Fresh blooms swaddled in jute and couriered by bike: it sounds
like a scene from La Dolce Vita but it’s all in a day’s work for
Hackney-based florist, Petalon. Each bouquet is delivered
on two wheels and – helpfully for those panically reading this on
Valentine’s Day – it offers same-day delivery. Eco-warriors will
melt; just make sure they don’t cop off with the courier…

Phone: +44 51417 8746

These bouquets are big hitters. Founded by ex-Tom Ford
confidante, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings, Flowerbx is all about dramatic,
freshly cut orchids and exuberant, thick-stemmed roses rather than
bitty baby’s breath or other frothy fillers. The bouquets come
wrapped in brown paper and tied with ribbon; for Londoners,
Flowerbx will even deliver blooms pre-arranged in a vase – and not
a naff one, either.

Phone: + 44 20 3696 6969

This corridor of Victorian terraced houses turned boutique-y
homeware shops in Hoxton springs to life on Sunday mornings when a
flurry of London
florists set up camp. You’ll find everything from tropical pot
plants to English garden sprays here. Take out some cash first,
hold your breath (it’s a tight squeeze) and dive in for some
bargains.

For contemporary arrangements, you can’t beat Grace & Thorn. This east
London florist’s bouquets look like tumbling patches of
wildflowers, embellished with unusual stems and loose, feathery
greenery. The dried bouquets require no maintenance and will last a
lifetime – ideal for those who are always on the go. Check out the
“Girl Power” vase collection: a portion of the profits goes to
charity.

Phone: +44 20 7739 1521

You won’t find pretty, meticulously composed arrangements at
this east London plant shop. It feels
more like a botanical garden in miniature. Every corner is filled
with gnarled potted trunks and exotic spronds sourced from
far-flung lands. Some are tricky to tame so make sure to probe
their resident plant specialists for care instructions before
purchasing.

Join the florists and hit up London’s biggest wholesaler,
New Covent
Garden Market, confusingly located south of the river in Nine
Elms. You’ll find almost any bud under the sun here and at an
astonishingly good price. Be prepared to set an early alarm though
– it opens at four in the morning and shuts at 10AM.

Fresh flowers with
a capital F. All stems are sourced from New Covent Garden Flower
Market first thing in the morning and shipped out in marvellous
confabulations from the
Dulwich-based HQ later the same day, so you’re guaranteed
longevity. The add-ons are genius too. We’re not talking
sad-looking boxes of truffles, but Aesop body scrubs and L:A Bruket
candles.

Phone: +44 20 8693 6088

Individuality is the buzzword at Floom, an online marketplace for
independent florists similar to Etsy. It’s hot on its customer
service; call for advice if you’re struggling to gauge the right
tone for the occasion or want to add a little personal touch. Each
bouquet on the website is composed by an artisanal local florist
and if you get your order in before 1pm you’ll qualify for same-day
delivery.

Phone: + 44 20 8068 7498

Yes, that one – the one that spills out of Ace Hotel’s foyer in

Shoreditch. The trend-focused bouquets look like the types of
whimsical arrangements you might find propped on a mid-century side
table in Elle Decoration. They don’t come cheap but you can rest
assured nobody else will have a bunch quite the same.

Phone: + 44 20 7613 9866

This one’s the stealthy option, to be sent to those who are
never at home. Each of Bloom & Wild‘s bouquets
comes unassembled in a recyclable cardboard package just narrow
enough to fit through a letterbox, along with instructions on how
to artfully piece the sprigs together. It’s a joy for crafty types,
but can spell disaster for the less creative.

Phone: +44 20 3984 8341

When they’re not pottering about their Hackney garden, they’re
snipping their home-grown
delights into symphonious floral sprays for clients like Erdem
and Simone Rocha. Don’t expect to order a simple bouquet from these
floral aficionados. These are the people to call if you’re keen to
impress; they’re used to working on installations so expect big
ideas.

Phone: +44 93018 6878

Anyone who’s been to the original Petersham Nurseries in
Richmond knows the score at their Covent Garden shop. Petersham do
decadent bouquets picked fresh from the fields of British flower
farms. Grab some floral trinkets as well as a spot of lunch while
you’re there.

Phone: +44 20 8940 5230