12 best Valentine's Day flowers anyone would love to receive

Who doesn’t love receiving flowers? We’ve found a whole range of striking bouquets that are perfect for making your special someone feel adored come Valentine’s Day.

Rest assured, every bunch listed here has passed our stringent quality checks. Some brands are established favourites that we’ve been buying from personally for years.

Those we hadn’t come across before sent across a bouquet so we could confirm what their blooms look and smell like upon arrival, how they’re packaged, how long they last and whether or not they live up to the photo.

We’ve included options to suit all budgets, from bargains that look much more expensive than they are to luxury treats your partner will be showing off on Instagram.

We’ve included a few “outside the box” alternatives to the classic fresh flower bouquet, too.

Every bunch is available to order online for UK nationwide delivery, sometimes the next day, and you can add a personal gift message before paying.

These flowers and houseplants would also make fabulous gifts for anyone with a February birthday, or someone who simply needs a little pick-me-up.

We’ve included the time and date you need to order by to guarantee delivery on Valentine’s Day, so you have no excuse not to make your favourite person’s day!

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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Arena Flowers a dozen fairtrade red roses

Sustainability is the buzzword of the moment, so do your bit and buy your special someone a dozen fairtrade red roses from ethical florist Arena Flowers. Ethically-minded recipients will appreciate the thought behind the choice and enjoy their flowers more knowing the people who grew and picked them have been paid fairly. One tree is planted for every bouquet sold and best of all, quality is not compromised for principles. Our hand-tied bunch arrived in pristine condition with no damaged stems and the roses slowly unfurled over the next three days. Each rose is big enough that when the outer petals start to brown, you can carefully peel them off and enjoy the flowers for a further week or so. At under £30 for a generous bunch of classic blooms that both looks and does good, this is a top buy. Order by 8pm on Thursday 13 February – a relief for last-minute shoppers!

Buy now £29.99, Arena Flowers

Bloom & Wild the Valentine’s delight

Chances are, when you think of letterbox flowers, you think of Bloom & Wild, such is the flower company’s monopoly of that niche. Its success is well-earned, with our sample blooms arriving in excellent condition in a limited edition Valentine’s Day gift box printed with hearts and flowers. The ideal choice if you know your loved one will be out during the big day, this bunch features 30 stems including different types of roses, eucalyptus and waxflower. The most delicate blooms are individually netted to ensure quality during the journey but otherwise, plastic use is minimal. We like that the flowers arrive in bud, meaning they last longer, even though the initial impact is lessened somewhat. Hobby flower arrangers will enjoy putting together their bunch, using the handy tips included in the box. Order by 10pm on Thursday 13 February or pay a little extra for same-day service.

Buy now £48.00, Bloom & Wild

M&S protea posy bouquet

Supermarket flowers can be soulless and underwhelming. Not so with this characterful posy from good old M&S. The delicate wildflowers of the South African Cape take centre stage, backed up by dramatic protea and cerise roses. This bouquet arrives wrapped in cheery pink paper and will make the perfect gift for a partner who appreciates natural beauty and likes a lot of foliage among their flowers. Not much arranging is required – simply cut an inch or so off the stems and place them in a vase full of fresh water. Our roses have started to droop after a week but the rest of the bunch is still going strong and we expect it to last another week or so, making this bouquet great value for money. It’s one we’ve bought again and again, after receiving compliments on a train journey about how unusual and eye-catching it is. Order by 2pm on Thursday 13 February for next day delivery.

