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The 20 best online flower delivery services, tried and tested
Online flower delivery services have brought choice and diversity to ordering floral gifts. Letterbox, subscription and added extras are all on offer, in addition to hand-tied bouquets. High street retailers like M&S, Next and John Lewis have stormed into the online landscape to challenge newcomers like Bloom & Wild.
As a garden writer I spend much of my time looking at flowers – most recently for my book Wonderlands – and as a gardener I grow flowers and arrange them too. The people I order from again and again supply top notch flowers with flawless delivery. Many of them are included in these reviews.
When ordering, I ask myself: how fresh and well-conditioned are they? How long will they last? Where and how are they grown? It’s impossible to compare a British firm like Cornwall-based Petalon, growing their own flowers on a regenerative farm, with larger suppliers who are working with flowers flown in from all corners of the world.
For this review, I ordered flower deliveries from companies up and down the UK, as well as international firms like Interflora. You can spend as little as £16 to hundreds of pounds but I kept my orders within an affordable range. You can read my full reviews below, followed by the answers to some frequently asked questions, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five.
The best flower delivery services: At a glance
How to choose the best flower delivery service for you
Find out as much as you can about your recipient’s favourite colours and style. If you’re sending flowers to someone you don’t know, then play it safe with a single stem bunch in a neutral colour (Flowerbx is your friend here).
Think about the convenience for the recipient too – will they have a vase to display their flowers? If not, Next sends some of their bouquets in ‘hatboxes’ that double up as vases. Will the recipient be at home? If you can’t be sure, then a letterbox service such as Bloom & Wild is the safest bet.
