PULSE Newsletter Issue 14

Posted by I.S. Sundries on 29th Sep 2026

PULSE Newsletter Issue 14

October's nearly here, your buckets are full of Autumn colour, and Christmas is starting to feel close and of course, we hope to see you at FleurEx!

On Friday 25 September, the Fresh Produce Consortium held its FPC Fresh Awards 2026 in London. It's one of the biggest nights for the fresh produce, cut flower and plant supply chain.

Our favourite story of the night: the Net Zero Impact award went to Dutch nursery Porta Nova for its Red Naomi® FUTURA rose. According to FPC, it delivers up to a 95% reduction in CO2 emissions per stem, thanks to wind energy, UV-C robots and biological pest control instead of chemical sprays.

Red Naomi is one of the most reliable red roses around. It turns up in Valentine's orders, anniversary bouquets and wedding work every week. A low-carbon version means you can keep using a rose your customers already love and give eco-conscious couples and corporate clients a better answer when they ask about sustainability. It's worth asking your supplier whether FUTURA stems are available.

Other floral winners on the night:

Westflor: Wholesale Floral & Plant Supplier of the Year

MM Flowers: Supermarket Floral & Plant Supplier of the Year

Marks & Spencer: Multiple Floral & Plant Retailer (public vote)

Flying Flowers: Online Floral & Plant Retailer (public vote)

Newey: UK Grower of the Year

Congratulations to everyone recognised. It's also a useful nudge: when the public votes, big brands get noticed. Your quality, your local knowledge and your personal service are your edge, so make sure your customers hear about them.

Read the full winners list here

It's official, 2026 was the UK's hottest Summer on record. Meteorologist Laura Tobin told The Dirt this week that it may have been "a glimpse into the new normal". Frosts are coming later and finishing earlier, and plants are flowering earlier than they used to.

The water picture matters too. New Environment Agency modelling says England needs 120% of typical rainfall between now and April 2027 to fully end drought. Even in the most likely scenario, East Anglia and Devon & Cornwall could still be in drought next Spring.

What this could mean for your business:

British-grown supply next Spring may be less predictable, especially from southern and eastern growers.

Flowering windows may shift earlier, which can catch out wedding couples who've booked "their" peony in June.

Flexibility is your friend. Build a little room into Spring and Summer 2027 wedding quotes (e.g. "seasonal best in a blush palette" rather than a fixed stem list), and keep quality dried and preserved stems in mind as a dependable backup.

One more to watch if you're a sole trader: Flowers from the Farm has warned that HMRC proposals to collect Self Assessment tax based on forecast income could squeeze cash flow for seasonal businesses. That could matter to florists with big Christmas, Valentine's and Mother's Day peaks too. A government response is expected this Autumn, so it's worth a quick chat with your accountant.

Read more on The Dirt here here

If you're running wreath-making classes this December (and if you're not, it's worth thinking about), now is the time to set dates and prices.

A great fact for your customers: kept cool, frost-free and well ventilated, fresh noble fir wreaths last 4–6 weeks. A wreath made at your class in late November will still look lovely on Christmas Day.

Style notes for 2026: texture is the big story. Think soft against rustic: velvet ribbon with pine cones, dried and preserved botanicals tucked between fresh foliage, berries, branches and matte finishes. Colour palettes are getting braver too, with the moody burgundies and bronzes seen on this Autumn's catwalks translating well into festive work.

Your workshop sundries checklist:

- Wreath rings and moss

- Reel and stub wire

- Ribbon

- Pine cones, dried orange slices and seed heads

- Dried and preserved accents for texture

Order early for the best choice. Popular ribbons and dried accents go quickly in November.

We’re heading to FleurEx this weekend! 
The I.S. Sundries team will be at FleurEx 2026 in Nottingham, 3rd to 4th October. Come and see us on Stand 17.
We’ll have some of our bestselling florist sundries on display, so pop over, meet the team and say hello. We’d love to see you! 

Saturday 3 October: FleurEx 2026, East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. The UK Florist of the Year final is live on stage, followed by the BFA Industry Awards evening. Good luck to all the finalists and nominees!

Sunday 4 October: FleurEx day two, with the exhibition, demos and workshops.

Autumn (date TBC): Government response to the HMRC Self Assessment consultation.

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