9 Best flower subscription services 2024, tried and tested
11/13/2024 07:37 AM
MOST people love to receive a fresh bouquet of flowers, and the easiest way to stock up frequently is with a flower subscription.
A flower subscription is a great gift for yourself, a friend, relative or loved one, and there are plenty of online retailers to shop floral blooms.
Bloom & Wild flower subscriptions, from £25
Flower subscriptions can vary from 12 stem roses, a floral bouquet of numerous sizes, as well as plants and wreaths, which are ideal for Christmas.
The best part is it saves the hassle of carrying your blooms home with you after a visit to your local flower market, and risking them getting squashed en route home.
A flower subscription can refresh your existing floral arrangement as frequently as you like, so that centrepiece is always a vibrant showstopper.
Plus, if you have left any Christmas gifting to the last minute, you can sit back and laugh in the face of other last-minute shoppers, shelling out a fortune for a forlorn bunch of petrol station roses, as you can gift a bouquet or a subscription to a green-fingered friend.
But which is the best subscription that will suit your sweetheart down to the ground?
The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, credits herself with knowing her Tulips from her Tiger Lillies, and put her knowledge to the test to seek out the best flower subscription services.
From sheer luxury to savvy and sustainable, here are the best flower subscription services to suit all your needs and budgets.
Best flower subscriptions at a glance:
- Best overall & biggest bunch: Bloom & Wild
- Best bouquet:Flowerbx
- Best value:Blossoming Gifts
- Best luxury: Interflora
- Best sustainable: Arena Flowers
- Best long lasting: Freddie’s Flowers
- Best seasonal options: Appleyard Flowers
- Best gift: The Happy Blossoms
Why do flower subscriptions make a great gift?
We don’t know anyone who doesn’t love to receive a bunch of flowers – whether it is a special occasion or not.
Plus, you don’t have to wait for someone to buy you flowers either, as you can treat yourself to them too.
Admittedly buying a bouquet of flowers, whether it is from your local supermarket, florist, garden centre or weekend market, can be cumbersome to carry.
The solution: a flower subscription, which saves the hassle (and arm ache) of carrying your blooms as they are delivered directly to your door, and as frequently as you like too.
Some may opt for a one-off flower subscription, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. The option is yours.
Bloom and Wild
Bloom and Wild, from £20
There are plenty of subscription offers to shop at Bloom and Wild, whether you are shopping for yourself or gifting a subscription.
The cost can vary depending on which subscription you select; if you are buying for someone else the flower subscription can start from £20, while the subscription for yourself starts from £25., which is still a reasonable sum.
The duration can vary from three, six to 12 months, and shoppers can select the same blooms each time or different options.
However, shoppers can select to have their blooms delivered every week or bi-weekly too.
The best part is shoppers are eligible to claim a free vase, as well as an extra discount. Bloom & Wild is offering shoppers up to 30% off their first three deliveries and the free vase so you can house your bouquet easily.
If you want to pause or cancel your order you can do, but it depends on the timeframe as your order may have been processed, so it’s best to check your account.
Freddie’s
Freddie’s Flower Subscription, from £25
Freddie’s Flowers offer a variety of flower subscription offers, spanning across various blooms, the number of stems.
Plus, they are meant to be long-lasting and super high quality, which is what you want when ordering a floral subscription right?
Another pull factor is Freddie’s Flowers prides itself on delivering sustainable and ethical flowers too, so it is the ideal flower subscription service for the eco-conscious shopper.
Shoppers can select how frequently they want to receive their subscription, whether it is two boxes across one month, once a month, among other options.
Plus, the Classic and Showstopper subscriptions include a free vase, which is ideal for those who have their existing vases occupied with other floral arrangements.
Feeling festive? Freddie’s Flowers also offers a variety of Christmas creations too.
The fun doesn’t stop there as new customers can secure a 10% discount off their first order, simply sign up to the newsletter to claim the reward.
