Double flowers are generally ‘Gardener bred’ and not naturally available in the wild.

Doubles are harder for insects to pollinate and therefore single flowers have survived and evolved more readily.

Double flowers were the aim of many Victorian breeders and plantsmen as they sought the awe factor.

These blousy double Peonies have this Awe factor with both colour, double petal form and a tremendous scent.

Thompson Morgan have a supply of double freesia and snowdrops in addition to many other flowers to grow from seed.

History of Double Flowers

• Double flowers are the earliest documented form of floral abnormality.
• Theophrastus mentioned double roses in his Enquiry into Plants, written before 286BC.
• Pliny also described double roses in 1st century BC.
• In China, double peonies were known and selected by around 750AD.
• Around 1000AD double varieties of roses were cultivated to form the China rose. Today, most cultivated roses bear this double-flower trait.
• Herbalists of the Renaissance recognized double flowers and began to cultivate them in their gardens.
• John Gerard created illustrations of many double flowers beside their wild-type counterparts in 1597.
• A double-flowered variety of Marsh Marigold was discovered and cultivated in Austria in the late 16th century, becoming a valued garden plant.  (source wikipedia)