Sending flowers via the internet.

I have used bunches on three occasions but the flowers that were received were half the size that's shown on the website so i probably won't use them again.

I send flowers to the other end of the UK and also to USA.
Easiest way is to google florists in the local area and then phone them. Not expensive to phone USA these days and anyway it’s only a few minutes. You get full value flowers and are supporting a small business.

I get flowers from my son (they include a card) but I've never sent any myself for years until during the first lockdown, It was my daughter's 50th birthday. Thought M+S would be good quality and reliable.

Ordered tulips. There were a choice of three different bunches. I chose the pastel shades. Did the card to be added.

The delivery day arrived. I wept when I saw her photo of them when they arrived. They must have been without water and in a hot van for ages. Very wilted. Colours were everything under the rainbow including a lot of orange and red. They'd recovered slightly the next day after she put them in some fizzy water.

I will never use M+S again. Left a one star review.

DD2 sent me a Bloom and Wild letter box bouquet for my birthday last Wednesday. Arrange it yourself with instructions and information in the box. I was disappointed when I opened them as some blooms although well packed and protected, looked rather limp. But I picked some greenery from the garden for support, cut their stems and arranged them in two vases in the hope they'd pick up. Next morning they were perkier and by evening had completely recovered and looked wonderful. They still do.

There was quite a lot of information in the box which I didn't read, so perhaps, hidden in the blurb it did say that they will pick up once in water.

I no longer send imported flowers. I know the choice is always less but I now use this lovely family business:

cornishblooms.co.uk/

I've sent 5 or 6 lots from them, have had photos of 3. Very pleased and good with messages.

I've also used a Cornish flower farm to send flowers by post and had a very happy response from the recipients.
www.google.com/search?q=fentongollan+flowers+by+post&rlz=1CATTSD_enGB862&oq=fe&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j46l2j0j69i60l3.8193j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Always used NEXT over the years.
Fabulous flowers.
A box provided for a message.

I sent flowers FROM Europe, to a Gran in the UK. I cannot bear the anxiety that Interflora creates nor the disappointment, so I found a lovely hotel near where she lived, asked their advice on flowers, they recommended a local florist who did a wonderful job - me choosing the flowers I wanted on the 'phone. I normally send Spring flowers through SCILLY FLOWERS. They can produce daffodils and narcissi in bud throughout the winter months, all fresh letterbox flowers., with typed greetings, which bloom almost immediately in a warm room. Only time they let me down on delivery was when the fog was so bad in the Scillies that the aircraft couldn't take off for the mainland - for 2 days!

Definitely Bloom and Wild, you can even choose your card design, and I’ve purchased them for others and received them, and great customer service. They are more enjoyable too as you can arrange them yourself and not as stuffy formal looking as the inter flora type companies.

NfkDumpling, yes the instructions tell you to trim and soak in a bucket before arranging. I find bloom and wild to be the best, because as you mentioned they last double the length of the professional arrangements

Another ? for Bloom and Wild here

I use Bunches which has a very user friendly website with optional cards or just a space for a message. I would thoroughly recommend for reasonable prices, reliablility and long lasting flower or house plants. You can add extras like bubbly, cake or chocs and they supply hampers too. Vouchers are often to be found online for % reduction.

www.bunches.co.uk

Bloom and Wild are always good for me. They do look a little weak and feeble at first. Wouldn't you if you had been packed in a box for 24 hours? They are usually in bud too, but once put in water and given time to recover they are usually beautiful and last for ages. The best thing about these is they go through the letterbox ( if you choose the letterbox flowers) which means there are no problems if the recipient isn't home.

silverlining48 I use Direct2Florist for sending flowers to my daughter in Australia. They use local florists and she was so impressed with the quality of the flowers that she regularly patronises the same florist.

So I think they send to Europe:-

www.direct2florist.co.uk/pages/send-flowers-abroad-204

When I send flowers to my D in Oz, I contact a florist in her area there. The last lot were truly beautiful and not expensive either.
I'll be ordering an extra special bunch complete with gift for her 60th in January. They have brilliant selections.

Local florists where I am are every bit as good as the popular ones, with more for your money. Many are online.

Used B&W a few times, love them. Also Moonpig do them in the gifts section, they don’t just do greetings cards.

I just came across Waitrose flowers so I’m trying them for our DIL’s 50th birthday. Hope they’re alright.

I always used to send Tesco flowers, but I was sent some gorgeous Bloom & Wild flowers a while back

My bloom and wild flowers did look very sad when they arrived and I felt rather disappointed BUT by next day they awoke looking beautiful.

I have only used the letter box flowers once. I have a couple of friends who were both ill so, used those flowers so they did not have to rush to the front door when they arrived. They were delighted with them.
Usually, though, like Coolgran I would normally contact a florist local to the recipient. I started doing that many years ago when I realised it was cheaper and more reliable than Interflora, about the only delivery company then.

Thanks ladies for your many replies. Bloom and Wild got the most recommendations, so I will give them a try.

I always used Bunches to send flowers to my mother. I liked their website.

My mother was always delighted but my sister says they weren't always great and she knows her onions when it comes to flowers. I never saw them myself, of course.

When I visited, I picked some up from M and S at the airport and once I got there I would buy them in Tesco's as my sister said theirs were freshest.

I think if you can source a good florist near your recipient it is better value to go via them.

Twice I have received flowers from Jersey in a book and they were rubbish. I did not tell my friend as it seemed rude and ungrateful.

These are the flowers I sent my DIL yesterday.

They came with a free box of chocolates.