It’s easy to tie yourself in knots trying to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift – but I’m here to tell you that a decent bunch of blooms is still hard to beat. Take it from me – the very tired mum of three young children. All I really want is a long lie down (maybe for a year) – but I’d also happily take a bunch of flowers.
Flowers are a very convenient present, too. Many online flower delivery services offer same- or next-day delivery. And they cater for all tastes – from traditional and formal arrangements to more modern affairs. You can even opt for a subscription so the matriarch in your life gets flowers every month.
While doing my research and testing, I investigated the sustainability of flower delivery services. Ideally, we wanted all bunches to feature British-grown flowers, but since Mother’s Day is in March, we can’t expect blousy peonies sprouting from the land any time soon. I’m happy to report it is possible to get British-grown flowers even now, though.
Remember: if your recipient has pets, do check whether the flowers are toxic before sending them (read more about which are toxic for cats and dogs).
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At a glance
Best overall:
Marks & Spencer
£40 at M&SBest budget:
Scilly Flowers
£28.50 at Scilly FlowersBest subscription service:
Freddie’s Flowers
£41 at Freddie’s FlowersBest same-day flowers:
Interflora
£75 at InterfloraBest letterbox flowers:
Bloom & Wild
£34 at Bloom & Wild
Why you should trust me
I’ve been in the product-testing game for four years now, and have reviewed more than 1,000 products in that time. I’ve tested everything from heated blankets to high chairs, and all my reviews are firm but fair.
I’m a self-confessed anthophile, and this isn’t my first time testing flower delivery services. Of course, I love luxury flowers as much as the next person – I have a soft spot for a fussy arrangement or silk ribbon – but I also have a lot of time for budget flowers. In spring, I rarely go past a bucket of £1 supermarket daffodils without picking up a bunch. Whatever your budget, I’m determined to hunt down the best bouquet for your buck.
How I tested
During testing, I received many bunches from the main British flower-delivery services. I first tested for Valentine’s Day and then tested again for Mother’s Day. In fact, I received 23 arrangements over the two testing periods. My regular courier drivers asked if everything was OK, as they were delivering enough flowers to satisfy even Elton John’s needs. The flowers were counted and cut on arrival to condition them, and then arranged into vases and placed around my house. I followed the directions for each bunch where relevant – arranging them and adding flower food as suggested.
I kept my eye on each bouquet every day, noting when any flowers began to fade. My house is a draughty Victorian number, but I did fire up the central heating and log burner intermittently to see how the flowers coped. I had all the flowers delivered over the course of two days so I could be sure they all underwent the same conditions (yes, I did need to invest in several new vases – charity shops are great hunting grounds for them).
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The best flower delivery services in 2025
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Best overall:
Marks & Spencer
Bouquet tested: white rose, antirrhinum and eucalyptus
Marks & Spencer has recently overhauled its flower business, offering a five-day freshness guarantee on its bouquets. For Valentine’s Day, I tested an impressive, much larger (and much more expensive) arrangement, but for Mother’s Day, I’ve opted for something a bit more modest that’s available for next-day delivery.
Why we love it
The arrangement I tested was incredibly fresh. The one recommended here features 21 stems of pink antirrhinum, white rose and eucalyptus populus. The pretty and delicate antirrhinum are the real spectacle here – they will come in bud, and open over a few days, revealing their delicate pastel pinks. The quality of the white roses I received in my bunch was incredible – large and juicy. I often find that roses in arrangements are small and slightly dull, but not here. I love the scent and drama of eucalyptus – a superior bit of foliage in my opinion.
M&S says it sources as many British flowers as it can, depending on what’s in season. It also uses sustainable packaging. The flowers I tested came in a cardboard box and the bouquet was wrapped in kraft paper with a form of cellophane wrap over the top.
It’s a shame that … there aren’t guaranteed to be more British flowers in the arrangements.
Fastest delivery: next day
Delivery cost: Free
B Corp certified: no
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Best budget:
Scilly Flowers
Bouquet tested: 60 scented narcissi
Spring sunshine in a box, this affordable delivery overflows with 60 beautiful budded narcissus stems, some vibrant egg-yolk yellow, some pastel. These could fill one massive vase or you would have plenty to split over two or three vases.
