The best flower delivery services for an easy but impressive gift

Whether you're searching for a beautiful Valentine's Day bouquet or you want to treat your mum this Mother's Day, the best flower delivery services will swiftly deliver an impressive selection of blooms to your door without fuss. 

We've done our research into the best flower delivery services in the UK, from supermarket retailers such as Waitrose - whose services tend to be less expensive than more boutique options - to independent London-based florists and well-known brands like Bloom & Wild. So if you're after a Mother's Day gift that will make her feel special, or a Valentine's Day gift for either him or her, look no further than our list for all the best flower delivery services available to you.

We've included options here that run the gamut of different prices, with letterbox-friendly blooms, bouquets of long-lasting dried flowers, and much more. Many of these options offer next-day delivery too so they're a great choice if you're looking for a last-minute gift.

What's the best place to order flowers online?

These are our favorite flower delivery services at a glance - but for more details, like delivery information, selection, price point and more, keep on scrolling. 

• Arena Flowers: Various subscription options with pretty seasonal blooms
• Bloom: Sustainably-sourced flowers and the option to design your own bouquet
• Bloom & Wild: Make the most of what's in season with these fresh blooms
• Floom: Support small businesses by ordering from these local florists
• Freddie's Flowers: Curated, seasonal bouquets in letterbox-friendly boxes
• Grace & Thorn: Browse seasonal blooms and gifts from this independent florist
• Interflora: Order classic arrangements with same-day delivery
• Marks and Spencer: Affordable bouquets and floral gift bundles
• McQueen's Flowers: Pristine show-stopping bouquets with a luxury finish
• Moonpig: Create a package with a customised card and extra gifts
• Patch Plants: Step away from the traditional with one of these stunning plant gifts
• Serenata: Bright bouquets made up of fresh stems, with free delivery
• The Happy Blossoms: Stylish selection of dried or fresh flowers, plus gift boxes
• Waitrose Florist: Best for adding a touch of elegance to the home

Our pick of the best flower delivery services in the UK

Known for being a reliable flower delivery service, Interflora is one of the most popular names in the business, offering themed flower arrangements for special occasions of all kinds. So if you're looking for a bouquet to celebrate an anniversary or for a perfect wedding gift, look no further. The website even has a section dedicated to funeral and sympathy flowers, where you can choose thoughtful offerings that go beyond the floral to include letter tributes and wreaths, with Interflora also providing advice for condolence etiquette.

What stands out most with Interflora is its convenient delivery service, even offering same-day shipping, provided you order your bouquet before 3pm. The Valentine's Day arrangements ship internationally, so you can send a gift to a loved one from across the globe, and they also offer subscription services, from 3 months to 12 months available.

Bloom & Wild has made a name for itself due to their handy letterbox flowers that can be posted anywhere in the UK. Each slim box of blooms comes complete with handy guidelines on how to make your arrangement look its best - making it easy to dip your toe into flower arranging and perhaps discover a new hobby to try in 2023. But as a name that's become pretty buzzy on the UK flower delivery scene, Bloom & Wild also keeps up with all the newest floral trends, too.

The brand's round-up of beautiful bouquets is constantly changing to feature stems that are prosperous by the season - they even sell a mini (real) Christmas tree in the winter which, impressively, can be posted through the letterbox too). All stems arrive in bud, meaning they can be easily delivered through the letterbox, and your recipient will be able to watch their flowers' petals bloom over the 48 hours after they arrive. As well as dried flowers, fresh bouquets, gifts and house plants, Bloom & Wild offers subscription services of flowers which can either be decided by the giftee or the gifter each delivery, making for a great gift for gardeners and other plant-lovers.

Recent years have seen a huge increase in small and home-run businesses - and for many of us, gift-giving has become an opportunity to support these local ventures. Floom is striving to make shopping at small florists as easy as your Amazon order, letting you shop via flower, such as orchid, rose or dahlia. Alternatively, you can simply browse the options that are local to you by inputting your postcode.

The site features arrangements from hundreds of different sellers across the country, meaning there are also various styles, sizes and price ranges available to shop, too. Floom is also available in the US, so if you have any loved ones across the pond you can send them some blooms too. And, if you're a first-time user on the site, you can get free delivery on your first delivery when you spend over £50 on flowers, or over £60 if you choose same-day delivery.

Supermarket flowers have long been a go-to for many of us, but Waitrose has gone one step further with its online florist service, delivering blooms straight to you or your recipient. Its collection is packed full of elegant arrangements that are made up of classic stems like roses, lilies, tulips, sunflowers and hyacinths. The retailer's Valentine's Day selection include letterbox tulips - letterbox-friendly flowers include free delivery - and 100 sweetheart roses, and Waitrose Florist also offers wrap-free (i.e. plastic-free) bouquets for the environmentally conscious.

Championing sustainability in flower growing, Bloom works to create beautiful bouquets without leaving waste in their wake. The company sources flowers from farmers who grow using sustainable practices and makes an effort to reduce its impact on the environment through 100% plastic-free packaging made from recycled paper. There are no harmful chemicals used on flowers either, meaning your blooms stay fresher for longer.

