FEMAIL blind test the best Valentine’s Day roses to send to your loved ones

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Flowers are a great gift for Valentine’s Day but do you need to break the bank to impress the one you love?

British supermarkets such as Aldi are offering bouquets of red roses for as little as £3.99, while some online retailers suggest customers should splash the cash, with Flowerbx roses costing £80 for 20 stems.

But are expensive bouquets really worth the price? And can you really tell the difference between cheap blooms and high end ones?

FEMAIL has blind tested out budget-friendly buys against luxurious flowers to see which are the best Valentine’s Day roses to send to your loved ones.

The bouquets were sent without the price so our reviewers could reveal how much they really think the blooms are worth.

Coming out on top was UK online-retailer Bloom, which offers 10 stems for £60, while at the bottom of the rankings was Lidl, with their deal of £10 for a bunch.

1. BLOOM

WHAT YOU GET:  The Red Naomi Roses are part of Bloom’s Market Flowers collection, meaning they are freshly cut on the farm to order and delivered directly to your doorstep. This means zero flower waste as the products don’t spend days sitting around waiting to be purchased and the customer receives the highest quality fresh flowers, says Bloom.

Hayley said: ‘The bouquet arrived beautifully presented in simple brown paper packaging – not unlike the sort of flowers you’d buy from a market stall, which I really liked. Perhaps this was purely down to our “blind” test requirements, but either way, it was a classier approach than the usual transparent plastic wrapping. 

‘The 10 roses themselves were huge and luxurious; thick, long-stem blooms and rich scarlet in colour – they definitely looked expensive. I’d guess they’re priced around the £30-£40 bracket, if not more.

‘I was interested to see how long they lasted, as some of the outer petals were a little weather-beaten and a few of the leaves looked a bit limp, but I removed some lower ones and trimmed an inch off the stems before putting them in water (a tip my mum gave me – there weren’t any care guidelines included in the box, again perhaps down to our blind test requirements) after adding one of the sachets of food. One or two were a bit squashed, but I’m confident they’ll perk up now they’re out of the confines of the box.

‘After three days: The roses still look beautiful; they’ve barely changed which is impressive, if anything they’ve bloomed more since being put into water.

‘I changed the water and added the second sachet of food to give them an extra boost. I’d be very chuffed if my other half sent me these for Valentine’s Day (hint hint).

‘After a week: Most of the roses are still looking great, a couple of them are starting to droop slightly (I binned one this morning as it had dried up) and some of the petals have taken on a dark tinge at the edges.

‘Mark out of 5: 4.5. Nearly five, but some of the petals were a little damaged on the edges.’

Estimated price by Hayley: £30 to £40

Actual price: £60 for 10 stems 

Rating:

2. FLOWARD

WHAT YOU GET: For those looking for that alternative to red, these memory lane roses look stunning in a hand tied bouquet, according to Floward.

Siofra said: ‘These elegant flowers arrived wrapped in cellophane – although it’s a shame to see so much plastic wrapping – in a carrier bag, so I could tell straight away that they’re from a more upmarket brand.

‘I love the delicate pink colour, they look really classy and it’s something different if red roses aren’t your thing.

‘With thick, long stems they stand up proudly in a vase without much need to arrange them, and they seem to already be in full bloom, so they look picture perfect.

At first I wondered how long they would last because they seemed to be at their peak, but after two days they seem to be opening even further and look really impressive. 

‘They don’t particularly smell of anything, which doesn’t bother me, but might put others off if the scent of roses is a big draw with their bouquet.

‘Overall they look really simple and elegant and they’d be perfect for someone who doesn’t like Valentine’s clichés.’

Rating:

Estimated price by Siofra: £30 – 34

Actual price: £36 FOR 20 STEMS 

3. PINKS + ROSES

WHAT YOU GET: On their website, Pinks + Roses said: ‘Introducing our stunning red rose bouquet. The perfect gift this Valentines Day. Beautiful Naomi red roses combined with a variety of seasonal foliage including sweet rosemary and helleborus.’

Jessica said: ‘These looked truly majestic, in a “top hat” type of container that instantly gave my dining room table soom added glamour.

