MARKET A FLORAL FANTASY IN MIDST OF DOWNTOWN L.A. BLOOMIN' BEAUTY.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

The rare roses look like they've been dipped in paint, gerbera daisies are saucer-sized, and lilies in pink, white and orange waft their intoxicating fragrance throughout the building.

Flowers as common as sweet peas and as exotic as orchids, with an abundance of roses, are rolled in paper and stacked like bolts of fabric on shelves or packed into buckets that dot the floor as far as the eye can see.

This is the Southern California Flower Market, which has catered to the florist trade from its present downtown Los Angeles location since 1923 while quietly offering fantastic bargains to the public.

The market is more like a warehouse - it makes Costco look upscale, so wear sneakers to tread through muddy puddles - and is so huge that it takes up two city blocks bordering the Fashion District. No frills, for sure, but it's an exhilarating experience for flower lovers and bargain hunters willing to spend the time getting there and exploring the market.

Step inside the entrance, pay the $2 admission fee, put a sticker on your shirt, and you're ready to join the hustle-bustle atmosphere, dodging men pushing huge trolleys filled with buckets of flowers; shoppers rushing from one vendor's flowers to the next, like hummingbirds in search of nectar; and vendors constantly rushing around to make sure nobody has better prices than theirs.

Obviously, this is no quick trip to the supermarket to pick up a prearranged bouquet of flowers for $8.99 with your groceries. Expect to spend three to four hours there if you're shopping for flowers for a special event or holiday, as you'll need time to shop all the stalls for the best quality and prices. Most important, be patient when there are professional florists in front of you with long shopping lists, as the market is designed for them.

And be ready for a crowd. More than 3,000 people visit the market on any given Saturday, but the day before Mother's Day (which falls on May 13 this year) is the busiest day of the year, says Philip Sandoval of Sandoval & Sons, which sells a handful of stargazer lilies for $5 (compared to $5 a stem at flower shops), a bunch (25 stems) of long-stemmed roses for $7.50 and huge bouquets of roses with lilies and greenery for $12 that look like the kind you'd get from a florist for $50 - minus the vase, ribbon and gift card.

Roses - sold in bunches wrapped tightly in newspaper - are the flower of choice for most shoppers. As at Costco, you have to be ready to buy in bulk, which makes shopping here appealing to people planning weddings and other social events, says shopper Robin Torres of Culver City. ``We heard about the market from a florist and now we come every week, even if it's just to buy flowers for us,'' Torres says. ``The prices are good, but the downside is that all you get are the flowers and you have to arrange them yourself.''

However, vendors and retailers will often give tips.

``If you've got a long drive, and the flowers will have to stay in the car for two hours or more, always look for the tightest rose buds,'' advises Sandoval, who likes to mix his roses with stargazer lilies instead of baby's breath, which he says is passe.

Yes, even flowers go in and out of style, and the filler of choice this year, says independent San Fernando Valley floral designer Michael Wellington, is fragrant stock or a flower called Misty Blue.

Although he prefers cutting-edge arrangements with expensive tropical flowers, Wellington says a beginner can make an attractive bouquet of peonies and lilacs. ``Honestly,'' he adds, ``there are no rules to flower arranging these days, but I'd advise a beginner to keep it simple, with no more than three kinds of flowers. And a bouquet of just one kind can be stunning.''

Although they're more old-fashioned than exotic, hydrangeas (often called ``snow balls'') and sweet peas are good choices at the market this month, while the tulip and daffodil season is about over, says Giovanni Icute, a buyer for Mark's Garden in Sherman Oaks.

Maggy Rubio, who works at the RDP Floral Co. stall, is one of the few selling sweet peas, and she charges $2 a fistful (which is slightly less than 25 stems). ``When selecting sweet peas, always look at the stems. If they're slimy, you don't want them,'' Rubio explains as she pulls a fragrant bunch of pink flowers out of a bucket and points to the stems.

Orchids, the flower of choice in almost every decorating magazine these days, are offered in a variety of stalls, and the prices are negotiable.

At the Orchid Man stall, several women inspect a $30 orchid plant blooming with two giant cattleya flowers - the type associated with '50s corsages.

Dispensing advice, salesman Mike Sagmit comments: ``They're beautiful but won't last more than a few days, and therefore you can bargain over the price. If you want to enjoy orchids for several weeks, look for orchid plants that have buds yet to open. And also note that the greener the leaves, the healthier the plant.''

If you're buying a lot of flowers, consider bringing your own buckets of water for the drive home. Or buy vases.

The ordinary type often used by florists are available for about $3, but you can find more attractive styles and sizes in numerous colors for $7 to $20, at the far west end of the main building on Maple Avenue or in several of the shops facing Wall Street in the second building, where florist supplies also are sold.

THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOWER MARKET

Where: 742 Maple Ave., Los Angeles.

