As you click on the Facebook notification, your heart drops as you read: “It’s Laura’s birthday today. Let her know that you’re thinking about her!” It has slipped your mind that today is your best friend’s birthday.
Or perhaps you’re in the kitchen, checking the calendar, and you notice that your wife has penned in, “Anniversary!” for the next evening. Sheer panic sets in as you realise you need a present ASAP – one that she will actually like (to make up for last year’s woolly scarf).
When you're unable to head down to the high street to find a good gift, there’s only one thing to do: buy her some flowers online. With a few clicks on your computer, your friend or loved one can have a beautiful bouquet delivered to their door.
The only downside to the burgeoning online flower delivery trend is that there are now so many sites to choose from. Do you want a classic bouquet (rose and lily combo) or something a bit more ‘out there’? Should they be hand-delivered or sent in a box through the letterbox? How much should you spend?
With so many factors to consider, we have done all the thinking for you. We have evaluated the offerings of some of the biggest players in the flower delivery market and, although we have not tested the bouquets themselves, we have weighed up the sites’ selections, prices and delivery times. The following are, in our opinion, the best flower delivery services in the UK, ranked in price order.
1. Next
Average price: £20-25
Bouquet of lillies and roses from Next flower delivery
Bouquet of lillies and roses from Next
Why we like them: Nice flowers that don’t cost the earth they were grown in
Across review sites, ‘value’ seems to be the watchword with Next’s flower delivery service – which is unsurprising, given that most of their 30 bouquets are between £20 and £30. For this price, you get between 10 and 25 stems of a mix of flowers that come from both the UK and abroad.
The site is easy to use, with drop-down menus that help you find the best bouquet for your occasion and budget. Free next-day delivery is available across the UK, and they even deliver on weekends. There are six letterbox options, too, so the recipient does not need to be in to receive them. All in all, a stress-free flower-ordering experience.
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2. Bunches
Average price: £20-30
Bunches flower delivery Secret Garden bouquet of roses
Bunches' Secret Garden bouquet
Why we like them:Simple, classic designs at a reasonable price
Family business Bunches have sold over seven million bouquets since they opened in 1989. And from looking at their website, it’s easy to see why.
Most of the bouquets contain a tried and tested combination of stems – whether that be carnations with freesias, lillies with roses, or any assortment of alstroemeria. These internationally-grown stems carry a seven-day freshness guarantee.
The site is simple and easy to navigate, with occasions, flower type and colour easy to filter in your search. There is a live chat system, so you can message a member of their team with any queries and they will reply almost immediately (I only waited for 20 seconds). Free next-day nationwide delivery is available, with the option to upgrade to a courier service. Flowers delivered by a courier need to be signed for, however, and will be taken to a local post office if nobody is home.
Prices across the site are reasonable, with most costing between £20 and £30, and the cheapest bouquet (12 carnations) costs just £16. It is worth noting, however, that most of these bouquets don’t contain as many stems as sites such as Bloom & Wild. But if you are looking for a gift for a distant friend or relative, this site may be the most cost-effective.
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Read more: Best online nurseries
3. Bloom & Wild
Average price: £25-35
Bloom & Wild The Harper bouquet of letterbox flowers
Bloom & Wild The Harper bouquet of letterbox flowers
Why we like them: Flowers with personality delivered through your letterbox
A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but Bloom & Wild’s named bouquets have an extra charm. Whether you opt for The Beth (a purple, aromatic bunch of lilac stocks, alstromeria and rosemary), The Harper (a more subdued mixture of pink roses, alstroemeria and snapdragons), or any other named bouquet, each spray has its own 'personality'.
Their floral selection isn’t all that separates Bloom & Wild from the competition. All of their 41 unique bouquets are delivered through a letterbox service – where they are kept in aerated boxes and delivered through the recipient’s front door. This means the flowers can be delivered while your friend or loved one is at work. However, this letterbox service does mean the receiver has to arrange the bouquet themselves.
While some of the stems are sourced from the UK and France when they are in season (especially peonies, gladioli and sunflowers), Bloom & Wild mainly import their flowers from Kenya. This may be off-putting if you are conscious of your carbon footprint, but it is worth remembering that most flower delivery companies do source their stems from abroad.
Bloom & Wild offer free trackable next-day delivery, and free same-day delivery for certain London postcodes, although you can pay £5 for a courier service. If the flowers are not fresh upon arrival, you can send a photo to the company and receive a new bunch or a refund. On the whole, they offer good value for money – for £23 you can buy a standard bouquet of 18 stems.
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View the latest Bloom & Wild deals
4. Appleyard London
Average price: £35-40
flower delivery service appleyard
Appleyard London's Black Diamond bouquet
Why we like them:They're a smaller business, with big attention to detail
Much like the having a boutique florist on your doorstep, Appleyard London delivers hand-tied flowers all over the UK and, in our opinion, they're some of the best-looking bouquets around.
Their team of expert florists carefully select flowers from British and Fairtrade Kenyan farms, putting back into the communities they work with, and use recyclable cardboard and paper in their packaging to minimize waste.
You can also gift or purchase a flower subscription for as little as £22 a month, which is a bargain, considering each month's bouquet is comprised of the season's very best blooms. Special occasion arrangements are also available, which is handy for last-minute gifts, and Londoners can even get same-day delivery if they order by 4pm Monday to Friday.
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5. Interflora
Average price: £30-40
Interflora flower delivery Country Garden bouquet
Interflora Country Garden bouquet
Why we like them: Quick, easy delivery on a huge selection of flowers
No list of flower delivery services would be complete without Interflora – it would be like ranking social media sites and missing out Facebook.
Interflora is the most well-known flower delivery company and its network of 1,200 florists means they can deliver flowers quickly across the UK and internationally, to 146 countries, too. Next-day, same-day and even three-hour delivery are available on a range of bouquets, and they are all delivered by hand.
It is worth noting, however, that Interflora’s service may not be consistent. Across review sites, including Trustpilot and Mumsnet, customers have complained that flowers arrived damaged, late or to the wrong address. Some said that their flowers arrived looking dead, although others praised the flowers for being ‘picture perfect’. As the company uses so many different florists, it may be hard to keep the quality consistent for all of the bouquets.
However, as an international company, Interflora has a variety of stems at its disposal – with alstroemeria, carnations, lilies, tulips and roses the most popular. They're slightly on the more expensive side (the £40-50 bracket, going up to £200) and you may initially feel overwhelmed by choice, but the site is easy to use and allows you to filter your search to find flowers for the occasion.
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