‘While looking unique with the vase design, the flowers themselves were equally divine, boasting various vibrant colours and foliage.

‘The roses were a beautiful dark red and arrived already open so could be appreciated straight away and there was plenty of them to admire.

‘The whole arrangement screamed luxury and this bunch would’ve received a five out of five if only they lasted a little longer. 

‘The flowers started to wilt after just a couple of days – but perhaps that says more about my gardening skills then the bouquet!’

Rating:

Estimated price by Jessica: £60 

Actual price: £70 FOR 12 STEMS 

4. MOONPIG

WHAT YOU GET: ‘Try something long-lasting with this medley of red and white. The red roses are the centre of this bouquet, supported by pavri and white gypsophila,’ said Moonpig.

Harriet said: ‘I’m not a huge fan of roses – far from it – but this bouquet is really pretty.

‘The bunches of the smaller white flowers, alongside the large red blooms, and tons of greenery has made the bunch a lovely addition to my working from home set-up. 

‘The flowers came beautifully arranged, and have remained vibrant and colourful over the past week since their delivery. 

‘Some of the petals have withered a little at the edges, but it could just be time to change the water and give the stems a snip to give them a new lease of life. Here’s hoping they last till the 14th!’

Rating:

Estimated price by Harriet: £25 

Actual price: £32 FOR 12 STEMS 

5. FUNKY PIGEON

WHAT YOU GET: ‘Two dozen stems of luxurious red roses are tied together with white gypsophila to create the ultimate expression of love’, a statement on the Funky Pigeon website read.

Georgia said: ‘The roses arrived in an upright box, already arranged in a bouquet, with a smaller box shaped around the flowers to protect them in transit. A moist bag was secured around the bottom of the flowers with an elastic band to prevent them from drying out.

‘The two dozen red roses were adorned with white baby’s-breath, making the bouquet look full and stunning. However, in the bouquet when they arrived, there was a lot of baby’s-breath and it seemed to take over and drown out a couple of the roses. With some rearranging, the roses popped more, with the white flowers complementing and not overwhelming them.

‘The flowers came with instructions on how to care for them and with a small bag of flower food attached to the bottom of the bouquet with a plastic band, making it very easy. I trimmed the stems and removed the outer guard petals before filling the vase with warm water.

‘After two days, two of the flowers opened up at the front, while the others stayed more closed. I noticed more of them starting to open up after four days, by which time only one of the first roses to open had wilted.

‘The roses had a very pretty, interesting shape, with crimping along the edges of the petals, which is very different to other roses I have seen. It makes them very interesting to look at when their petals open out more.’

Estimated price by Georgia: £30

Actual price: £44.99 FOR 24 STEMS 

Rating:

6. SERENATA

WHAT YOU GET: This deal includes 12x Red Rose Short Stem wrapped in clear cellophane.

Chloe said: ‘Blooming lovely…for convenience and a budget! The dozen roses arrived in a flat-packed cardboard box – perfect for easy delivery amid a pandemic, but the packaging failed to offer any sort of wow factor. The flowers came wrapped up in brown paper with instructions on how to assemble and care for them, along with a card which could be filled out to a loved one – a nice added touch!

‘The roses are yet to open up, but each stem appears to be good quality and they are a stunning deep red colour – a delivery sure to put a smile on the face of that special person in your life.

‘If I were to guess, I reckon these are mid-priced roses costing around £30. Overall, a respectable bunch which would be ideal for creating a pretty floral arrangement on a budget or to gift as a thoughtful token, but a far cry away from a luxury bouquet for those who like the finer things in life!’

Rating:

Estimated price by Chloe: £30 

Actual price: £34.99 FOR 12 STEMS

7. ALDI

WHAT YOU GET:  The bunch, which is available from 11th February, is the cheapest bouquet of a dozen red roses to be found at any supermarket. The bouquet features 12 single stems, each rose with delicately ruffled petals and a beautiful scent to captivate the room.

Amelia said: ‘Overall I was really pleased with the roses. There was a decent amount and they really brightened up the room. 

‘A few of them had gone over slightly and I would have wanted some flower food with them as it helps them last longer. 