Public hours: 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 6 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Admission: $2 on weekdays; $1 on Saturdays.

Parking: $4.

Purchases: Cash only.

Restrooms: Several; require quarter for entry.

Food: Operetta French Bakery and Cafe located inside the market.

Information: Call [phone].

Learn about flower arranging

Jo-Ann etc.: This superstore division of Jo-Ann's Fabrics offers classes by florist Barry Paris every Saturday morning beginning today. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon. To register, call [phone]. Fee is $25 plus supplies. The classes will be held at Jo-Ann etc., 19819 Rinaldi St., Northridge.

Learning Tree University: This accredited school offers classes in several types of flower arranging throughout the year. The next session for fresh-cut floral arranging begins Tuesday and is held for six weeks (6 to 7:50 p.m. Tuesdays) as well as on Saturdays (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) beginning May 19. Wedding floral arrangement classes will be offered on Thursdays beginning May 10 and Saturdays beginning May 12. Pre-register by calling [phone]. Registration fee is $6; class fee is $99 plus supplies, which cost up to $120. Class location will be given at time of registration.

Michael's Arts and Crafts: A class in silk flower arranging will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. May 21 at 12809 Sherman Way, North Hollywood. Call [phone] to register. Fee is $18 plus supplies.

Descanso Gardens: Fresh flower arranging classes will be held on Tuesdays, June 26 through July 31, with beginners meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. and advanced classes held from 6 to 9 p.m. The instructor is Taylor Inge Bretsen, owner of Glendora Florist shop, and the fee is $65 plus $75 for supplies. To register, call [phone]. Classes will be held at Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge.

- B.D.

Mother's Day bouquets

So, you've been to the flower market, and now you don't know what to do with the flowers you bought. Or you're too busy and would rather just buy an arrangement for Mom.

Here's what several local florists are offering for Mother's Day, with details on the hottest flowers of the season. Traditionalists will note that daisies, baby's breath and carnations aren't on the list. Florists also stressed that orders should be placed soon or you'll have to settle for a Friday or Saturday delivery instead of Sunday.

Calabasas Flowers: The spring trends at this shop are a mixture of roses in pastel shades such as pink, lilac and yellow, or baskets of flowers filled with lilies, iris, tulips and gerbera daises, with branches of tiny daisies called monte cassino used as filler instead of baby's breath. Prices start at $35. Calabasas Flowers is located at 23655 Calabasas Road, Calabasas; phone [phone].

Canoga Park Florist: Spring specialties include European-style basket arrangements of lilies, iris, orchids, lilacs and roses in a high-low style accented with flowers on the handle, priced at $40 and up. Another trend is a bubble bowl packed with curlywillow limes on the bottom and lilacs and freesias on top, priced at $35 and up. Canoga Park Florist is located at 22033 Sherman Way, Canoga Park; phone [phone].

Conroy's Flowers: The latest trends at this florist chain are baskets of mixed spring flowers including gladioluses, gerbera daisies, pompom dahlias, snapdragons and a yellow flower called salad aster used as filler, priced at $30. Roses, however, remain a favorite, priced at $55 a dozen or a mix of six roses with two stargazer lilies for $45.99. Conroy's is located at 7201 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys; phone [phone]. Other locations also.

Mark's Garden: Lilacs and peonies are the hot combo for Mother's Day, says co-owner Richard David, because this year they're both blooming at the same time. They're priced at $125 for arrangements, while baskets filled with roses, hydrangeas and hyacinths start at $50. Mark's Garden is located at 13838 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; phone [phone].

Village Florist: A pave box or ceramic keepsake container filled with roses in a pave style (short-stemmed blooms placed close together in rows) are popular here, as are ivy-covered topiaries accented with flowers such as roses, snapdragons, iris, gerbera daisies, lilies and alstroemeria, priced at $45 and up. Village Florist is located at 4137 Lakeview Canyon Road, Westlake Village; phone [phone].

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

7 photos, 2 boxes, map

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Bounty of blossoms

Southern California Flower Market in full bloom 

(2 -- color) Michael Wellington, left, a Los Angeles designer, takes home armfuls of flowers from the L.A. Flower Mart. Below, mini gerbera daisies sell for between $3 and $4 a bunch.

(3 -- color) Flowers arrive by trucks at Flower Mart on a recent morning.

(4 -- 5 -- color) Ramon Mancilla of Los Angeles, left, arranges rose bouquets at the Flower Mart. Above, a customer with her order of orchids.

(6 -- 7) Ramon Mancilla of Los Angeles, left, arranges rose bouquets at the Flower Mart. Above, a customer with her order of orchids.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

Box: (1) Learn about Flower Arranging (see text)

(2) Mother's Day Bouquets (see text)

Map: The Southern California Flower Market

Inside this two-block warehouse that borders the Fashion District, vendors sell blooms and supplies to professional florists. The market also has limited public hours.