others (asiatic lilies) are highly coloured but scent-free.  Either singular or clustered and often scented. The flowers may be upward facing, horizontal or outward facing. They can be cup, bell or bowl-shaped, and occasionally star-shaped with six petals. They are grown in a plain colours (white, yellow, orange, red, lilac, pink, cream), lined or spotted. It is important to remove the stamens to prevent staining.

Also called Eustoma, Prairie Gentian or Texan bluebell. They are available in shades of purple, cream, pink, also pale green, or bold two-tone "picotees" with coloured petal edges.  They are also available all year round.

Petite pea-like flowers each with four to five petals. Lightly clustered in spherical heads either singular, spiked or grouped. Produce fruits during a hot summer, which can be used in arrangements, along with its delicate foliage.

There is a huge number of cultivars, in a range of colours including combinations of white, yellows, oranges and pinks. There are multi-headed tazetta types and some with a strong fragrance. Yellow tazetta narcissi "Soleil d'Or'"and white "Ziva" have the strongest scent, and also make ideal indoor plants as potted bulbs

Orchids are the largest family of the plant kingdom with over 25,000 naturally occurring species in the world, as well as all the specially developed hybrids! They are available in every colour except blue - there are even black and green orchids.

This flower is grown all over the world but mostly from USA.  Colours include monotone phloxes which are available in white, pink, purple and mauve hues, as well as two tone phloxes.  They are available all year round.

Short-lived flowers with either bowl, cup or saucer-shape. Four petals in either red, peach, yellow, orange and white. They have a tendency to wilt, but florists will be able to offer advice.

Tubular, bell or funnel-shaped flowers, either clustered, on a single stem or in a ring around the stem. They are often fragrant and are yellow.

The name Protea comes from the mythical sea god Proteus who could assume many different shapes. The flower is surrounded by colourful bracts which slowly open up to give a flower head as big as 25cm across.  It originated fromAustralia, Southern Africa and South America.  It is available in pinks, creams, oranges, charcoal all year round

They origin from the Middle East, hence their alternative name "Turban Buttercup". They have tuberous roots and hollow stems.  They are available in a  wonderful array of colours - yellow, white, red, pink, orange, and copper, either peony flowered or open flowered, with dark or yellow centres. Bloom time is winter and spring.

This amazing flower is available in every colour except blue and true black.   It is available all year round and is probably the best known and best-loved flower in the world.  For extra scented roses, look for 'Sterling Star' (lilac), 'Jacaranda' (blue-pink), 'Osiana' (peach-cream), 'Sterling Silver' (lilac) and 'Extase' (deep red).

Also known as Bird of Paradise.  It was named Strelitzia after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Streliz, who married King George III to become Queen of England in 1761.  It originates from South Africa.  The flower has a green 'beak' with a bright orange and blue crest, silvery-green leaves.  It is available all year round but with limited availability in summer.

A large flower head with usually a big dark centre and bright yellow petals.  Most sunflowers are bright yellow with dark brown centres, but varieties are appearing now which have tan, orange, maroon or striped petals, and green-yellow centres. Some are even without the central disc, but are fully covered in petals instead.  It is mainly a ummer flower, but some are available all year round ('Orit') and most can be available from late spring to late autumn.

The Botanical name is Lathyrus odoratus - odoratus means scented. They are available in a variety of colours including purples, pinks, creams and salmons. General availability is from March to November.

It is commonly called sea holly or thistle. The plant has deeply-cut leaves shaped a bit like holly, and sometimes just as spiky. The leaves surround the stem like frilly collars, culminating in a raspberry-like flower heads at the top of the stem. The blooms make excellent fresh-cut flowers for bouquets and are easily dried for long lasting flower arrangements. All shades of blue-green from navy with bottle green, through steel blues and gunmetal, to a brilliant sky-blue is available all year round.

Tulips are the third-biggest selling flower in Holland and are also very popular in the UK where many are also grown.  They are available in every colour except blue and true black.  Availability is from November to May (January to April for British tulips).

Also called Geraldton wax from the town in Australia from where it originates.  It produces tiny bowl-shaped flowers of four rounded petals, with prominent stamens in the centre; the leaves are like pine needles on woody branched stems. It has a lovely lemon-almond fragrance.  Colours include dark pink, pale pink and white, and it is available from November to April..