Located on Queens parade next to Merri Creek trail, this isn't your standard "Gerberas stuffed into…read morefoam" florist. This shop is so beautifully quaint as the cutesy name suggests, Fowlers specialise in unique, contemporary flower arrangements and have a commitment to offering unusual species with a low carbon footprint. There is a strong industrial element to the shop, stark white walls, timber, exposed brick and pressed iron detail that provides an attractive juxtaposition against the natural colour, beauty and curves of the flora. Vases are fashioned from old medicine bottles, jars, jugs and vintage ceramics. Fowlers is also able to create unique arrangements for weddings and events as well as offering selection of organic herb and vegetable seeds for avid green thumbs. A sweet little bouquet will set you back just under $10.

From the owner: We hand select the freshest of blooms from every market day and specialist growers, ensuring finest…read morequality and price for you.

I can't say that I frequent florists often I generally prefer to pick up bargains at markets but as…read moreI walked past this florist so regularly and they have such gorgeous and different types of flowers in the display I couldn't resist. I also just happened to come across rainbow coloured roses that were delivered a couple of hours earlier! Love them so had to grab a stem or two. I don't know the name of the red flowers i bought unfortunately but they are just gorgeous!! Service was so friendly and quick and she wrapped them up beautiful. Will definitely be back! Happy Chinese New Year!

From the owner: Our high standard of customer service could not be maintained without the support of our custom…read moredesigned technology based system

At first glance Bivano and Sons appears to be a high quality and well stocked fruit and vegetable…read moreshop. But anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting this well known grocer knows better! Yes B & S has the best looking and diverse range of fruit and veg I have seen, but it doesn't stop there. There is a beautiful range of flowers to choose from as well as a deli section I could very well live in. Any shop that has a fridge of Ben and Jerry Ice-Cream has my vote. And yes, they do stock a range of sauces and deliciousness from Gourmet Simon Johnson. This grocer is not only filled with beautiful products but friendly staff and a conjoining butcher for all your carnivourous needs. This place is a pleasure to visit and its produce joyous to consume. Yes, it is that good. All other greengrocers take note please.

Have you ever walked into a florist and thought... "Geez, where's my American Express?"…read more I never understood why so many CBD Florist's charge so much for flowers that cost them 1/10th of the sale price. Is it the labour involved of putting them in sequinned boxes? Anyways that enough rant. If you feel like a little tram out of the city you can find some fresh 'cheap' flowers here. The ladies who work here are really in-the-know about everything flowers orientated. I jog past here everyday and when the occasion arose for birthday flowers i stopped by and was surprised by the range and the prices. They have a lot of specials on the flowers, you can pick up two bunches of flowers starting from $10. They also deliver Australia-wide!!

Gents! You've just woken up next to your lovely lady and you've already managed to piss her off…read more What to do?! Thankfully, Growers is just around the corner, easy to get to and is open from all hours of the morning (and 365 days a year too!) They have a gorgeous variety of flowers and plants available and the staff there are incredibly knowledgeable, so you'll be able to make your choice nice and easy! But the best thing about Growers are there packages and hampers, so if you've really pissed off the Misses you can sort it out quick smart (and for a reasonable price.) Packages include fruit and wine, flowers and teddy bears and even a gourmet food hamper, which can all be ordered online and delivered to your door. So boys! Stop apologising and just go to Growers, they can do the apologising for you.

They say plants are soothing. I say Loose Leaf is soothing…read more Down a non-descript Collingwood street you'll find a roller-door filled with the most luscious plants Melbourne has to offer. Loose Leaf has the trendy plants before they were trendy. On numerous visits to Loose Leaf, I have discovered fiddle figs, hanging Devil's Ivy, curious cactus, full grown yucca's and peace lily upon peace lily. It is a truly spectacular place to find yourself on a Saturday afternoon - coffee in tow. Loose Leaf aren't just a nursery - they are also an event space, plant designers and regularly host horticulture courses. Go. Buy. Enjoy.

