Sending a bouquet of flowers often marks life’s meaningful moments – from joy and celebration to comfort and sorrow, flowers are symbols of love and thought from one person to another.

While now a go-to gift, letterbox flowers revolutionised online gifting over a decade ago when pioneers Aron Gelbard and Ben Stanway co-founded Bloom & Wild with its flat-packed, letterbox-friendly boxes. Eliminating the need for recipients be at home for delivery, this innovation sparked a massive online floristry boom.

However, cut stems can carry a high environmental impact due to heavy water usage and long-distance transport. Opting for seasonal arrangements significantly lowers your carbon footprint, so it’s good to learn what to look for.

Jessica Blume, one of the women behind the SSAW Collective (an acronym for spring, summer, autumn, winter) runs an annual campaign to raise awareness of the issues with buying roses out of season. Rather than opting for roses in winter, Blume suggests “cyclamen, snowdrops, hellebore and winter blossom”. Most of these have “associations with love”, too, says Blume, making them ideal for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries.

To help you find high-value, long-lasting options, we’ve rounded up the best letterbox flower services available for nationwide delivery. We’ve tested some of the brands included, where we evaluated bouquet assembly, stem durability, seasonal variety, and overall freshness. Read on for our top-rated online florists.

The best shops for letterbox flowers are:

• Flowerfix– Quirky, colourful flowers, Flowerfix.co.uk
• Freddie’s Flowers– Dramatic, romantic flowers and sustainable delivery, Freddiesflowers.com
• Blossoming Gifts– Full bouquets that are excellent value for money, Blossominggifts.com
• Bloom and Wild– A unique and wide range of letterbox flowers, Bloomandwild.com

Flowerfix

Flowerfix specialises in what it calls "wild and quirky" bouquets with a variety of colours, plus drama from different varieties, shapes and greenery. Delivered in a millennial pink box, the flowers arrive in good condition and boast notable longevity. Our tester Emma Henderson said Flowerfix’s bunch was the best looking and enjoyed the “cool aesthetic of Flowerfix's modern floristry”, as well as how easy it was to arrange the bouquet in the brand’s style.

Scilly Flowers

Scilly Flowers, based on the island of St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly, was founded in 1991 and specialises in seasonal home-grown British flowers. Everything is grown right on the island's flower farm and is then delivered to the mainland via the island’s passenger ferry or by plane. The brand offers two seasonal crops – scented narcissi between October and Easter, and summer scented pinks between May and September.

Our tester noted the floral scent they delivered, plus how long the flowers lasted and the completely plastic-free packaging.

Freddie's Flowers

Inspired by growing up in his parent's flower shop, Freddie has pioneered changing flower delivery for the better, by delivering bouquets by bicycle in London, or by electric vans around the rest of the country. The company has also partnered with Abel & Cole food box deliveries, to share the load.

Bloom & Wild

As the company most associated with letterbox flowers, Bloom & Wild pioneered the incredibly convenient idea of sending stems in a letterbox-friendly package in 2013. Since then, many brands have followed suit but Bloom & Wild is still offering very fresh flowers and a wide range of beautiful bouquets.

After testing a bouquet, Emma said its “bouquet arrived in the best condition of all those tested, and really shone for its design and longevity”. While it’s one of the pricier letterbox flower delivery services, the stems look more like they've come from your local florist than a letterbox-friendly parcel.

Flying Flowers

Flying Flowers has been delivering flowers for more than 40 years, delivering more than 12 million beautiful bunches to UK doorstops in that time. Reaching all corners of the country, the company supports British growers while delivering sustainably sourced flowers. Among the huge choice are bunches for different occasions, be it anniversaries or birthdays as well as house plants.

Emma said the service is a “great choice for those who aren't too organised, as you can still get next-day delivery if you order by 4pm, whereas most brands have a cut-off of 12pm”.

Serenata Flowers

Serenata Flowers says each of its bouquets are “masterpieces”, individually crafted by their expert florists, who pour their artistry and care into every arrangement. While the choice is narrower than others in the list, the bouquets do not disappoint on character, as our tester noted that her flowers brought “a touch of sunshine and happiness to the home”.

She noted the “decent amount of stems, which, along with free delivery, makes this bunch a well-priced bouquet”. They arrived in good condition and didn't need time to ‘wake up’, either, as some blooms do on arrival.

Bunches

Bunches is a family-run business that began back in 1989. Every year, it donates at least 10 per cent of its profits to charities in the UK and abroad.

Our tester Emma reviewed the florist's choice bouquet which showcases the best flowers of the moment, and the florist's own flair and creative design. She liked the changing floral arrangements as they mean you’re getting a surprise when it comes to which blooms will arrive. Extras include plastic-free packaging and a mini wall calendar.

Appleyard

The boutique London florist, Appleyard delivers professionally arranged and hand tied luxury bouquets “with a modern British flair”. Browse its curated collection of letterbox flowers from delicate hues of pink antique carnations to striking red roses that come with a free gift note. Emma noted that the “texture and a theatrical element” of her bouquet (with the inclusion of the sea holly and the pretty pale pink sugar flair hypericum berries) set it apart from other blooms.

Blossoming Gifts

Blossoming Gifts is a one-stop shop for all things celebratory, from hand-tied flowers to hampers. When it comes to letterbox flowers, its arrangements and floral designs have been put together by expert florists – think deep hues of purple statice and vibrant green carnations.

Our tester Emma Henderson said they offer great value for money after receiving a full bouquet from Blossoming Gifts. She noted that with the vast amounts of heads on each stem, the vase looked full and was further bulked out with plenty of frothy baby’s breath, which filled in any gaps.

Arena Flowers

Arena Flowers prides itself on delivering bouquets and letterbox flowers ethically. With initiatives like the planting of two trees for every bouquet sent, no fossil-based, single-use plastics in the packaging and a closed-loop waste system, you can be reassured that your purchase is kinder to the earth. The letterbox flower choice is slim but by no means boring, with bold and colourful bouquets featuring the likes of tangerine roses, pink alstroemeria and purple santini.

These are the best artificial flowers that look surprisingly real, chosen by an interiors editor