Though it has been grey, cold and very wet for most of summer, the flowers have still come out in force in London, which got me thinking about starting my own garden. I got up too early on Sunday morning a few weeks ago and went down to Shoreditch to the flower markets. It was a tiny street packed with flower sellers yelling out their prices ('5 for a pound', 'two bunches for a pound darlin'), stacks of colour, every kind of plant you could want- and all very cheap. The first weekend I went there I bought four herbs and six flowers for 8 quid. The second time I went later in the day and got flowers even cheaper- about 15 plants for 3 quid. It was quite ludicrous really, people were leaving the markets with arms and bags stuffed full of flowers, car boots were piled high with trays of plants. The best stall holders were the first two stalls on the right as you entered the markets. They sold their flowers like an auction, holding up trays and starting the bidding for each tray of flowers at about a pound. If you were quick enough to put up your hand or yell out (as I did too often just from the excitement), you got the tray thrown to you. The crowds around these two stalls were always the biggest in the markets and you had to be quite ruthless to keep your position during the bidding. Alls fair in love and flowers......!