Buy now £25.00, M&S

The Country Garden Florist the buckhurst

Not all special someones favour all things pink. If yours is a fan of a moodier aesthetic, this stunning bouquet from a boutique Peterborough-based florist will make their day. It still features roses, the classic Valentine’s flower, but in pale peach instead of red, backed up with ethereal ammi and rich plum foliage. Founder Donna is a popular wedding florist and her new range of creatively-arranged bunches reflects her professional expertise and penchant for a wild, naturalistic style. We appreciate that she uses seasonal flowers to minimise environmental impact, while her wider than usual choice of five sizes makes these flowers accessible to different budgets. Ours elicited a gasp upon arrival and were ready to put straight into a vase - all you have to do is rinse off the innovative gel that keeps them fresh during delivery. Useful instructions are included so you can keep your flowers looking tip-top for at least ten days. For next day delivery, order before 9.30am on 13 February.

Buy now £35.00, The Country Garden Florist

Edinburgh Gin rhubarb and ginger botanical bouquet

If the guy or gal of your dreams is a gin fan, look no further for Valentine’s flowers with a juniper twist. Scottish distiller Edinburgh Gin has once again teamed up with MUD Urban Flowers to bring back it’s gin bouquet, which sold out in under 24 hours last year. Each bunch of blooms comes sitting atop a prettily-packaged 70cl bottle of gin and this year, there are three varieties on offer. What’s especially cool is that the flowers have been chosen to reflect the botanicals found in their respective gin, featuring everything from pinecones to stems of rhubarb. There’s “the Valentine’s” with its red, pink and white roses and “the classic”, with its peach roses and suitably Scottish blue thistle. But our pick of the bunch, if you’ll pardon the pun, is ‘the rhubarb and ginger’ with its fuchsia snapdragons, lemon lisianthuses, eucalyptus and lavender. Our flowers are still going strong over a week later and may outlast the delicious gin at the rate we’re getting through it! These boozy bouquets are available to buy online now for UK delivery on 14 February.

Buy now £65.00, Edinburgh Gin

Waitrose Florist 100 red sweetheart roses

It’s hard to beat the instant impact of 100 red roses turning up on your doorstep come Valentine’s Day. Think only A-list celebrities can afford such a grand romantic gesture? Think again! The folks at Waitrose have put together a bunch of mini sweetheart roses so that those with smaller budgets can deliver the wow factor too. Each bouquet is hand-tied and packed into a bag that has been cleverly lined with damp cotton wool to keep the blooms hydrated during delivery. Our roses arrived in perfect condition but the florist advises removing any discoloured or wilting outer petals to keep them blooming for longer. There are so many stems that we split ours into little jars and dotted them around the house. Roses are notorious for having short life spans but ours lasted a good seven days. Order by 4pm on Thursday 13 February for Valentine’s Day delivery.

Buy now £45.00, Waitrose

Martin & Cox money plant in a charcoal ceramic pot

Luxury houseplant gifting company Martin & Cox aims to deliver the same sense of joy you get when a bunch of flowers turns up on your door, only with the added bonus of longevity. The air-purifying Chinese Money Plant is one of its bestsellers and is sturdy enough to survive in a not-so-green-fingered home! It arrives tissue-wrapped and carefully packaged in a slick monochrome gift box, already sitting in a glossy charcoal ceramic pot. One of our favourite features is the option to add a complimentary tag that’s printed with a motivating mantra such as “Believe in your inner Beyonce” or a soppier message like “Hello beautiful”. If you’re buying for a partner who isn’t all that into flowers, this makes a thoughtful, on-trend alternative. Martin & Cox offers three, six and 12-month subscriptions too. Everything is posted out first class but there’s no nominated or next day delivery service just yet, so order by midnight on 11 February to be safe.

Buy now £36.00, Martin & Cox

Posy & Pot paper flowers mix roses bouquet

The artistic talent and loving attention to detail displayed by Posy & Pot founder Krittika is astounding. Born and raised in Thailand, she quit her full-time job in 2016 to pursue her passion for artisanal handicrafts. Her paper flowers are handmade by fairly-paid craftswomen in her homeland using local sustainable material (mulberry weed tree, which farmers must get rid of) and traditional dying techniques. Each bendable, trimmable stem is entirely unique and so flawlessly produced that we’d challenge anybody not to love receiving some on Valentine’s Day. Remember that paper and water don’t get on, so keep them dry. Krititka’s marvellous bouquets start from £72 but we recommend this bunch of mixed roses in red, pink and cream, complete with realistic-looking foliage. They come wrapped in paper and tied with ribbon or twine. Order by midnight on Tuesday 11 February.