I'd followed Loose Leaf on Instagram long before I visited their charming store. Now, I'm a convert…read moreand have paid regular visits since to buy flowers and plants for home, as well as gifts for others. The selection of plants at Loose Leaf is incredible. From small cacti suitable for your desk, to hanging ferns and gigantic figs that would suit a massive house or garden, there's something green for everyone... even those who don't have a green thumb! The girls at Loose Leaf are the most gorgeous team and will help you select plants for different purposes. Have a room that gets little light? Need something that's hard to kill? No worries! There's also charming pots to sit your plant in, Japanese leather hanging holders, wire stands and other decorative items that help elevate your plant to something truly beautiful. Great for gift giving too! And, if you can't live without colourful flowers in your home (who can?) there's also a good selection available which Wona will happily assemble in to a lovely arrangement for you to take home. She is a talent and it's worth taking her advice on which flowers work well together and will last for as long as you need. If you love flowers you can also book in to one of their regular flower arranging classes that offer more than how to make simple vase arrangement, and instead focus on things like wreaths and floral crowns!

When looking for flowers for my wedding I went into Oopsy daisy flowers…read more I found the owner to be extremely helpful and accommodating. She was able to show me pictures of some previous arrangements she had done, which all looked great. I don't know much about flowers, and what is in season when. I liked that she didn't make me feel silly for asking what I thought were really basic questions about flowers. Her quote for my bouquet was very reasonable, within the top three from the ten shops I enquired to. I didn't end up going with this florist, so I cannot comment on the service, but I have since brought the odd bouquet. The flowers are always rich in colour and fragrance, and last for ages.

I've gotten flowers here only once, for mother's day. Sure, it's one of the busier days of the…read moreyear for florists, but I was pleasantly surprised by not only how quickly I was able to go through the process of entering the shop, dealing with the bewilderment that comes from such a wide variety of flowers and gifts, pick the flowers, have them wrapped and then leave. Took all of about ten minutes on a fairly busy day. As I mentioned, they also have gifts and soft toys, so if you're putting together a bit of a package of flowers and gifts, this is a good place to get everything. Good place.

Tribal Rose has been on the Smith Street scene since 1996, becoming an institution alongside other…read morebusinesses on the trendy street. I like having a look in here because the range of blooms and how they fill the space always impresses me. While it may not be my favourite florist for making artistic and bold pieces, I really enjoy taking my time and stopping to have a look and sniff around - something that the florists happily let me do. Sometimes when you go into a florist you can feel pressured to buy something, but I've never felt that at Tribal Rose. Most of the times I have been there it's a hive of activity and the florists are busy working their magic, and running around helping out customers. The last time I visited Tribal Rose they had some beautiful orchids for sale in the front, and I remember having a chat with one of the florists about keeping them alive (something that I struggle to do). She gave me some really good advice about watering and feeding them, and even though it was busy I could tell she was genuinely happy to let me in on a few secrets. It is experiences like that one that make Tribal Rose such a success.

Whenever I'm sent on missions to buy flowers for birthdays, farewell's or just to spruce up the…read moreoffice décor, I always head straight to Tribal Rose, Smith Street Collingwood. The delightful little shopfront, painted green with lovely rustic timber floors, never fails to offer a vast range of seasonal blooms for a fabulous price. Buckets of fresh, colourful flowers are gathered on the footpath out front, which are often small, but as cheap as $5 a bunch - perfect for a smaller, yet still lovely, gesture. Inside, the walls are lined with breath taking local and rare imported florals, allowing you to choose your own customised arrangement for that special occasion. If you're not feeling so creatively inspired, the lovely team at Tribal Rose is there to deliver sound advice and knowledge on all things 'flowers'. The experienced florists, headed by wedding specialist Camilla Pinkney, can create the most stunning, beautifully crafted floral bouquets for anyone's special day. A colleague of mine recently had her wedding flowers provided by Tribal Rose and was thrilled with the service.

I just adore the range at Belki! This beautiful little gift shop in Rathdowne Village stocks some…read moreof my favourite local accessory brands including Nancy Bird and Polli. There's a great range of scarves, pottery, jewellery, handbags and homewares. Belki also has beautiful gifts and cards for babies and toddlers. The colour palate across Belki's merchandise blends together beautifully (think whites, tans, mustards, burnt oranges and reds), making you want to buy the whole store and do up your house like something out of a magazine shoot. Gorgeous! If you're on a budget the defiantly keep away, because this shop is so cute you'll end up buying all kinds of things you really don't need.