Why we love it
All Scilly Flowers stems are grown naturally outdoors without artificial light or heat. As such, these particular flowers are available from October to Easter. The whole farm is making strides in sustainability with low-irrigation initiatives, a solar power cold store and postal plane and boat shipping.
The flowers were easily the most highly scented delivery I received. They’re low-effort, maximum joy in flower form. You don’t need any special skills to arrange them because they’re so gloriously simple. Many of the stems came as buds, and gradually opened up over the week, which spread the joy for longer.
It’s a shame that … they sell out so fast (I tested a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet as well that sadly went out of stock) and aren’t available all year round but this is understandable on both counts.
Fastest delivery: 1st class Royal Mail
Delivery cost: free
B Corp certified: no
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Best subscription service:
Freddie’s Flowers
Bouquet tested: showstopper (seasonal arrangements change on four-weekly cycles)
Freddie’s Flowers started as a subscription-only business, but it has since grown to offer one-off deliveries too. I’ve tested both, with the latest being Paint the World, a seasonal Mother’s Day arrangement from its one-off gifting range. The flowers arrived in a flat-lay box, bundled in recyclable paper along with instructions on how to create your arrangement.
Why we love it
I love taking the time to arrange the blooms. It’s a chance to get creative, even if only for five minutes. And it’s simple enough to follow the instructions, even if you’re not particularly artistic.
I loved the variety of blooms, too: it was clear that thought had gone into creating something dramatic, with even the filler flowers adding dimension and spectacle. The lilies in Paint the World came carefully packaged in extra padding, and all the flowers were of great quality.
Lilies aren’t ideal for everyone, though, as they’re extremely poisonous to pets; the subscription boxes can be made lily-free for that very reason (although you still need to be cautious around other kinds of flowers, as noted at the top of the article).
It’s a shame that … you don’t have much control over your delivery days, and although good value, the one-off arrangement didn’t have as many stems as the showstopper bunch.
Fastest delivery: subscription flowers are variable – delivery days are set depending on your postcode; one-off bunches are available next day
Delivery cost: for subscription flowers, £4; for one-off deliveries, next day £5, standard free
B Corp certified: yes
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Best same-day flowers:
Interflora
Bouquet tested: Love & Joy to Mum
Interflora is effectively a floral matchmaker. You choose from a huge menu of flowers and then it matches you with a florist local to your delivery address. The florist then creates and delivers the arrangement. For testing, I received a peachy bouquet called Love & Joy to Mum, which was teeming with roses, gerberas, tulips and eucalyptus.
Why we love it
I love the more personal feeling of receiving a bouquet from a local florist – especially because, as luck would have it, mine came from my favourite florist. Interflora guarantees that arrangements are made to order, and my arrangement certainly seemed fresh. Some of the flowers were lightly scented but not overpowering, which is always a joy.
The bouquet easily lasted beyond five days, providing a burst of colour and delight on my dining table long after the initial excitement of receiving them. For the last-minute ones among us, you’ll be glad to know that Interflora offers same-day delivery if you order before 3pm. There’s sometimes surge pricing on very busy delivery days, though(which I imagine includes Mother’s Day).
It’s a shame that … they’re so expensive at £75 for the bouquet. And that doesn’t include the delivery fee.
Fastest delivery: same day (order before 3pm)
Delivery cost: £10 for same-day delivery, £7.50 for named-day delivery
B Corp certified: no
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Best letterbox flowers:
Bloom & Wild
Bouquet tested: the Hope
Letterbox flowers are the perfect solution if you’re not sure your recipient will be home. They come bundled up “sleeping” – so most flowers are in bud rather than big blousy blooms. But this just means they unfurl over time, last longer and bring extended joy as you watch them blossom. I’ve tested various letterbox flower delivery services and rate Bloom & Wild as the best – for range, service and quality. It always offers new trend-led arrangements, too.
Why we love it
I opted for the Hope bouquet, which gives £1 of each sale to Tommy’s, a charity that funds research into the causes of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. I can’t think of a more perfect Mother’s Day gift than to pay it forward for mums who have been through any of these experiences.
This bouquet has spring tulips with the bulb still attached. Once the flowers die back, dry the bulbs, pop them in the paper bag included and then plant them out in a flower bed or planter (in late October to December) for them to bloom again next Mother’s Day. Delicate irises and dramatic snapdragons complete the bouquet. There are no instructions on how to arrange these flowers, but I still had a lot of fun shuffling them about in the vase.