Buy now £92.00, Posy & Pot

Sherree Francis Flowers pink indulgence hatbox

For a twist on the classic Valentine’s bunch of blooms, consider this pretty hatbox from luxury online florist Sheree Francis Flowers, which is run by two flower-loving pals. It arrives overflowing with pale pink avalanche roses, hot pink poppy-like anemones (one of our favourite flowers!) and silvery eucalyptus to ensure that wow factor upon delivery. The flowers are kept fresh using a hydrated floral foam, so don’t panic if they’re waiting on the doorstep for a while. We were advised to pour a glass of water through the middle after a couple of days, to freshen it up, which had the desired effect. These flowers also come as a hand-tied bouquet, in three sizes, with the option of including a modern glass vase for an extra £20, but we love how faff-free the hatbox is - ideal for a frazzled other half. For nationwide delivery, order by 9pm on 12 February. Next-day delivery is only available for London addresses – order by 6pm on 13 February.

Buy now £80.00, Sherree Francis Flowers

Biscuiteers bouquet luxe biscuit tin

Why give traditional flowers when you can give biscuit flowers instead? British biscuit gifting company Biscuiteers makes biscuits that taste, as well as look, delicious. Each one is handmade and hand-iced, before being carefully packaged in a stylish square-edged tin that’ll last long after the last biccy has been devoured. They have a satisfying crunch – the brand describes the texture as “somewhere between the snap of gingerbread and the crumble of a shortbread” and come in a variety of themes. These floral delights are so bold and bright that we bet your other half will spend time showing them off before eating them. You get 16, including sunflowers, daisies and forget-me-nots. If you’ve got a tighter budget then adorable gingerbread man "Fleur", holding a bunch of roses, is only £6 and sure to spark a smile. Order by midday on Thursday 13 February for next day delivery.​

Buy now £45.00, Biscuiteers

Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart gypsophila cloud bouquet

Gypsophila is a big trend in floristry at the moment, with many brides walking down the aisle clutching a bunch of the cloudy stuff. Luxury British florist Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart has jumped on its popularity and launched a new bouquet that’s chic and classy in its simplicity. The lilac gypsophila arrived spilling out of an elegant black bag printed with the brand’s logo. The stems are hand-tied with brown string so the arrangement won’t fall apart during transference from bag to vase. These flowers are expensive but they last for ages. Last nationwide orders need to be placed on 13th February by 2pm. London deliveries can be placed on the day, we ask for orders until 2pm for guaranteed Valentine’s delivery.

Buy now £75.00, Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart

Appleyard hopeless romantic

Floral boutique Appleyard London is already one of our go-tos as we love its British country style. This new bouquet features an abundance of beautiful blooms in vibrant colours, from timeless red roses and blue eryngium to blush chrysanthemums and seasonal burgundy ranunculus. Expect some of the flowers to arrive in bud (part of the brand’s efforts to make its bunches last longer) but rest assured that the impact is still impressive. The bouquet is packaged carefully in a cardboard box printed with monochrome flowers and there’s a card to help you care for them nestled inside. Ours lasted well over a week and we loved the contrasting textures offered by the generous foliage. Order by 3.30pm on Thursday 13 February.

Buy now £99.99, Appleyard

The verdict: Valentine's Day flowers

Valentine’s Day and red roses go together like salt and pepper so if you’re going traditional, opt for a dozen of the most romantic flower from ethical – and affordable – florist Arena Flowers. For something quirkier, we love the idea of giving a box of floral biscuits instead. Biscuiteers does them best.