The best flower and houseplant delivery services

From congratulatory blooms to perfect centrepieces, flowers can say ‘I love you’, ‘I miss you’ or, in the case of Freddie’s Flowers’ subscription service, ‘I am oh-so serious about self-care'. Its regular deliveries are sure to bring a smile to your face every time they arrive. Feeling generous? You can also gift a subscription service, complete with a complementary vase.

Whether you’re gifting to yourself or someone else, the flowers arrive in a recyclable cardboard box, ready to be arranged at home, so they’re a great way for newbie floral enthusiasts to practise their styling skills. You’re also in total control of how often you receive them – options range from two boxes a month to 12 boxes over a year.

Note that with the subscription service, there’s only one bouquet design a week, but our panel was impressed with the flowers’ two-week freshness factor and the beautiful presentation. You can also opt to pause or stop your subscription at any time, and you have the choice to skip a week if you’re not a fan of the design or – lucky you – you’re off on holiday.

If you’re thinking, well, this all sounds fantastic, but I just want to buy someone a bunch of flowers – we have great news. The brand has introduced a one-off gifting service with four seasonal bouquets to choose from, each available in three different sizes.

For flowers with a conscience, look no further than ethical florist, Arena Flowers. To offset its emissions, the brand plants two trees through the Eden Reforestation Projects for every bouquet ordered. When it comes to producers, its stems are sourced either from Fairtrade or vetted ethical farms. Plus, packaging is free from single-use plastic.

And the bouquets themselves? Well, they stayed fresh for up to 12 days on test and proved to be real compliment-generators for our panel.

If there's a spot in your home that's crying out for some greenery, Patch has you covered. Specialising in houseplants, its website allows you to filter according to light and water requirements, as well as by room.

Deliveries came with detailed care instructions, making looking after your new plant baby a doddle. Everyone also said they'd turn to the company again.

Note that next day delivery isn't always available, and there's no specified day delivery, so you can't guarantee your order will arrive in time for a special occasion.

To send plants as gifts, we'd suggest using Appleyard London. The florist has over 40 to choose from, each one coming in a pot as standard. You can also choose which day you'd like it delivered. In London, you can even opt for same-day delivery, although check for restrictions around special occasions before buying.

The plants secured top marks from our panel, while the bouquets also proved to be real head-turners.

Think of Floom like Etsy for fresh flowers. Independent florists list their businesses on the marketplace, showcasing their unique designs. Simply pop your delivery postcode in to see what's on offer in your area.

As a result, our orders had a unique touch, and were hand-delivered by the florist. This pleased our panel, with one telling us it was the best bouquet they’d ever been gifted.

Some didn’t receive calling cards to let them know their bouquets were left in safe places, but, luckily, this didn’t impact the overall enjoyment or freshness of the flowers.

With delivery available seven days a week, Waitrose’s high-quality blooms can get you out of a tight gifting spot. The website lets you browse seasonal selections through filters that include colour and species.

There are thoughtful extras on offer too, including luxe smellies. Our bouquets did seem a tad smaller in real life, but they remained fresh for between 10 and 14 days. The packaging proved reliable too.

You’ll find all the classic houseplants are covered with M&S, from peace lilies to rubber plants. There are some seasonal offerings too, and ordering is intuitive, from search to checkout.

Handily, free nominated day or next day delivery is also available. On our doorsteps, the plants arrived safely packaged, and with easy-to-follow care instructions.

You don’t have to splash out to bag some beautiful flora – Prestige has an affordable array that seriously impressed our testers. Every stem arrived well-protected, and the bonus box of chocolates was a tasty touch.

We were also impressed with how its customer service assisted one of our testers, who received some already browning flowers – a replacement bouquet arrived in no time.