It’s a shame that … there weren’t one or two more stems or more iris in the arrangement. It felt like there was a bit too much filler.
Fastest delivery: next day
Delivery cost: free, but up to £6 for weekend delivery
B Corp certified: yes
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The best of the rest
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Smith & Munson
Best for: British-grown single-variety flowers
Bouquet tested: columbus double British tulips, 20 stems
Smith & Munson grows all its flowers in Lincolnshire – it specialises in tulips, like the sample I tried, lilies, peonies and ranunculus. These are all seasonal, so you can’t get them out of season.
They were all buds when they arrived, ensuring they lasted as long as possible. I liked that they were packaged in a tube, with instructions to pop them in water and keep them in the paper for a few hours. Presumably, this is to let them acclimatise to being indoors – but it also extends the anticipation as you can’t see your flowers for a few hours. After six hours, the buds opened to reveal puffy double tulips in bright pink hues. Smith & Munson is dedicated to growing quality flowers in the UK, and having a single-variety bouquet meant every stem was a winner.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the flowers didn’t last quite as long as I’d have liked (about five days).
Fastest delivery: 24 hours (Tuesday-Saturday); delivery cost: free; B Corp certified: no
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Flowerbx
Best for: show-stopping flowers
Bouquet tested: blush nude stocks, 20 stems
Flowerbx is another delivery service that offers single-variety bunches, but you’ll only be able to get these ones in time for Mother’s Day if you live in London. These blush nude stocks are perfect for Mother’s Day, with a choice of between 10 and 40 stems. Stocks are a highly scented spring flower that will fill your recipient’s home with a gorgeous fragrance while looking absolutely show-stopping. I’ve tested Flowerbx on two different occasions and the brand always provides the arrangement that people remark on the most – no stem has been a dud, and they last incredibly well.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the delivery turnaround times can be fairly long for £5.
Fastest delivery: same day in London, variable nationwide; delivery cost: from £5; B Corp certified: yes
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What you need to know
Sustainability
Cut flowers don’t have a great reputation in the sustainability stakes, but many brands are working hard to improve practices. Look for British-grown flowers where you can, and go for those that are seasonal. Peonies in January are just not a good vibe for the planet.
Delivery times
Not all flower-delivery services offer next-day delivery. Check the delivery service offering on the website or underneath each entry above. And some can sneak in the cost on top of the flowers, which ends up making a fairly affordable bunch rather punchy.
How to make your flowers last longer at home
Cut flowers may last only five days at home, even with all the variables being in their favour. Roses and tulips especially don’t last long. However, other flowers such as hydrangeas and chrysanthemums can go for a lot longer.
To make your flowers last longer at home, you’ve got to think about care and the environment. Only ever use a clean vase, then trim off a few centimetres from the end of each stem. Cut them at a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area in the water. Remove any foliage on the stem below the water line, and then put them in cool water, mixed with flower food (all decent flowers should come with flower food).
Pick the right spot for your flowers. Spring flowers don’t appreciate being near heat sources. Don’t put them too close to your fruit bowl, either: fruit releases ethylene gas, which makes your flowers wilt more quickly.
Tips for buying seasonal flowers
As well as being more sustainable, seasonal flowers will last longer in your home. Knowing what’s in season is the best place to start. If you’re buying flowers in the depths of winter, this means no sunflowers or dahlias are coming your way.
Buy your flowers from a local florist, or via an online flower delivery service that says it offers British seasonal flowers. It may take a deep dive to find out what that actually looks like. Flower subscriptions, such as Freddie’s Flowers above, are also a great way to get seasonal flowers that have been grown to order.
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Zoë Phillimore is a freelance journalist with 20 years of experience. She’s tested everything from mattresses to makeup, and she’s slightly obsessed with finding small new businesses to spotlight. Aside from this niche interest, Zoë loves travel, being outside – especially on the beach – and adding books to her to-be-read pile
• This article was originally published on 12 February 2025. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor’s discretion. The date of an article’s most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page. This piece was updated on 26 March 2025; reviews were updated to reflect recommended bouquets for Mother’s Day.
• This article was amended on 13 February 2025 to add that if your recipient has pets, do check whether the flowers are toxic before sending them.