If you wish to cancel your subscription, you can do so up to two days before your next delivery by phoning or emailing.
Arena Flowers
Arena Flowers, from £25
These bunches are HUGE! I’m not joking, the first bunch of the most beautiful pinks and greens, including Lisianthus, Greenbell and Antirrhinums, contained 37 stems and went over three vases. And they lasted for well over two weeks.
They arrived in a beautiful bow-tied cardboard box, which felt really luxurious.
So not only do they tick the box for the the biggest bunch, Arena has also been voted the UK's #1 rated ethical flower delivery company for eight years running, which is not to be sniffed at. Or perhaps, more literally, it is.
I also received a huge bunch of tulips, cleverly arranged with sprays of Pittosporum to prevent the inevitable tulip collapse. This had, wait for it…FITTY SEVEN stems in all and went over two vases.
They come with Day 1 and Day 4 flower food, which is a really nice touch to keep them going for longer, a card describing what the flowers are, and a useful arrangement guide.
The website is straightforward to navigate: you can decide what day you want your flowers delivered, whether it’s weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and there's even a pet-friendly option.
You get all of this for £25 per bunch with free delivery. And it gets even cheaper if you’re ordering a gift subscription; then it can go down to £23 a bunch if you order a 12-month gift set. This is incredible value for lovely seasonal stems.
It is super simple to manage or cancel your subscription, simply head to the “M”anage your subscription” section, though you can also phone Arena Flowers to make any changes.
READ MORE:
Interflora
Interflora flower subscription, from £42
When it comes to Interflora, you know what you're getting before you've even ordered. The brand is synonymous with reliability, luxury and tradition.
And, because their bouquets are handcrafted by a local artisan florist to you, you don't have to worry about unsustainable mileage.
Interflora selects your bouquet from the stems they have in their florists that day, so although you can't choose exactly what you want, you know that you're getting the best of the best with each bunch.
Each bouquet I received was big; on average, there were over 30 stems and they looked absolutely stunning, with a huge variety of flowers. The sets I received all included lilies, which I love and filled my home with a gorgeous, heady scent.
Crucially, they arrive mostly in bud, so you get to see them from start to finish. Mine have lasted well over a fortnight and counting. It also comes with Day 1 and Day 3 food, which keeps them going for longer.
The downside of Interflora is that they don’t come cheap; each bouquet comes in at £42 and you pay the same whether it's a three, six, nine or 12-month subscription, along with an initial £7.50 delivery fee.
But it’s almost reassuringly expensive; Interflora shouts luxury from the bottom of their stems, to the very top of their blooms; a very swanky way to wow any recipient.
If you wish to cancel it is best advised to contact customer services, though if your order has been dispatched it may not be possible to make any alterations to your order.
Flowerbx
Flowerbx flower subscription, from £45
There’s a reason why Flowerbx boasts reviews on its website from Vogue and Vanity Fair; these flowers are very, very stylish.
Ideal for impressing the purist in your life, they contain just one variety of flowers, which oozes elegance and class.
Mine (20 beautiful Pink Sweet Avalanche Roses, what everyone gets as their first subscription delivery) arrived in a sophisticated-looking box, hand-tied with a beautiful ribbon which just felt special.
GIve them a few days to burst into life and you'll see why they start with such a stunning rose.
The roses are usually priced at £70 for a one-off delivery, so at a cost of £45, it’s a big discount to start your weekly, fortnightly or monthly flower affair.
There's also the choice of choosing a tulip or rose subscription, again with one single variety, but so many different options; absolutely stunning.
Plus, there are different deals to be had depending on how many subscriptions you shop. For £10 off your order add “FLOWERBX” at the checkout, on the third order you will receive a complimentary gift, and by the 10th order a free Flowerbx bouquet – plus other deals.
Want to end your subscription? You can do so up to 36 hours before any nominated delivery due date.
Appleyard
Appleyard Flower Subscription, from £25
Oozing sophistication, Appleyard London promises much and delivers more.
