19 Photos That Will Make You Want To Visit London's Columbia Road On A Sunday

During the week Columbia Road is like any other street in London. Sunday, however, sees it transformed into a fragrant floral forest offering an incredible array of foliage for all occasions. Whether it’s for celebrating, commiserating or a spontaneous gift for a loved one, the Columbia Road Flower Market has got the goods.

Greenery galore fills Columbia Road every Sunday as the flower market rolls into town.

Some of the market traders are just as colourful as their flowers.

All kinds of decorative garden features can be found here, ready to plant.

Give back to the circle of life and invest in your own seedy beginnings.

Mix and match flowers to create a unique bouquet for a special someone.

Or pick up a pre-selected bunch if you’re in a rush.

Lots of smaller flowers are on offer too for anyone not looking to break the bank.

‘Barrow boy’ market traders are on hand to answer any questions and grace the bouquet bazaar with an air of East End authenticity.

Although the market has been around for a while, it’s by no means old fashioned. Lots of stalls accept credit and debit cards.

Ivy is fairly popular – enchanted chic is all the rage these days.

There are lots of fleshy gourds up for grabs, too, for anyone who gets peckish.

In the early days of the market, the main customers were locals looking to decorate the small gardens connected to their homes. Nowadays, people flock from all over London to pick up different kinds of flowers at various stages of the horticultural lifecycle.

Originally, the Sunday flower market was a development initiated by the local Jewish community to supplement the larger Saturday market.

However, it was not long before Sunday became the main attraction – the Saturday market is now a thing of the past.

The market is a complete sensory experience. The eyes are treated to the aesthetic beauty of the flowers as the nose absorbs their fragrant scents. Meanwhile, buskers delight the ears of the passing public with their musical mastery.

The flower market crowd is full of millennials. It looks like flowers are just as popular as they were when our Victorian ancestors were strolling the very same streets.

Obviously the flower market is the big draw, but there are plenty of other things that people can check out on adjoining Ezra Street.

Amongst the array of precious peculiarities found alongside the flowers are some splendid sculptural works, like these from Stoned & Plastered on Ezra Street.

Enjoyed this? Check out our photo guide along Regent’s Canal or discover how to spend a day out in Victoria Park.

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