It seems a little early to me, but Spring seems to have sprung in England!

Although, no doubt, the temperature will probably plummet next week…

But while the weather stays like this, why not make the most of it! A sunny Sunday is a great day to have a wander and explore an open air market or two, and one that I absolutely love is Columbia Road‘s Sunday Flower Market in East London.

Columbia Road is a lovely little street on its own, with all kinds of wonderful shops and food spots. However, on a Sunday they have a large flower market running along part of the length of the road. It gets very, very busy, especially on sunny days, so make sure you get there early if you want to beat the crowds.

The market itself sells a variety of plants, trees, shrubs, cacti and freshly cut flowers, and they sometimes have pots and planters too. If you can’t find a pot that you like, then one of the shops on the street is likely to have something to your taste –  the aptly named ‘In Bloom’ have walls of pots, so I’d start there! If not, then there a few other stores along the way that also sell plenty of garden and plant related items. Plus, if you have some specific displays in mind then the market has cut leaves and grasses to display alongside your flowers too. Just a heads up, the photos in this post were taken when I was home in the summer, so some of the flowers and plants you see may not be available in the season you visit!

Alongside the stores tailored to plants, there are such a lovely variety of shops and eateries along Columbia Road and also tucked away on Ezra Street, just off of the main market thoroughfare. Maybe you’ll stop at ‘Lili Vanilli’ for pastries and cakes or ‘Milagros’ for beautiful tiles and Mexican goods. There are a few shops selling homeware, some selling antiques, a couple that focus on children’s items and Ezra Street is even home to a few places selling statues and stoneware, if that’s something you’re interested in. I’ve even heard that ‘Portuguese Love Affair’ makes fantastic Pasteis de Nata – the perfect post (or mid) market treat!

So, if you’re looking for something to do on a sunny weekend, then I think Columbia Road should definitely be on your list. Just remember to go early! It’s open every Sunday of the year, come rain or shine from 8am until around 3pm. The flowers here are sure to brighten your day whatever the season, whatever the weather.