Arriving in a beautifully illustrated floral box and hand-tied with a black velvet ribbon, my bouquet was packed with 17 stems of flowers and various greenery, which looked incredibly elegant.
The longer you subscribe, the less you pay, so if you pay upfront for 12 months, it works out at £25 per bouquet, including delivery. Alternatively, pay an upfront cost of £240 instead of £300. For what you get, that’s a real bargain.
You can choose an ongoing subscription where you pay £25 monthly, or upfront for three, six or 12 months and there's no problem with skipping one if needs be.
My bouquet came with a handy 'how to' guide on best practices and a little about my stems.
In all, this was a lovely-looking bouquet, from a lovely-looking company.
Plus, you can cancel your subscription at any time, or pause it too, which is the kind of fuss-free and ease we love to see.
Blossoming Gifts
Blossoming Gifts flower subscription, from £25
There’s no messing around with the Blossoming Gifts Bouquets.
While it might not have been the biggest or bloomiest, mine came in a lovely box and was filled with a 13-stem bunch of roses, lilies and Thalaspi which lasted for ages.
More mass marketed than maybe some of the other more high-end subscriptions, the website is very easy to use and, like most of the services, offers an ongoing, or three, six or 12-month subscription.
If you don't want to pay monthly you pay upfront for the three, six and year subscriptions, but the longer you order for, the less you pay; it works out at £24 a bouquet if you pay £240 upfront for the year subscription, reduced from £300.
It's a lot of money, but if you're buying for a flower fanatic, then it’s going to get you smiles and more every single month.
Stems are selected depending on their freshness and seasonality, so you won't know exactly what you're getting. But whatever it is, judging from my experience, it’s bound to be lovely.
Happy Blossoms
The Happy Blossoms Floral Subscription, from £78
Now here's a different idea: how about a monthly subscription of dried flowers? Ethical, colourful, and classy, it makes dried flower arranging look cool, not least because they do it all for you.
Making a cheeky change from the big blousy blooms in the previous subscriptions, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Especially if your loved one is prone to the odd bit of hay fever, or you just feel they deserve something a little bit different.
Happy Blossoms do deliver fresh flowers, as well as dried, and there’s even the option to book workshops too.
You'll receive an arrangement directly to your door in the first week of each month, whether it’s from their core range or their most recent seasonal collection, each month will be a surprise!
Every bunch features a mixture of dried and preserved flowers that have been painted, dyed or are natural in colour. I was lucky enough to receive two to review: a very colourful collection of 50-plus stems from their previous Valentine’s Day collection and a more classic one with neutral tones.
And one of the things I love the most is that they can last up to a year – and they are pretty robust too, so you don’t have to worry about how they will fair when in transit.
There's the option of monthly rolling subscriptions, as well as a selection of three, six and 12-month subscription plans, so there is enough variation to shake up the usual floral fancies.
Plus, new customers can save up to 15% off when they sign up to the newsletter for the first time.
But if you wish to cancel you will be required to submit a query detailing your request. The cancellation request must be at least 48 hours before the delivery date, though it may not be processed for four days in busy periods.
Smith and Munson
Smith and Munson flower subscription, from £25
What is absolutely fabulous about these flowers, is that they come directly from a family-run glasshouse in Lincolnshire, straight to your door and it doesn't get more ethical than that (short of picking from your own garden and getting your kids to ring on the doorbell so you can pretend you've got a surprise delivery…)
They grow all year round on their flower farm, so what you get is what is supposed to be growing in the UK, at the right time of year; a real win for those who have concerns about some of the more far-flung countries our flowers are arriving from.
And it's reassuring to know that five generations of the same family have worked at the company who really seem to take pride in what they do.
My flowers, two beautifully-wrapped bunches of 10 pink tulips, arrived in a lovely cardboard tube, which looks really elegant.
