Spring Flowers: What's in Season

There's a particular morning in Leeds — usually somewhere in the tail of February — when the light shifts, the first daffodils push up along the verges, and the whole city seems to exhale. Spring is the season florists wait for all year. After months of evergreens and berried stems, the market fills with tulips in impossible colours, papery ranunculus and armfuls of blossom, and suddenly there's so much to play with.

If you're wondering what's actually in season right now — and which spring blooms make the loveliest gifts — here's our field guide, straight from the studio.

What's in season this spring

British spring flowers arrive in waves rather than all at once, so the palette keeps evolving from late winter right through to early summer. Here's roughly how the season unfolds.

Early spring — the first colour

• Daffodils — the unmistakable herald of the season. Cheerful, inexpensive and gloriously abundant, they're wonderful massed on their own in a simple jug.
• Tulips — the great shape-shifters. They keep growing and bending towards the light after cutting, so an arrangement is never quite the same two days running. Colours run from crisp white and butter-yellow through to inky plum and flame.
• Hyacinths — heady, richly scented and available in soft pastels and deep blues.

Mid spring — the sweet spot

• Ranunculus — our studio favourite. Layer upon layer of tissue-thin petals, in the most delicate shades imaginable, with a long slender stem that looks beautiful in a loose, relaxed bunch.
• Anemones — jewel-bright with dramatic dark centres; a natural partner for ranunculus.
• Blossom — branches of cherry, magnolia and quince bring height, movement and that fleeting orchard feeling indoors.

Late spring — heading into summer

• Peonies — the season's showstopper. Their window is short and much anticipated, so if you're set on peonies for a specific date it's always worth ordering ahead.
• Sweet peas, lily of the valley and the first garden roses begin to appear as spring tips over into summer.

Because we build to order, the exact stems change week to week with what's at its best. If you'd rather leave the choosing to us, a mystery bouquet lets us pick the most beautiful blooms of the moment. You can also browse everything we're arranging right now over on the shop, or take a look through the gallery for a feel of our style.

Spring gifting & Mother's Day

Spring and gift-giving go hand in hand — and Mothering Sunday, which falls in March here in the UK, sits right at the season's heart. It's comfortably our busiest weekend of the year, so a little forward planning goes a long way.

A tip we give every year: order ahead for Mother's Day. Spring's loveliest stems get spoken for quickly, and ordering early means first pick of the freshest blooms and a calmer, more considered arrangement.

A few gifting ideas that suit the season beautifully:

• A pastel spring bouquet of tulips, ranunculus and blossom — soft, romantic and unmistakably seasonal. Perfect for Mother's Day, a birthday or a heartfelt thank you.
• A bright, sunny jug of daffodils and tulips to cheer someone recovering — a lovely, hopeful choice for get well wishes.
• An everlasting keepsake. For a gift that outlasts the season entirely, our hand-crocheted flowers and preserved flowers capture that spring feeling permanently — hand-finished in our Leeds studio and made to order.

Fresh flowers are available for local delivery across Leeds and West Yorkshire — see flower delivery in Leeds for the areas we cover. Our crochet and preserved pieces ship UK-wide, so distance is never a barrier to sending something lasting.

Keeping spring flowers at their best

Spring stems reward a little care. A few simple habits will keep them looking fresh for longer:

• Trim on arrival. Cut 2–3cm off each stem at an angle with sharp scissors before they go in water.
• Cool, clean water. Refresh it every couple of days and keep the vase spotless — bacteria are the enemy of a long vase life.
• Keep daffodils separate at first. Freshly cut daffodils release a sap that can shorten the life of other flowers. Give them an hour or two in their own water before mixing, and they'll play nicely.
• Cool spot, out of direct sun. Away from radiators, fruit bowls and draughts.

Looked after this way, most fresh spring flowers give you a happy 7–14 days with care. For a full run-through, our flower care guide has everything you need.

A note on pets & allergies

Several classic spring blooms need a little caution in homes with animals. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and ranunculus are all commonly listed as toxic or irritant to cats and dogs — and lilies, which sometimes appear in spring mixes, are considered highly dangerous to cats in particular. This is general guidance, not medical advice, so always check the current pet-safe and allergy notes and confirm anything specific with your vet or a trusted plant list such as the ASPCA or Blue Cross.

If safety or hay fever is the worry, our everlasting flowers are the reassuring choice. Hand-crocheted flowers are made from inert yarn — pollen-free, with nothing to ingest — and preserved flowers are pollen-free too (though never edible). For fresh options chosen with sensitivity in mind, see our allergy-friendly bouquet guide.

Want to plan the whole year ahead? In-season stems tend to be fresher and are kinder to the planet — something close to our heart, as our sustainability page explains. You'll find more seasonal reads, month by month, in our seasonal guides.