Posted by I.S. Sundries on 19th Oct 2026
PULSE Newsletter Issue 17
Christmas is creeping closer, and there's plenty happening in the floral world! This week, falling rose prices bring welcome news, while six festive trends and the rise of dark, moody florals offer fresh inspiration for the season ahead. Plus, we share a heartwarming story of a young Romford florist following in her mum's footsteps.
Royal FloraHolland, the Dutch auction where much of the UK's imported stock is traded, published its third-quarter 2026 figures on 13 October. Total revenue was flat (0.0%), units sold fell 1.0%, and average flower prices dipped 0.3% while plant prices rose 4.4%.
The detail is where it gets useful for UK florists:
Roses: volume almost unchanged, but revenue down 13.3% and average price down 12.7% to €0.22 a stem
Hydrangea: up four places to fourth, average price up 9.4% to €1.71
Zantedeschia (Calla): the standout, with revenue up 41.3% and average price up 28.2% to €0.78
Eustoma (Lisianthus): price up 4.1% to €0.62
Lilium: price up 3.2% to €0.69
Gerbera & Limonium: both got cheaper (down 4.2% and 13.8%)
In pot plants: Anthurium and Chrysanthemum rose sharply up the rankings; Kalanchoe prices jumped 14.2%
Supplies from Kenya and Ethiopia picked up in volume but at lower prices.
RFH's Thomas Bugel said flowers stayed "in high demand even during the extremely hot summer weather", adding that "entrepreneurship, market focus and added value are becoming increasingly important".
Also on the trade desk this week: RFH announced its Flower auctioneers will move into a new shared auction studio at Aalsmeer at the end of October, with behind-the-scenes tours during Trade Fair Aalsmeer, 3rd – 5th November.
Why it matters: cheaper roses heading into Winter is welcome news for margins on everyday and Christmas work, while Hydrangea and Calla prices are firming up. Worth factoring into Christmas quotes now.
German decorations specialist Wurm has published its Christmas 2026 trend guide, setting out six themes:
- Opulent Elegance - deep wine tones with gold, silver and pearlescent accents, velvety textures and glass.
- Timeless Naturalness - fir green, moss and earthy tones with matt textures, glass and paper.
- Traditional – classic red, green and gold.
- Minimalist Elegance - in natural tones.
- Sweet Colours - sparkle and fairy-tale details.
- Rustic Cosiness - natural tones, white and warm light.
Other 2026 round-ups point the same way: burgundy or deep red with deep green and antique gold, plus wine, mulberry, forest green and chocolate brown, with berries and fruit "big news this season" on wreaths, garlands and table arrangements. Christmasworld's headline themes for the season are "Brave, Light and Solid".
These are décor and retail forecasts rather than florist-specific ones, so treat them as a guide to what your customers will be seeing in shops and magazines.
Advent Sunday is 29 November and Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year. Florists are making wreath-making and sundries buying decisions now, and the ‘burgundy and gold’ and ‘natural and green’ themes translate directly into ribbon, picks, baubles and wreath bases.
A lovely local story this week: Bonnie Lyons, who runs South Street Flowers in Romford (Bonnie's Blooms online), has built her own business just minutes from her mum's stand, Brewery Flowers, where she grew up helping out.
Bonnie started online in 2020 working from her mum's garden, weathered lockdown ("Everyone thought the world was ending so they were sending flowers to people"), and opened her own stall in 2022. "A lot of people know me from my mum and my regulars say it's nice to see someone young get on and do their own thing," she said.
The UK trade is full of family businesses and young florists starting out. This is an upbeat reminder that market stalls and small starts are still a real route into floristry.
On the catwalk and in interiors, florals have moved well away from Spring pastels. Autumn/Winter 2026 fashion shows florals "in deep, moody palettes - aubergine, forest green, wine, bronze" on jacquards, velvets and quilted fabrics, with burgundy, olive, chocolate and bottle green replacing pastels. Three-dimensional, appliquéd blooms are a big theme, and at London Fashion Week Richard Quinn and Patrick McDowell both showed floral motifs on vintage-inspired silhouettes.
In homes, soft, faded vintage florals and whole-room botanical wallpaper are strong, with British brand House of Hackney's "Hollyhocks" print cited as an example.
This "moody florals" palette lines up neatly with the burgundy-and-gold Christmas trend, which makes it an easy talking point when customers ask for something "a bit different" this Winter.
Sat 31 October 2026 - Halloween
Sun 1 November 2026 - All Saints' Day
3rd-5th November 2026 - Trade Fair Aalsmeer - RFH auction tours 06:00-11:00
Sun 8 November 2026 - Remembrance Sunday
Wed 11 November 2026 - Remembrance Day
Sun 29 November 2026 - Advent Sunday (peak wreath and door-wreath demand begins)
- https://www.floraldaily.com/article/9882573/nl-flower-and-plant-market-shows-resilience-in-the-third-quarter/
- https://www.floraldaily.com/article/9883010/royal-floraholland-to-modernize-auction-process/
- https://www.floraldaily.com/article/9883304/uk-extends-eu-fruit-and-vegetable-import-check-exemption-until-2028/
- https://britishfloristassociation.org/for-the-industry/top-stories/smoother-borders/
- https://wurm.com/en/christmas-trends-2026/
- https://www.christmascentral.com/blog/christmas-2026-decorating-trends-to-inspire-your-holiday-decor
- https://www.the-christmas-dream.com/christmas-decor-trends-2026/
- https://christmasoem.com/christmas-decoration-trends-2026/
- https://www.floraldaily.com/article/9883822/uk-following-the-family-path-into-flowers/
- https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/26627663.south-street-flowers-romford-florist-followed-mum-trade/
- https://rain-mag.com/floral-aesthetics-are-moving-off-the-catwalk-and-into-the-home
- https://www.pigletinbed.com/blogs/the-piglet-journal/floral-interiors-trends