‘However they were a beautiful colour and were a good size. They arrived in water which was nice but the packaging seemed a bit flimsy and I don’t think the black crate was recyclable. Of course, this wouldn’t be an issue if you’re grabbing these flowers with your shopping.’

Rating:

Estimated price by Amelia: £10

Actual price: £3.99 FOR 12 STEMS

6. FLOWERBX

WHAT YOU GET: Flowerbx said: ‘A true romantic, the Red Naomi rose is sure to stir emotions of love with its deep red colour and soft, velvety petals. Roses are in season year-round, and are undeniably one of the most popular flowers.’

Jessica said: ‘These arrived beautifully packaged in the brand’s signature complimentary gift wrapping, which boasted an elegant and lavish feel.

‘Handing these over to any loved one would make for a great treat at the start, as they are tightly held together and appear fresh and lovely.

‘Even when in a vase, they still hold their shape perfectly and are a great addition to any room for a while and didn’t appear to be damaged by the journey.

‘However, they don’t seem to last the longest, with the red roses getting dark in colour very quickly – but they still keep their shape, so removing a few unwanted petals wasn’t too much trouble and is what the company suggests you do.

‘But saying that, I suspected that these were a very pricey bunch and I would’ve wanted more of a wow factor, and to not have to take off several layer of petals within the first couple of days to pay the price I feared they cost.’ 

Rating:

Estimated price by Jessica: £40 

Actual price: £80 FOR 20 STEMS 

7. WAITROSE

WHAT YOU GET: A dozen roses with red petals and pretty crinkled edges is what Waitrose offers. 

Bridie said: ‘There was nothing special about these roses. They were well packaged and delivered well – but I’d be surprised if they cost more than £5, I definitely would guess they’re at the cheap/budget end of the floral market.

‘I imagine they’re from a supermarket not a florist – and feel like something you’d grab last minute on Valentine’s after forgetting to pick up a bunch for a loved one.

‘While a dozen roses is always nice, the blooms were pretty small and after five days didn’t really get big and the outer petals were starting to darken.

‘In terms of packaging, they were well looked after – and came in a bucket of water that was cleverly packed not to leak, and came with a floral food.

‘Overall I’d say these were pretty and a decent budget bunch, but certainly not a grand bouquet to blow a special someone away on V day.’ 

Rating:

Estimated price by Bridie: £5

Actual price: £5 FOR 12 STEMS 

8. LIDL

WHAT YOU GET: The budget-friendly bouquets are made up of roses and gypsophila.

Latoya said: ‘The roses arrived standing in a bucket of water in a cardboard box, which wouldn’t have been practical to carry if they were a surprise delivered to the office or somewhere else. 

‘When I opened the box I was surprised to see the blooms were wrapped in red plastic without a flower food sachet or instructions for how best to care for them. 

‘The roses were a deep red wine colour and had smaller white flowers to compliment the arrangement. 

‘Based on the size of the bunch I would assume the flowers were from a supermarket and I would need to have at least two bundles to properly fill my vase. 

‘Some of the roses looked like they’re beginning to wilt and may not not last until Valentine’s Day. If I had to guess the price it would be less than £10 and reasonable for those who are purchasing flowers on a budget.’

Rating:

Estimated price by Latoya: Less than £10

Actual price: £10 FOR 12 STEMS  

9. MARKS & SPENCER

WHAT YOU GET: A bouquet of 12 large headed red roses with long thornless stems. Grown slowly which is thought to give the blooms more intensely red, velvety petals.

Claire said: ‘These roses won’t earn you any steamy kisses, let me tell you that.

‘First, the delivery, which was quite thorny: The roses, of which I received three bunches, looked like they had been in transit for a while and about to give up on life.

‘From the way they were presented, I assumed they were more bunches of roses you’d bulk buy to make your own arrangement rather than a ‘buy and gift’ type of ready-made bouquet.

‘It took a little bit of TLC to spruce them up, cutting a lot of leafs and fighting off the occasional thorn that was still on there.

‘Bottom line is, it’s the intention that matters, but these just didn’t offer the wow factor I was looking for.’

Rating:

Estimated price by Claire: £10

Actual price: £15 FOR 12 STEMS