The last rose from the Chelsea Flower Show may be about to depart London for horticultural shores unknown, but fashion, as it does every spring, will generously step into the gap.

Frocks and flowers are not the most original concept, granted, but they do have a staying power that trumps even the hardiest perennial, and this was as true as ever for spring/summer 2009. From Nicole Farhi to Moschino via Diane von Furstenberg, catwalks were abloom.

Consider London-based designer Erdem, for instance, who scattered smudged pastel flowers and tulip prints all over his dirndl skirts and jackets; or Duro Olowu, who mixed and matched vintage Chinese water lily prints with sunflowers. Then there's MaxMara, where floral suits abounded; and most extravagantly, Dolce & Gabbana, who adorned soft grey dresses with three-dimensional botanical masterpieces.