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10 best online flower delivery brands for every occasion, from Mother’s Day to special anniversaries
Treat your loved ones to a bloomin’ beautiful selection
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Flowers make a gorgeous gift, whether you’re sending them to your nearest and dearest or treating yourself.
What’s more, ordering a bouquet is as easy as pie these days. Instead of trailing round the shops, it’s effortless to buy flowers online. Most flower delivery companies send blooms the length and breadth of the UK, and brands such as Interflora can even arrange flower deliveries for friends and family abroad.
Not only that, the UK cut-flower and houseplant market was worth a cool £2.2bn at the last count, which means there are plenty of brands to choose from.
We’ve tried and tested loads of online florists over the years, and the brands featured below are the ones that have impressed us time and time again.
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We judged on the variety, style, freshness, longevity and price of blooms, as well as assessing eco-credentials, packaging, flower-care tips and delivery charges. Many brands offer letterbox flowers as well as hand-tied bouquets, and most provide subscription options, so you can send flowers every week or every month.
Our choices range from blooms for buyers on a budget to stems for customers who want to splash out for a special birthday or anniversary. Whatever the price point, we reckon the price tags of these florists are fair and their bouquets are well worth the cost.
The best flower delivery brands for 2023 are:
- Best overall – Bloom & Wild, Bloomandwild.com
- Best for eco-friendly ethics – Arena Flowers, Arenaflowers
- Best for luxury, single-variety flowers – Flowerbx, Flowerbx.com
- Best for roses of every size, shape and colour – The Real Flower Company, Realflowers.co.uk
- Best for a luxurious treat – Wild at Heart, Wildatheart.com
- Best for shopping local – Interflora, Interflora.co.uk
- Best for vibrant pops of colour – Flying Flowers, Flyingflowers.co.uk
- Best for cottage charm – Bunches, Bunches.co.uk
- Best value for money – Next flowers, Next.co.uk
- Best for long-lasting blooms – Serenata Flowers, Serenataflowers.com
Bloom & Wild
Best: Overall
- USP: Chic, cheerful and seasonal
- Price range: £22 to £90
- Letterbox options: 23
- Subscription options: If you’re treating yourself, subscriptions cost £25 a box, including free delivery and a bespoke vase made of recycled glass with the first bunch. You can also choose between timeless décor and stand-out styles. If you’re treating someone else, subscriptions (either classic or seasonal) start at £20 and are available for three, six or 12 months or for as long as you fancy. All subscription deliveries are flexible, so you can skip, pause or cancel at any time.
- Delivers to: UK nationwide, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland
- Delivery fees: For UK orders, if you order before 10pm Monday to Friday next-day delivery by Royal Mail is free. Premium delivery via DPD costs £5 for guaranteed delivery Monday to Friday or £6 for Sunday delivery. You can also pay extra to ensure the flowers are delivered in the morning.
- Sustainability credentials: 100 per cent recyclable letterbox packaging and zero waste sent to landfill.
Bloom & Wild deserves every ounce of its popularity and success. We’ve sampled lots of bouquets over the past couple of years and have been charmed every single time. They arrive in bud, ready to flower in situ, and usually bloom for two to three weeks. For those of us who aren’t flower experts, Bloom & Wild offers everything you need to look after your stems – two sachets of flower food, a handy flower-arranging guide and care advice.
The packaging is top-notch too – distinctive brown boxes with upbeat messages and recyclable netting to protect the most delicate blooms. Tulips often arrive with bulbs attached, so you’ve got the option of replanting them in the garden.
Arena Flowers
Best: Eco-friendly ethics
- USP: Joyful combinations of colour and texture
- Price range: £19.99 to £99
- Letterbox options: 10. There are also grow your own herb mix and grow your own salad mix letterbox options
- Subscription options: Rolling weekly, fortnightly or monthly subscriptions available. Prices start at £75 for a three-month subscription, with flowers sent every month
- Delivers to: UK mainland
- Delivery fees: Next day or nominated day, free (as long as you order before 9pm on weekdays and 11am on Sundays)
- Sustainability credentials: Arena’s eco-credentials are second to none, with a perfect Ethical Company Index score for the past three years. For every bouquet delivered, two trees will be planted in a country suffering deforestation, plus every bit of packaging is recycled, recyclable or compostable. The company sources flowers directly from ethical suppliers and Fairtrade-certified farms, and donates £1 to Women’s Aid for every subscription box sent out.
We love Arena Flowers’s ethical ethos – but buying from this brand doesn’t mean sacrificing quality for conscience. We’ve sampled innumerable hand-tied bouquets and have always been delighted. In our experience, there are more flowers than sprigs of foliage, so each bunch feels full and generous.
There’s a wide range of colourful greetings cards (everything from happy anniversary to thank yous), which are included free of charge. If you’re buying a subscription, you can choose between an ethical selection and a pet-friendly selection that excludes flowers that pose a serious risk to pets (a thoughtful touch for our furry friends).
