PETALS BY POST

Lauren Cunningham gets sniffy about letterbox flowers

Letterbox flowers are a fabulous invention, allowing us to surprise that special someone by popping a bouquet in the post. And if you’re yet to try them – or are somewhat of a speedy bloom-sending professional – we’ve got everything you need to know about which ones to buy, how long they take to arrive and which brand of blooms best impressed.

While they stray from the traditional hand-tied bouquets, best believe they work wonders for those not always at home. Thanks to their small shape and wonderful wrapping, they do exactly as the name suggests and simply slip through the letterbox, ready to be put in water as soon as your lucky recipient receives them – no need to schedule a time slot.

Of course, the sending of flowers is often for a special occasion, be it the happy kind of a birthday or celebration, or the sad of condolences of loss or wishing someone gets well soon. So either way, the flowers have to be somewhat fabulous, and we think you’ll find these brands are best for the job.

From Bloom & Wild to Bloompost, Moonpig and more, there’s no short supply of letterbox flower shops. But not all are made equal, so we set out to see which ones were blooming lovely and which ones wilted our expectations.

Keep reading below to see which we’ll be sending, especially on Valentine’s Day.

How we tested

Sending flowers to yourself is the ultimate form of self-love, and our tester did this over 10 times to see which blooms were really best in show. Looking at ease of ordering, speed of delivery and the actual flowers themselves, keep reading below to see which ones impressed and why.

Serenata Flowers floral ratatouille: £34.99, Serenata Flowers

These flowers are sure to brighten up even the dullest of days. With 20 stems of bold, beautiful blooms, they smell as good as they look and put the biggest smile on our tester’s face. They arrive in the typical letterbox style, inside a cardboard box, but are wrapped in brown paper with a ribbon to add a level of luxury. Just note, they are delivered in bud but burst into bloom in around 24 hours. And you can even schedule them for nextday delivery if you’ve left it a bit last-minute.

Buy now

Bloompost bloomemory letterbox gift: £18.95, Bloompost

The one downside about flowers is that they rarely last a week at most, but Bloompost has come up with a solution to this problem. Selling a variety of dried blooms alongside your regular alive-and-kicking options, the bloomemory set stood out from the crowd for the fact it can last forever. Included in the set is a wooden display tray, two tiny vases, a selection of seasonal dried blooms and a card you can add your own message to.

We’re dubbing this the perfect pick for extra special occasions or for when you’re not sure how soon you’re recipient will be home. As, after all, there’s nothing worse than flowers left sitting for days in the postbox.

Buy now

FlowerBe original botanical letterbox posy: £14.95, FlowerBe

If you really want the blooms to fit inside a postbox, FlowerBe’s small-sized selection is sure to be your best bet. Fitting inside an A6-sized box, these mini blooms are the perfect small gesture to show someone you care. The selection of flowers is a seasonal pick, so you’re sure to get fun, fresh blooms each and every time and can choose between colourful or neutral depending on your recipient’s taste. The vase pictured isn’t included, but you can opt to send it with the vase (£35, FlowerBe), although, of course, it then won’t fit through the postbox.

Buy now

Moonpig the spring in bloom letterbox: £24, Moonpig

You most likely know Moonpig as the place to go for personalised cards, but the brand has expanded to offer flowers, chocolates, teddies and a whole range of post-ready presents. This seasonal bunch is perfect for spring, with tulips, hyacinths and asters bursting with colour. But we would say there are not quite as many stems as the picture on the website makes out, so it may be best to order two bunches at once to get a really bountiful bouquet.

Buy now

Bloom & Wild the Becca: £29, Bloom & Wild

Our tester has used Bloom & Wild many a time, and it is yet to let them down on delivery. So for occasions that really can’t be missed, we’re dubbing these as best for next-day delivery. The fun flowers stand quite tall, so you will need a long vase or be happy to cut them down to size. They bloom with a burst of colour that instantly elevates any room and also smell divine.

Buy now

Bunches florist’s choice: £31, Bunches

It’s safe to say you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting flowers. But Bunches is here to solve that problem with its fun florist’s pick, meaning you can leave the choice of which blooms to buy in the hands of the experts. With a surprise of seasonal blooms on the way, you can sit back, relax and know the hard work has been done by someone else. And we were pretty impressed with our stunning selection.

Buy now

The verdict

If you’re yet to try out letterbox flowers, we hope we’ve convinced you that the modern way of flower-sending is well worth a go, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed by any of these options. Although they were the most expensive, the Serenata Flowers floral ratatouille did impress our tester the most with its large number of stems bursting with colour. And the dainty dried Bloompost bloomemory letterbox gift stood out from the crowd as the best long-lasting bunch.

If you’ve left it last-minute, you can put your faith into Bloom & Wild’s next-day delivery, and if you really can’t pick out your favourite bunch, Bunches florist’s choice couldn’t be simpler. Just be sure to order ahead of time if looking to book blooms for Valentine’s Day, lest you be left with a disappointed date.

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