Flower bouquet reviews: How Which? tests flowers
Which? experts assessed flowers on arrival and then again seven days later
Testing flowers and florists
Which? researchers ordered courier-delivered spring flower bouquets in February 2009. We ordered bouquets priced at around £30-£35 from 13 popular flower delivery companies and, where possible, a budget-priced version priced under £25 where available.
One bouquet from each florist was assessed by two experts from Which? Gardening, and rated in the following areas to create a final overall score out of 100:
- variety and selection of flowers included in the bouquet
- how well the flower bouquet matched the online picture and description
- overall aesthetic appeal (including foliage, arrangement and colour combination)
- quality and condition of flowers on arrival and seven days after delivery.
Spring flowers assessment
The flowers were assessed the morning after delivery and again seven days later to see how well the flowers lasted. In between delivery and the final expert assessment, flowers were placed in a vase and looked after according to their care instructions.
We also ordered a second bouquet of each type to be delivered to a panel of 10 mums, who were asked to report their opinions of the bouquet and delivery process. As some flower companies use local florists to make up bouquets, the flowers in bouquets ordered from the same company sometimes differed between the version delivered to our mums and expert panels.
Our researchers recorded their experiences of the ordering process and whether the bouquets arrived on time.