Sydney Flower Markets
Last week I took two friends to the Sydney Flower Markets in Flemington. It was their first visit and quite a fun experience for them, it got me thinking though that you really do need to be prepared for an early morning visit to the flower markets and thought I’d share my top tips.
1. Arrive Early – the markets open at 5am and if you want the good stuff you need to be there as close to 5 as possible.
2. Parking Sucks – parking is pretty ridiculous and there are forklifts fanging around the carpark without looking where they are going. Stalk people back to their cars if you have to! (Yes, it’s like going shopping on Christmas Eve… I’ve warned you!)
3. Cash is King – If you pay cash you’re more likely to get a discount if bulk buying flowers and not all offer credit card facilities. Also it’s a $10 entry fee to get into the markets so make sure you have cash ready when you drive in the gates.
4. Storage Tubs – if you’re planning to buy more than a few bunches (if you’re getting up before dawn, you better make it worth your while) you’ll need something to carry the flowers in. The car park is a 3 story car park so you can’t duck back and forth to drop the flowers off. I take Tubtrugs from Howards Storage with me but a trolley would be handy.
5. Opening Times – the markets are only worth visiting Mon-Wed-Fri. Tuesday & Thursday they are open but you’ll get less than a quarter of the offering.
6. Have Fun – it’s all go-go-go once you walk in the gate but I always really enjoy wandering around, you’ll get pushed and shoved a bit as people walk down the aisles with trolleys and buckets of flowers but the array of amazing flowers you’ll find there that you don’t see in florists at your local shops makes the early start worth it. I highly recommend a trip to the flower markets!
Flower Market Goodies
Have you got any other tips to add? I would love to hear them!
Dear Emma,
Thank you so much for the tips to visit the flower market! I’ve always wanted to go but hesitated because I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now I know I will go well prepared! Thanks again.
My pleasure Yuko! It really is worth the early start, I promise you’ll have fun 🙂
Thanks so much for this Emma! Just like the other comments I have always wanted to go but was fearful as I had no idea what to expect! Now I know! I’ll be out there as soon as I can now and coming home with a bucket full of flowers!
You’ve got no excuses now Belinda! 😉
Your article made me smile as I have done the flower markets and purchased a considerable amount of flowers for a school fair. We live about 3 hours from the markets got up very early, but had an absolute ball. All the flowers and the buzz and the smell of fresh flowers. Mind the wet floor….
Anyhow, if you are needing to purchase a lot of flowers, have a distance to drive we took containers of water to fill our large plastic boxes once we carefully placed the flowers in them.
I know it sounds mad, but, again, it was fun.
Wow you must not have even gone to bed that night to get there in time!
Fantastic advice ~ my new flower market checklist! Thank you, Emma. xx