What's more, Bloom offers gorgeous flower bouquets with a range of different offerings, alongside beautiful vases and unique pots. You can even design your own bouquet or, if you're looking for a great gift for couples, you can gift the Best in Bloom subscription, with each delivery determined by all the best blooms in season.

Moonpig is known for its wide offering of unique and affordable gifts, from the best 40th birthday gifts to the best unique Christmas gifts. The online-only business also offers one of the best online flower delivery services, with nationwide shipping and next-day delivery available - perfect if you need something quick but still want to make an impression. Bouquets range from letterbox-friendly blooms to scented arrangements, with the option to add extras such as a bottle of prosecco or a box of chocolates.

It's not only the pretty bouquet choices and convenient delivery options that make this a top pick, there are also countless additional gifts to add to your chosen blooms - from wine and sweet treats to beauty staples like a selection of the best perfumes for women (they even offer unique experience gifts for any kind of recipient).

Serenata is another name synonymous with online flower delivery. A reliable service that offers a bit of everything, from classic to bright and unique blooms, Serenata will fit most of your needs. All arrangements are designed around a central color theme, so expect bright, coordinated looks. The website offers a wide selection of bouquets designed for different occasions as well as letterbox flowers for when you need to send a quick last-minute gift.

The company also now offers a flower subscription service, allowing you to choose the style of bouquet you want each month - plus you get a free vase with the first order. Serenata promises to deliver your flowers every day of the week, between 8am and 8pm, and they will always be delivered the next day where possible.

For thoughtful gifts that keep on giving, flower subscriptions are a no-brainer. As well as a range of gorgeous hand-tied bouquets, letterbox flowers and a selection of plants, Arena has a number of different flower subscriptions available that you can choose depending on your needs.

With a choice between three months or 12 months and options to have deliveries come weekly, fortnightly or monthly, you can go for whichever one suits your giftee (and your bank account) the best. Each delivery comes with either one or two types of seasonal stems that have been freshly picked and accompanying greenery that you can arrange yourself at home - you can also choose 'pet-friendly' bouquet options if you're looking for a gift for a dog-lover. If you only want a one-off delivery, there are also lots of hand-tied and luxury bouquets to choose from on the site, with gifts such as natural wines and grow-your-own-tea kits making for a thoughtful and unique gift for a 30th birthday or other special occasions.

Dried flowers have had quite the resurgence over the last few years, with many preferring them to fresh blooms thanks to their longer lifespans and unique aesthetic. Although they offer fresh blooms too, The Happy Blossoms is all about pretty arrangements of dried flowers in a range of stylish designs.

The Happy Blossoms offers a range of different bouquet sizes, from small bunches made up of just a few stems to impressive arrangements that could fill a large vase. The beautiful collection is made up of a choice of different designs, with various color themes available, and you can also buy flower gift boxes, as well as other gifts such as vases, candles and soaps. 

Premium supermarket brand M&S has a beautifully presented and affordable online flower shop, with an impressive selection of bouquets to choose from year-round. The flowers available from M&S look much more expensive than they actually are, and unlike other delivery services where flowers can arrive looking a little wilted and desperate for water, M&S bouquets are delivered with a freshness and wow factor to boot.

The high-street giant also has a range of house plants available, from small succulents to large palms and everything in between, if you're looking for the best places to buy plants online. M&S offers next-day delivery on lots of bouquets, with seasonal blooms available and the option to create your own gift bundle.

After being inspired by watching his florist parents at work growing up, Freddie from Freddie's Flowers decided to start his own delivery service, which has now become one of the most well-known options in the UK. Freddie's Flowers specializes in letterbox-friendly deliveries that pack an impressive amount of stems into one box, with instructions on how to arrange your new bouquet. The flowers arrive in bud, meaning they'll stay fresh and brighten your living space for even longer, perfect if you're looking for ways to bring positive energy into your home.

If you opt for a subscription service from Freddie's Flowers - with a starting price of £25 per box - you can easily change the delivery date, skip one or cancel anytime. The boxes which the flowers arrive in are always recyclable, and Freddie's Flowers only grow the blooms that will be used, meaning the company produces 90% less waste than the rest of the flower industry.

Which delivery flowers last the longest?

When ordering flowers to be delivered to your home, it can feel like a risk - how do you know that you'll receive a fresh, ready-to-bloom bunch in the post and not a wilting and lackluster collection of stems? Well, there are some flowers you should definitely avoid, as well as some you should look out for. "The best varieties when delivering flowers are typically ones that have strong, woody stems", says Jack Sheldon from East London florist Grace and Thorn. He recommends "leucadendrons, roses, wax flowers, and berries such as hypericium".

Sheldon also suggests "foliage that lasts well and has a long shelf-life in the home," adding that "eucalyptus, grevillea and seasonal native branches such as viburnum" are his favorites at this time of year. Still worrying about receiving a mulchy mess in the post? Rest assured, as Sheldon tells us that "all flowers are perfectly able to be delivered, as long as they are conditioned well and come in the correct packaging". However, if in doubt, he recommends opting for dried flowers, "which make for a beautiful, long-lasting gift and require no water during transit".