Flowerbx
Best: For luxury, single-variety flowers
- USP: Chic and timeless arrangements that cut a dash
- Price range: £40 to £2,700 (for an eye-popping 1,000 roses and 10 large apothecary vases)
- Letterbox options: None
- Subscription options: Available every seven, 14 or 28 days, with three subscription packages to choose from. Every subscription includes complimentary delivery and a Flowerbx vase with the first bouquet.
- Delivery to: Most of the UK.
- Delivery fees: Standard delivery is available from Wednesday to Saturday and costs £4 (you’ll need to order three days before). Next-day delivery is £10. Same-day delivery is offered in London for £15 if you order before 1pm Monday to Saturday.
- Sustainability credentials: Flowerbx’s cut-to-order flowers are sourced directly from Earth-conscious growers.
Flowerbx is one of the chicest brands we know. Founder and CEO, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings, worked in fashion for nearly 20 years before launching Flowerbx and it shows. Her single-variety bouquets are the epitome of elegance.
We’ve tried Flowerbx blooms – everything from soft pink and white tulips to pink avalanche roses – a host of times and have been ultra-impressed on every occasion. Its elegant, unfussy blooms are delivered in classy white boxes with stylish branding, so deliveries cut a dash from the outset. There’s also an option to buy the perfectly shaped vase for your flowers at the same time.
The Real Flower Company
Best: For beautiful, scented roses of every size, shape and colour
- USP: Sustainably-grown country garden blooms
- Price range: £30 to £136
- Letterbox options: None
- Subscription options: Three-month and six-month subscriptions. There’s also a farm-to-vase option – a small bunch of seasonal flowers and foliage that includes a recycled glass vase as part of the first delivery
- Delivery to: Most UK postcodes (Tuesday to Saturday)
- Delivery fees: Standard delivery is available from £5.99.
- Sustainability credentials: The company uses best practice farming methods wherever possible, to ensure there are no negative impacts on the environment, and the brand only cuts what it can sell.
If roses are among your favourite things, The Real Flower Company’s bouquets are in a class of their own. This Hampshire-based brand is all about luxury bouquets created from deliciously scented roses, English flowers and foliage from its sustainable flower farm and sister farm in Kenya.
Rosebie Morton founded the company in 1995 when she started growing scented garden roses in the walled garden at her family farm – and it’s gone from strength to strength. We’ve reviewed everything from Christmas wreaths to bouquets and have been thrilled each time. Flowers are delivered in distinctive green boxes with matching silk ribbon.
Shop The Real Flower Company now
Wild at Heart
Best: Luxurious treat
- USP: Sumptuous, showstopping bouquets that will impress any A-lister
- Price range: £85 to £260
- Letterbox options: None (all Wild at Heart bouquets are hand-tied)
- Subscription options: Rolling weekly or monthly subscriptions, with each bouquet costing from £60. Four bouquet sizes available and customers receive a free glass bell jar vase with the first delivery.
- Delivery to: Most of the UK (apart from the Scottish Isles, Northern Island, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and the Scilly Isles.
- Delivery fees: £12.50
- Sustainability credentials: Fully recycled packaging. Wild at Heart florists ensure that little or no waste is generated. The cellophane needed to transport flowers safely is 100 per cent biodegradable
Wild at Heart is one of the best-known names in the floristry business, founded by Nikki Tibbles and renowned for creating opulent arrangements for weddings, parties and high-profile events. The brand’s exquisite bouquets come in a range of different sizes but they are definitely at the pricier end of the market.
The upside is that they really have the wow factor, especially if you’ve got an extra-special occasion in mind. The company pays scrupulous attention to detail – flowers are delivered in beautiful boxes, its complimentary cards are the most stylish we’ve seen and the arrangements are out of this world. Even though Wild at Heart blooms are guaranteed for five days, in our experience, they last far longer than that.
Interflora
Best: For supporting your local high street and shopping local
- USP: Handcrafted artisan floristry
- Price range: £30 to £200
- Letterbox options: None
- Subscription options: Three, six, nine and 12-month subscriptions are available
- Delivery to: Most UK postcodes – and more than 130 countries
- Delivery fees: Same-day delivery is £10 (order before 3pm). Next-day delivery is £7
- Sustainability credentials: Eco-friendly gift wrapping and shorter delivery distances
We’re admirers of Interflora’s business model, which supports 900 artisan florists across the UK. The brand launched in 1910 when a couple of resourceful US florists came up with the idea of telegraphing orders to each other from opposite sides of the country. The company launched in the UK 13 years later and the rest is history.
The beauty of Interflora is that its floral arrangements are delivered on the day they’re created, so they are, pardon the pun, as fresh as a daisy when they arrive. Bouquets are guaranteed for seven days but ours have often lasted for two to three weeks. Every bunch is handcrafted and hand-delivered in eco-friendly gift wrap too.