Both bouquets came with clever advice to keep the flowers fully wrapped, stems in water, for two hours before moving them into a vase, which meant they were super perky when they came out.
They lasted for around two weeks with only a small amount of collapsing (something I remedied when I chopped off some of the bottom of the stem and changed the water).
Depending on the season, you'll get tulips, ranunculus or lilies and they even offer a pollon-free version, to prevent those nasty carpet stains and sneezing fits.
Smith and Munson seems like a really classy company; the flowers come with lovely delivery and the fact they're made in Britain is the icing on the cake.
Plus, new customers can save 10% on their first order by signing up to the newsletter.
The option to cancel your subscription can be managed in your account, or by contacting the brand directly on email.
Which website is best for online flower deliveries in the UK?
There’s a wide range of online florists available in the UK – here are some of our favourites:
How much is a monthly flower subscription service?
There are masses of flower subscriptions nationwide that can be tailored to your needs and budget.
The cost of the monthly subscription will vary on the type of flower you select and the size of the bouquet delivery, as well as the frequency.
The cost will also depend on how many months you choose to receive flowers for – the longer the time period, the cheaper the monthly price of flowers will be.
Expect to pay anywhere from £18 for a smaller set of flowers to £80 plus for premium bouquets, but most subscriptions cost around £25.
We also noticed selecting a subscription for someone else is less than buying for yourself.
How to choose the best flower subscription for you?
When choosing a subscription service, there are many considerations to take into account.
Think about how often you’d like to receive the flowers and how long you want to sign up for to ensure the subscription service offers what you want – and that you can cancel if it doesn’t work out.
Check that the quality and style of the flowers are what you’re looking for – as there’s a huge range of different bouquets and letterbox flowers to choose from.
It is also worth considering if a vase is included free of charge, a well as free delivery too.
Budget is also a consideration, so think about how much you’re happy to spend and look out for a good deal – many subscription services will offer a discount if you pre-pay for a longer period, such as an annual subscription.
How do flower subscription services work?
A flower subscription service delivers an ongoing supply of fresh flowers (or dried) straight to your front door.
Most subscriptions work on a monthly basis, but some companies provide the option of weekly or bi-weekly deliveries.
The beauty of a flower subscription service is that you can either choose what flowers you’d like delivered every month or leave it up to fate and be surprised every month with something new and different.
Subscription services generally save you money compared to a one-off purchase, but you are usually locked into a regular fee for anywhere between three and 12 months.
How long do the flowers last?
Different types of flowers last for different periods of time – but with most flower subscriptions you will get the flowers as buds. This means that they’ve been harvested to last longer and bloom when the bunch arrives at your home., which extends its longevity
Most flower subscriptions come with flower food or handy tips on how to look after your blooms and keep them looking fresher for longer.
Is a flower subscription worth it?
There’s no better feeling than getting a bunch of flowers – they look and smell amazing, can really boost your mood and brighten up your home.
It’s totally down to personal preference, but everyone deserves to treat themselves every now and again.
A subscription is also a great investment especially if you do not live near a local flower market and want an expert set of blooms than your supermarket has to offer.
Plus, if you’re looking for an extra special gift, a flower subscription makes a truly memorable one.
Where do florists get their flowers?
Florists usually get their flowers from flower markets or wholesalers at trade prices.
Some bigger UK florists even grow their own flowers but for the most part, flowers are imported from overseas.
In some cases, and depending on each retailer, this may vary and the blooms are harvested from a UK supplier.
Weekly vs monthly flower deliveries
Flower subscription options can vary from weeks to months, and this solely depends on your preference and budget.
Floral subscriptions can vary from weekly to monthly delivery.
In some cases a delivery of stunning blooms can be received weekly or bi-weekly delivery, even if you select a rolling monthly option.
If you prefer to have fresh flowers more frequently it may be better to select the weekly flower subscription, however, flower subscriptions can last for a month long too.
The main difference is not only the longevity, but the cost, so weigh up all factors before selecting your preferred option.
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