A guided flower market tour for florists
If you’re a florist and you’ve never visited the New Covent Garden Flower Market, the thought of going for the first time can feel a little daunting.
Who do you buy from? Which flower wholesalers specialise in what? How do you order? Can you pre-order? And how does a wholesale flower market actually work?
I completely understand. Although I’ve been buying flowers, foliage and plants at the market for more than 15 years, I know that walking into a busy wholesale flower market for the first time can feel intimidating – particularly if you’re based outside London and haven’t had anyone show you the ropes.
That’s why I’ve created my New Covent Garden Flower Market Tour specifically for florists. These small, relaxed and practical guided tours are designed to help florists understand how the market works, meet different wholesalers and feel confident coming back to buy for themselves.
My relationship with New Covent Garden Flower Market
I’m Jennifer, founder of Into the Wild, and I’ve been visiting and buying from the New Covent Garden Flower Market for over 15 years.
As a florist specialising in weddings and events, I’m at the market regularly, buying flowers, foliage and plants from a variety of different wholesalers depending on what I’m working on. Over the years, I’ve built strong relationships with many of the suppliers and have got to know the market, the people and the different ways of buying incredibly well.
And I still absolutely love going.
There is something about walking through the doors of the flower market in the early morning that never really gets old. No matter how early I’ve had to get up, I’m immediately surrounded by colour, beautiful smells and an incredible sense of the seasons.
For me, nowhere reflects the seasons quite like the flower market. In spring, there’s the unmistakable scent of peonies. Summer brings an abundance of seasonal flowers, autumn is filled with gorgeous hydrangeas and foliage, and then Christmas arrives with huge quantities of greenery, queues of florists and the wonderful smell of pine.
It’s busy, energetic and sometimes chaotic – but it’s also one of my favourite places to be.
After more than 15 years of going to the market, I’d love to share some of that knowledge and enthusiasm with other florists.
Why I created a flower market tour for florists
The idea is simple: to make the flower market feel less intimidating and give florists the confidence to buy there for themselves.
There is a lot to learn when you first start buying wholesale flowers. You might know what you’re looking for but not know which wholesaler to approach, how to order it or whether you should be pre-ordering.
This can be particularly challenging if you’re a florist based outside London. You may only have the opportunity to visit the market occasionally, so knowing where to go and how to make the most of your time can be invaluable.
The market has its own way of working, and much of that knowledge comes with experience.
My aim is to give you a head start – introducing you to different flower wholesalers, explaining what they specialise in and sharing the practical knowledge I’ve picked up over many years of buying flowers for weddings and events.
What happens on the flower market tour?
The tour is a two-hour introduction to the flower and plant stands at New Covent Garden Flower Market, designed specifically around the needs of florists.
We meet at 6am, starting with a coffee or tea at the market café before heading out to explore.
I’ll take you around the market and introduce you to different wholesalers, explaining what they specialise in and how I use them when buying for my own wedding and event work.
We’ll look at where to buy different types of flowers, foliage and plants, as well as where to find florist sundries. We’ll talk about buying flowers on the day, pre-ordering and how to order from different wholesalers.
There are lots of practical things that can make your first few visits much easier too. I’ll explain how the trolleys work, where you can put your flowers while you continue shopping, how payment and receipts work, and what you need to know about parking and getting your flowers back to your vehicle.
The aim isn’t simply to show you where everything is.
It’s to help you understand how the market works, who you can buy from and how to go about it – so you feel confident returning by yourself.
A small and friendly flower market tour for florists
The regular monthly flower market tours for florists are limited to a maximum of four people per group.
I’ve deliberately kept the groups small so the experience is relaxed and informal, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and talk about things that are relevant to your own floristry business.
Perhaps you want to know where to find a particular flower, who is best for foliage, how to source British-grown flowers or simply whether you’re approaching a wholesaler in the right way.
Ask me.
here are no silly questions and no need to feel embarrassed about not knowing something. I want it to feel much more like having an experienced florist friend show you around than being on a formal guided tour.
Who is the flower market tour for?
The tours are primarily for florists who want to become more confident using the New Covent Garden Flower Market.
They’re particularly useful if you’re a florist based outside London, new to buying wholesale flowers, have never visited the market before, or have always felt slightly intimidated by the idea of going.
You may already have an established floristry business and simply want to understand more about the different suppliers, or you may be relatively new to the industry and want to learn more about buying flowers wholesale.
The tours are also ideal if you’re interested in using more British-grown flowers and want to understand how to source and order them through the market.
Wherever you are in your floristry journey, if you’ve been wondering how to make better use of the New Covent Garden Flower Market, I’d love to show you around.
New Covent Garden Flower Market Guided Tour for Florists
The regular guided tours take place on the last Tuesday of each month, from 6am until 8am, with a maximum of four florists per group. To book a space please contact me here on my enquiry page.
The cost is £100 per person plus VAT.
We’ll meet at the market café for a coffee or tea before beginning the tour. Payment is by invoice in advance, and once payment has been received I’ll send you the meeting point, timings, contact telephone number, market map and What3Words location.
Parking at the flower market isn’t included in the tour price. There is car parking upstairs and van parking downstairs, with payment made when you leave the car park.
If you’re travelling to London from outside the area, I’m also happy to recommend somewhere nearby to stay overnight.
Flower school group tours
As well as the monthly tours for individual florists, I also offer a dedicated flower market tour for flower schools and groups of up to 10 people. Please contact me here for bookings and information.
The Flower School package is £65 per person plus VAT and can be attended with or without a tutor.
It’s designed to give floristry students a practical introduction to the wholesale flower market and an understanding of how professional florists source flowers, foliage and plants.
For flower schools travelling to London, the tour can be a useful addition to a floristry course or workshop, giving students the opportunity to experience a professional wholesale market first-hand.
Come and discover the flower market with me
I think the New Covent Garden Flower Market is one of those places that every florist should experience.
It can seem daunting when you first walk through the doors, but once you understand how it works, it becomes a completely different experience.
For me, the market is much more than somewhere I go to buy flowers. It’s the colours, the smells, the people, the early mornings and the constant sense of discovery. It’s seeing the seasons change in front of you and never quite knowing what you’re going to find that morning.
After more than 15 years, I still love walking through those doors.
And now I’d like to help you feel just as comfortable there.
Come and explore the New Covent Garden Flower Market with me, meet the wholesalers, learn how to buy and order, ask all ask all the questions you like – and leave feeling confident enough to come back on your own.
Join the next Flower Market Tour
Spaces are limited to four florists per monthly tour.
£100 per person + VAT
Last Tuesday of each month | 6am–8am
