Flowers ....
At Clementine & Co we are always inspired and enthralled by flowers. From our favourite old fashioned Roses to the most delicate Snow Drops, scented, unscented bright or pale, billowing or tightly furled we love them all.
Recently we visited the Sydney Flower markets to buy masses of the prettiest blush pink roses for our press kit launch. So I thought a little insiders guide to visiting the flower market, selecting and caring for blooms and sourcing the best vessels and vases for your flowers was in order.
Visiting the Sydney flower market is a wonderful experience - the hustle and bustle, the early morning light, and the scent of so many freshly cut flowers that envelopes you as you enter. Makes the early wake up well worth it, not to mention the amazing selection of flowers, in all colours and varieties.
The market is within the Sydney Markets precinct near Flemington, Building F houses the flowers with fruit and vegetables nearby. The best entrance is via Austin Ave Homebush, there is parking available on the third floor of the carpark, with lift access to the market.
The market is open 5-11am Monday to Saturday busiest days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when the florists clamber for their favourite blooms. So we visited on a Saturday morning and discovered it to be much more relaxed with few crowds and easy parking, perhaps not so many vendors but plenty for our needs.
Remember to take shopping bags or a trolley with you, bring cash, wear trainers or even wellies, and prepare buckets for the car with a big water bottle to fill them and keep your flowers happy on the journey home, At the entrance there is a store selling great paper, ribbons and various affordable vases. If you have a specific flower or colours in mind as we did it is a good idea to do a lap of the market to see what is available before purchasing, as it is all so beautiful you can be easily overwhelmed and loose focus!
The vendors are really friendly and full of great advise don’t be afraid to ask them lots of questions about their flowers and how to care for them.
One very important tip is to make sure your flowers are neither too closed nor too open - if they are too closed you may find that they don’t open up and too open may not last. Smell the flowers you intend to purchase, as I was after roses and there are just so many to choose from there, I am so glad I did this as their scent was just amazing and I think was well appreciated by their recipients!
Caring for your flowers is very important as you want to get the most days enjoyment possible from them.
When you return home refresh your flowers by trimming their stems, stripping the stems of the leaves that will be in water and placing them in a freshly filled clean vase.. Refresh the water and trim the stems every couple of days.
Below are our picks of the best vases and vessels for your favourite flowers, click on the pics for a link to shop!
Xx Aimee
