Flowers by Post in the UK: Letterbox Flowers or a Bouquet by Courier?

"Flowers by post" in the UK usually means one of two things: a flat letterbox box of stems that you arrange yourself, or a finished bouquet sent by courier to the door. They are different products for different jobs. Here is how each one works, which flowers survive two or three days in transit, and how to send flowers across the UK so they arrive looking like a gift. Written by our florists at the studio in Southwark (SE1).

We should say up front where we stand: Floritta does not make letterbox flowers. Outside London we send hand-tied bouquets and flower boxes by courier, in two to three working days, and inside London we deliver the same day. Letterbox flowers are a fair choice in some situations, though, so this guide covers both honestly.

What are letterbox flowers?

Letterbox flowers are loose stems packed flat in a slim cardboard box that fits through a standard letterbox. The stems usually travel in bud, with a small water pouch or wet tissue on the cut ends, a sachet of flower food and a card explaining how to arrange them. Nobody has to be home to sign for them, which is their main advantage. The trade-off is that the recipient does the florist's job: unpacking, trimming every stem, finding a vase and arranging the flowers.

How is a courier-delivered bouquet different?

A courier-delivered bouquet is finished before it leaves the studio. A florist hand-ties it, packs it for the journey with a water source that travels with the stems, cushions the heads so they cannot press against each other, and sends it in a box sized for the bouquet rather than for a letterbox. When it arrives, the recipient trims the stems and puts it in water; there is nothing to assemble. It needs someone at the address, or a safe place agreed in advance, because it is a parcel rather than a letter. We explain the whole process on our UK flower delivery page.

Letterbox flowers or a bouquet by courier: which should I choose?

• Choose letterbox flowers when nobody will be in, the recipient enjoys arranging flowers, and the budget is small. They are a pleasant "thinking of you" post.
• Choose a bouquet by courier when the flowers mark an occasion: a birthday, an anniversary, Mother's Day, a sympathy message, a thank-you to a client. The person opens a gift, not a task, and the first thing they see is the finished bouquet.
• Choose a flower box when the recipient may not own a vase. A flower box arrives arranged and ready to stand on a table.

Which flowers travel best by post?

Two or three days in a box is a test, and some flowers pass it far better than others. These are the ones we trust for addresses outside London:

• Chrysanthemums. Among the longest-lasting cut flowers there are, and they barely notice a journey. See our chrysanthemum bouquets or the soft pink chrysanthemum bouquet, and the chrysanthemum guide in our flower dictionary.
• Carnations. Firm, ruffled heads that keep their shape in transit and last well in a vase afterwards. Browse carnation bouquets; the carnation page explains the colours.
• Alstroemeria. Sent in bud, it opens over the following days, so the bouquet keeps improving after it arrives. More in the alstroemeria guide.
• Sunflowers. Thick stems and big heads that handle a box well, as long as the heads are supported. See our sunflower bouquets, for example Sunlit reverence with 15 sunflowers.
• Tulips. They keep growing after they are cut, so they travel as tight buds and open in the vase. Look at our tulip bouquets, such as the Red velvet posy.
• Roses in bud. Roses sent before they open travel safely and open at the recipient's home. Our rose bouquets are hand-tied with that in mind.

Flowers that bruise easily or open fast, such as fully open peonies and garden roses at their peak, are better kept for London, where the bouquet goes from our studio to the door on the same day. If you are set on peonies for an address elsewhere in the UK, ask us on WhatsApp first: a florist will tell you honestly what the season and the journey allow.

Can I send orchids by post?

A potted orchid is one of the easiest gifts to send across the country: it is a living plant, not cut flowers, so a couple of days in transit makes no difference to it, and it keeps flowering for weeks. See our orchids and the rest of our plants. An order made up only of plants has its own delivery terms, which are set out on our delivery information page.

How long does flower delivery by post take in the UK?

From our studio, a bouquet for an address outside London arrives in two to three working days by courier, to mainland England, Wales and Scotland. You choose the delivery date at checkout; the courier chooses the hour. Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands and the far Highlands are not covered by the standard courier service: enter the postcode at checkout to see what is available for that address, or message us on WhatsApp before ordering. Within London we deliver the same day, seven days a week, with orders accepted until 10 pm.

What can't be sent by post?

Some things do not survive a parcel network, so we deliver them within London only: flower baskets, anything sold in a vase, helium balloons and funeral tributes. A courier van would break a vase or deflate a balloon. Their product pages say "London delivery only", and checkout will not accept them for a postcode outside London. For an address elsewhere in the UK, choose a hand-tied bouquet or a flower box instead.

Will the flowers still be fresh when they arrive?

They should be, and we check before they leave: the bouquet is made on the day it travels, not the day before, and we send you a photo of the finished arrangement. When the recipient unpacks it, they should trim the stems at an angle, put the bouquet in fresh water straight away and keep it away from radiators and direct sun. Our flower care guide has the details, and how long flowers last shows what to expect from each type. Our freshness guarantee applies outside London too: the flowers stay fresh for at least three days from delivery when the care instructions are followed, and if they wilt sooner, send us a photo within those three days and we will replace the bouquet.

How do I make sure someone is in to receive the flowers?

Put the recipient's mobile number in the order, not your own: the courier calls the person who is actually at the address, and a missed courier usually means a card through the door rather than a bouquet on the table. For an office, add the company name and the floor, and check that reception accepts deliveries. If you are not sure the recipient will be at home, sending to their workplace is often the safer choice. Our guide how to surprise someone with flowers has more ideas for keeping it a surprise while making sure it is received.

When should I order flowers by post for Mother's Day or Christmas?

Earlier than for London. The courier network, not the studio, is what fills up on peak dates. For Christmas, order by 18 December for any address outside London; our guide to when to order Christmas flowers has all the dates. For Mothering Sunday, order a few days ahead and pick the date at checkout from our Mother's Day flowers. For a birthday, choose the date at checkout so the bouquet arrives on the day rather than the day after.

Can I send flowers by post every month?

Yes: a flower subscription is the regular version of flowers by post, with a new bouquet on a schedule instead of a one-off order. Our guide to flower subscriptions explains how it works. If you would rather let the recipient choose, a gift card arrives by email instantly or on the date you pick, and they choose their own bouquet and delivery date.