Flying Flowers
Best: For vibrant pops of colour
- USP: Colourful and uplifting inside and out
- Price range: £19.99 to £38.99
- Letterbox options: Four, including bouquets of roses
- Subscription options: Three, six and 12-month seasonal bouquet subscriptions
- Delivery to: Mainland UK. There’s also an option to send special long-lasting flowers for deliveries that are further afield
- Delivery fees: All deliveries are free, with free next-day delivery available on some bouquets
- Sustainability credentials: Planet-friendly packaging and sustainably sourced blooms
From lush lilacs to romantic roses, the Flying Flowers story dates back to 1981, when a group of holidaymakers decided to send carnations home instead of postcards. More than 40 years on, the company has sent well over 12 million bunches to customers across the UK and still has a soft spot for carnations.
Flying Flowers’s blooms are always great value and we adore the jaunty green and pink packaging that has “Hello Petal” emblazoned across the box and the humorous “Bee Mine?” message on the flower wrapping. There’s often a special offer running – anything from free chocolates to extra flowers – so keep a look out.
Bunches
Best: For cottage charm
- USP: Pretty flowers and excellent customer service
- Price range: £19 to £53
- Letterbox options: 14, including a fabulous confection of roses, freesias and eucalyptus
- Subscription options: Monthly for three, six or 12 months, starting at £22 a month
- Delivers to: Any postal address in England, Wales and Scotland
- Delivery fees: £2.99 for standard tracked delivery via Royal Mail. Guaranteed delivery on the day of your choice between 8am and 6pm for an extra £5.99
- Sustainability credentials: All blooms are delivered in paper sleeves and letterbox flowers arrive in 100 per cent plastic-free packaging. The brand uses ethically sourced flowers from sustainable-certified farms and recyclable and compostable packaging wherever possible.
Bunches is very much a family business. It launched under an umbrella in Mansfield in 1989 and has been sending flowers by post for more than 30 years. We’ve sampled its flowers many times and admire its pretty arrangements, from “darling decadence” (£46.75, Bunches.co.uk), a subtle arrangement of gold carnations, lilies, white roses, pink lisianthus, alstroemeria, wax flower and eucalyptus, to the delightfully named “rhubarb and custard” (£23.90, Bunches.co.uk), a mix of pink, cream and lilac carnations.
Flowers usually arrive in bud, which means vase life is maximised, and there are helpful care tips, flower food, a cheery message and even a packet of wild bird seed. Bunches is committed to making a difference and donates at least 10 per cent of its profits to charities and projects in the UK and abroad.
Next flowers
Best: Value for money
- USP: Eclectic and bursting with colour
- Price range: £22 to £55
- Letterbox options: 12
- Subscription options: None
- Delivers to: Mainland UK postcodes but not Northern Ireland
- Delivery fees: Free. Most orders received by 6pm on weekdays and by 12pm at the weekend can be delivered the next day
Next’s flower offering is huge, ranging from its own brand to collaborations with Laura Ashley, Lipsy and The Chateau by Angel Strawbridge (one of our favourites). Its bouquets are great value and we like the fact that delivery is free, even on Sundays. The brand has also launched a new range of charity bouquets and its Alzheimer’s Research UK bouquet will be available in May, with 10 per cent of the sale going to the charity.
Many of the blooms arrive in stylish cardboard gift boxes, with flower food provided. Our sample bouquets have been abundant and generous (our last featured lilac roses, stocks and purple tulips) and suitable for numerous special occasions – from birthdays and anniversaries to new babies. To ensure the best quality, Next’s suppliers select the highest-grade, longest-lasting blooms and each bouquet is arranged and hand tied to order.
Serenata Flowers
Best: Long-lasting blooms
- USP: Jaunty and playful, with a leaning towards pops of colour
- Price range: £29.99 to £49.99
- Letterbox options: 26, including pink roses and vibrant multi-coloured tulips
- Subscription options: Rolling weekly, fortnightly or monthly subscriptions from £29.99 per delivery, plus a free vase with the first delivery
- Delivers to: UK nationwide
- Delivery fees: Free courier delivery Monday to Sunday. Premium guaranteed delivery is £4.99
- Sustainability credentials: Serenata boxes are made of at least 90 per cent recycled paper
Serenata has been in the flower business for more than 18 years and so has tons of floral expertise at its green fingertips. The flowers we’ve sampled not only look stunning but have had remarkable longevity. We particularly like the bouquets’ imaginative names – everything from citrus smash (orange, cerise and yellow tulips and roses) to scarlet pimpernel (red roses, lilies and carnations).
Serenata’s turquoise boxes are jolly and fun, complete with flower food and chirpy flower tips with instructions like “feel free to talk to your flowers,” and “settle them somewhere they will feel comfortable, away from direct sun, draft and fruit”.
The verdict: Flower delivery brands
In our experience, Bloom & Wild gets it right every time, with a range of fairly priced flowers that are a joy to behold. We’re also keen on Arena’s eco-credentials and generous swathes of blooms and foliage and Flowerbx’s elegant blooms in classy white boxes.
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Want more floral inspiration? These are the best letterbox flower brands to know
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