The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?
From Bloom & Wild to Moonpig, these letterbox flowers are sure to put a smile on someone’s face
Whatever the occasion, whether that be Mother’s Day (10 March, you can thank us later) or an upcoming birthday and anniversary, letterbox flowers are a fabulous invention, allowing us to surprise that special someone by popping a bouquet in the post.
If you’re yet to try them – or are somewhat of a speedy bloom-sending professional – we’ve got everything you need to know about which ones to buy, how long they take to arrive and which brand of blooms best impressed us.
While they stray from the traditional hand-tied bouquets, best believe they work wonders for those not always at home. Thanks to the slim shape and wonderful wrapping, they do exactly as the name suggests and simply slip through the letterbox, ready to be put in water as soon as your lucky recipient receives them – no need to schedule a delivery time slot.
Of course, the sending of flowers is often for a special occasion, be it a birthday or other celebration, but it might also be to pass on your condolences or to wish someone gets well soon. Whatever the case may be, the flowers have to be somewhat fabulous, and we think you’ll find these brands are best for the job.
From Bloom & Wild to Bloompost, Moonpig and more, there’s no short supply of letterbox flower shops, but not all are made equal. So, we set out to see which ones were blooming lovely and which ones wilted our expectations. Keep reading below to see which we’ll be sending.
Sending flowers to yourself is the ultimate form of self-love, and we did this more than 10 times, to see which blooms were really best in show. Looking at ease of ordering, speed of delivery and the actual flowers themselves during testing, keep reading below to see which ones impressed and why.
The bouquets from Serenata Flowers are sure to brighten up even the dullest of days. With 20 stems of bold, beautiful blooms, they smell as good as they look and put the biggest smile on our face. They arrive in the typical letterbox style, inside a cardboard box, but are wrapped in brown paper with a ribbon, to add a level of luxury. Just note, they are delivered in bud but burst into bloom in around 24 hours. You can even schedule them for next-day delivery if you’ve left it a bit last-minute.
If you really want the blooms to fit inside a postbox, FlowerBe’s small-sized selection is sure to be your best bet. Fitting inside an A6-sized box, these mini blooms are the perfect small gesture to show someone you care. The selection of flowers is a seasonal pick, so you’re sure to get fun, fresh blooms each and every time, and you can choose between colourful or neutral options, depending on your recipient’s taste and the occasion.
The vase pictured isn’t included, but you can opt to add the vase (£35, Flowerbe.co.uk) to your order. Although, of course, it then won’t fit through the postbox.
The one downside about bouquets of flowers is they rarely last for more than a week (if that). However, Bloompost has come up with a solution: selling a variety of dried blooms alongside regular alive-and-kicking options.
For us, the bloomemory bunch stood out from the crowd, thanks to the fact it can last forever. Included in the set is a wooden display tray, two tiny vases, a selection of seasonal dried blooms and a card to which you can add your own message.
We’re dubbing this the perfect pick for extra special occasions or for when you’re not sure if your recipient will be home. After all, there’s nothing worse than flowers left sitting for days in the postbox.
We have used Bloom & Wild many a time, and it is yet to let us down on delivery. So, for occasions that really can’t be missed, we’re dubbing the brand as best for next-day delivery. The fun flowers stand quite tall, so you will need a long vase or be happy to cut them down to size. They bloom with a burst of colour that instantly elevates any room and also smells divine. We like the fact the bouquet comes with a card detailing how best to arrange the blooms. We received one of the Bloom & Wild bouquets with carnations, limonium and statice, but there are myriad other flower arrangements to choose from.
It’s safe to say you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting flowers, but Bunches is here to solve that problem with its fun florist’s pick. Opting for this bunch means you can leave the choice of which blooms to buy in the hands of the experts. With a surprise of seasonal blooms, you can sit back, relax and know the hard work has been done by someone else. We were pretty impressed with our stunning selection.
While we can’t call these letterbox flowers – the box is so big it would struggle to fit through some windows – this is the best floral postal service we’ve seen so far. Delivering the most beautiful roses to our front door, this option is well worth the price if looking to truly impress. Just make sure your giftee is home, or leave instructions for the blooms to be left in a safe place, as you really don’t want these ones to wilt while waiting to be picked up from the post office.
Each week, Flowerfix creates a new bouquet called the florist’s pick, with beautiful seasonal blooms freshly picked each morning. So, if you aren’t quite sure what to pick, let the experts do it for you.
With roses, carnations, tulips or other flowers of a similar value nestled alongside sunflowers, calla lily and lush foliage, they make for a bursting bouquet.
Almost everything arrives in bud form, so you can watch them bloom from your sofa, meaning they last an impressive amount of time, too.
You most likely know Moonpig as the place to go for personalised cards, but the brand has expanded to offer flowers, chocolates, teddies and a whole range of post-ready presents.
This seasonal bunch is perfect for spring, with tulips, hyacinths and asters bursting with colour. We would say there are not quite as many stems as the picture on the website makes out, so it may be best to order two bunches at once, to get a really bountiful bouquet.
This particular arrangement is currently out of stock but you could brighten up someone’s day with one of the brand’s other letterbox flowers options.
If you’re yet to try sending letterbox flowers, it is well worth a go, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed by any of the options in this round-up.
Although they were among the most expensive, the Serenata Flowers floral ratatouille impressed us the most, with a large number of stems bursting with colour. Meanwhile, the dainty dried Bloompost bloomemory letterbox gift stood out from the crowd as the best long-lasting bunch.
If you’ve left it last-minute, you can put your faith into Bloom & Wild’s next-day delivery, and if you really can’t pick out your favourite bunch, Bunches florist’s choice couldn’t be simpler.
Thirsty for more? We’ve rounded up the best letterbox cocktail services