Introduction

Christmas at Columbia Road Flower Market is simply stunning. Festively adorned stalls, vendors and visitors alike wrapped up against the elements and a wonderful Christmas cheer is apparent amongst everyone.

Whether you’re looking for a beautiful real, freshly cut Christmas tree for your home, or some stunning winter plants for your garden, or even some very unique stocking fillers for friends and families, Columbia Road Flower Market has something for everyone.

Where does the tradition of Christmas trees come from?

Long before Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special significance for people during the winter. Just like people today decorate their homes with pine, spruce, and fir trees during the holiday season, ancient peoples placed evergreen boughs over their doorways and windows. Evergreens were thought to ward off witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and disease in many countries.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped Ra, a hawk-headed god who wore the sun as a brilliant disc in his crown. The Egyptians adorned their homes with green palm rushes during the solstice, when Ra began to recover from his illness, to signify the triumph of life over death.

The solstice was celebrated by the early Romans with a feast called Saturnalia in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans understood that the solstice signalled that crops and orchards will soon be green and productive. They decked their homes and temples with evergreen boughs to commemorate the event.

The enigmatic Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decked their temples in Northern Europe with evergreen boughs as a symbol of perpetual life. Evergreens were supposed to be the sacred plant of the sun god, Balder, by the fierce Vikings of Scandinavia.

The Christmas tree custom as we know it began in Germany in the 16th century, when pious Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. If wood was scarce, some people made Christmas pyramids out of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles. It is usually assumed that Martin Luther, a 16th-century Protestant reformer, was the first to place lighted candles to a tree. While drafting a sermon one winter evening, he was struck by the beauty of stars glittering among the evergreens. He constructed a tree in the main room and strung its branches with lighted candles to recreate the scenario for his family.

What’s so special about pine trees?

• There are over 100 different species of pine trees.

• With the exception of one, most species are found in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Pine trees are classified evergreens because their needles last for around two years. When old needles fall, new needles soon replace them.

• Pine needles can range in length from one inch to eleven inches.

• Woody cones are produced by both male and female pine trees. Male cones generate pollen, whereas female cones yield seeds.

• Pine trees can grow from 4 feet tall to 150 feet tall, depending on the type.

• In suitable conditions, pine trees can survive for 100 years on average.

 Now at Columbia Road Flower Market you can get beautiful fresh cut Christmas trees. Perfect for adorning with stunning Christmas decorations, a fantastic addition to your home this Christmas.

Christmas plants and flowers at Columbia Road Flower Market

Amaryllis - Despite their wintry appearance, they are tropical plants native to South and Central America. Nonetheless, because they can bloom indoors in the winter, they became popular Christmas gifts. Although it is most usually purchased as a plant, it also works nicely in bouquets, providing a showy flair to arrangements. It looks especially lovely when combined with other festive foliage, such as berries.

Amaryllis also has the advantage of surviving a long time. The plants bloom for around 7 weeks at a time, so they'll look beautiful throughout the holiday season and beyond. Similarly, cut Amaryllis have an amazing vase life, lasting three weeks or more with adequate care.

Pointsettia - There is no more iconic Christmas plant than the Poinsettia. It's the most popular Christmas houseplant in the UK, and with its magnificent red and green festive foliage, it's simple to see why. Every year, approximately 8 million are sold. Red types are by far the most common, but white and pink varieties are also grown.

Poinsettias are distinct from other flowering plants. The popular crimson 'petals' are actually bracts, the plant's top leaves. The flowers, which are usually green or yellow in colour, are tiny yet may be seen tucked in the midst of the leaves.

Poinsettias are native to Central America and bloom during the winter.They are mentioned in a Christmas legend in Mexico. According to legend, a poor girl was looking for a gift to give to the infant Jesus at a Christmas service, but she couldn't afford it, so she resorted to bringing a little bouquet of weeds from the road. She transformed the basic bouquet into the lovely red Poinsettia when she placed it in the Nativity scene.

Azalea - Azaleas are members of the Rhododendron family and are popular houseplants around Christmas, ideal for keeping the winter chill at bay. Their magnificent, full blooms are perfect for brightening up your home, with red and white being the most popular colours during the holiday season. As gifts, these plants will be well appreciated.

Azaleas bloom for up to 4 weeks after they blossom, making them an excellent centrepiece for the whole Christmas season. They should be kept in slightly cooler, damp environments, away from heat sources. To water, fill the pot halfway with room temperature water and let it drain. The soil should be kept moist at all times, and watering should be done at least twice a week.

Azaleas also have rich symbolic significance, with flower meanings including femininity, temperance, softness, and caring for yourself and others.

Cymbidium Orchids - which are endemic to Himalayan woods, are an unusual and lovely addition to Christmas bouquets. They are only in season during the winter because they are normally located above cloud level, so Christmas is a nice time to enjoy them.

They give stunning interest and texture to flower arrangements with their elegant flower spikes of ornamental blossoms. White kinds are especially lovely around Christmas, lending a stunning snowy appearance to bouquets.

Cut Cymbidium Orchids have the advantage of surviving a long time, with stems lasting up to 4 weeks. This makes them an ideal addition to your Christmas decorations because they won't wilt until the conclusion of the season.

Red Roses - Red roses aren't simply reserved for romantic events; they're also common in Christmas bouquets. Their vibrant colour matches the traditional colours of the season, giving bouquets an instantly joyful appearance. We really like them when combined with seasonal green berries and golden foliage for a classic Christmas colour scheme.

Red roses can also be used as table centrepieces, adding a brilliant flash of colour to your Christmas table.

In water, cut red roses can last a week or longer. If you wish to utilise them in your Christmas decorations, we recommend getting them a few days before the holiday. This means they'll still look lovely a few days after Christmas.

Christmas foliage - Pine cones and berries add a natural, evergreen aspect to Christmas bouquets, which is especially welcome during the cold winter nights. Similarly, spruce is a lovely accent because it reminds me of Christmas trees and winter woodlands. Finally, gilded eucalyptus leaves add a festive shine to any Christmas blooms.

Winter flowers and plants available at Columbia Road Flower Market

A selection of beautiful winter plants for your garden for these colder months.

• Winter honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima produces a beautiful delicate white flower. Its flowers from December to around February.

• Christmas Rose Helleborus nigeris producing a stunning white large flower. It is usually known to flower around January but has been seen in December in time for Christmas.

• Pansies Viola x wittrockiana make beautiful winter bedding plants. Most pansies are known to flower in spring and summer, but some have been bred to flower through winter.

• Winter aconites which bare strong resemblance to buttercups, fare best when planted under trees. They usually flower from February to March.

• The beautiful Daphne with its pink shaded flowers usually bloom in late winter – early spring. They can be planted in various places and come in both deciduous and evergreen varieties.

• The classic snowdrop is both beautiful and synonymous with the new year and winter. There are numerous varieties of this beauty including both the single and double flower.

• The winter clematis Clematis cirrhosa, a perennial climber produces beautiful delicate white flowers and glossy green leaves. They flower between December and January.

• Cyclamen Cyclamen coum is a hardy plant that produces delicate silver lined green leaves and beautiful droplet blooms ranging in colour from white to pink and red. They usually flower between January and April.

• The flowering quince Chaenomeles speciosa although difficult to tend to produce both wonderful fruit and stunning flowers. Red, orange, white and pink flowers can adorn this beautiful shrub.