FEMAIL blind tests Valentine’s roses to see if you can REALLY tell lavish and cheap bouquets apart

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Do you really need to break the bank when buying flowers for your loved one this Valentine’s Day or will cheaper options suffice and still impress?

British supermarkets such as Aldi are offering bouquets of red roses for as little as £3.99, while Co-op’s range starts at a reasonable £10 for 12 stems.

Yet for customers wanting to splash the cash, online retailers like Floward offer bunches costing £278 for 100 roses.   

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 budget-friendly buys against lavish options to find which are the best Valentine’s Day roses to send to your loved ones on February 14.

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

Coming out on top was Floward’s £278 option and Co-op’s £10 bouquet, while at the bottom of the rankings was Morrisons, with their £15 Pure Love Bouquet.

1. Floward

Rating:

Estimated price: £200

Actual price: 100 Red Roses for £278.00

Siofra said: ‘When this bunch of beautiful blooms turned up, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’ve never seen such an enormous and lush bunch of roses. 

‘They’re all so perfect and a rich colour, and if you’re looking to make a grand gesture, this definitely seems like the right bouquet to pick. 

‘There was no doubt in my mind that they were expensive when I laid eyes on them because the flowers are such high quality. 

‘And the black paper wrapping and elegant black bow made them look classy – something that a massive bouquet like this could miss the mark on. 

‘There were so many roses I actually didn’t have a vase big enough, but that’s no complaint because there were enough to make smaller bunches to display all over the house. 

‘Ten days on they are still going strong, so if they are expensive – as I suspect they might be – at least you’ll get value for money and be able to enjoy them long after Valentine’s Day. 

‘One thing that might be worth bearing in mind for some people is that they don’t smell of anything, so bear that in mind if they person you’re giving them to prefers a scented bloom. 

‘I guess this bouquet might well cost around £200. It’s a lot to spend, but if you have that kind of budget, then I don’t think you can go wrong with this bunch.’

2. Co-op 

Rating:

Estimated price: £20

Actual price: 12 Red Roses for £10

Lottie said: ‘These red roses were absolutely stunning and were definitely a bunch of flowers I’d love to receive myself from my Valentine!

‘They arrived looking really fresh and were beautiful in colour, having been well-packaged for delivery.

‘I would even recommend ordering your V day date a few bunches as I received three and the effect together was amazing.

‘These had a luxury feel with chic wrapping so I’d expect them to retail for around £20. I’d give them 5/5 – no faults from me!’

3. Pinks and Roses London 

Rating:

Estimated price: £80 to a £100

Actual price: £70

Jessica said: ‘This was stunning, breath-taking, graceful, stylish… I’m truly running out of words when it comes to describing precisely how incredible this bouquet was.

‘In a “top hat” type of container that instantly gave the gift a little extra glitz – despite the flowers themselves already appearing suitably glamorous – these screamed expense.

‘Looking eye-catching thanks to the vase design, the flowers also commanded attention, with various vibrant colours and foliage creating an arrangement any house guest is sure to be enviable of.

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

‘I’ve had the roses for nearly a week now, and they still look nearly as fresh as they did when they arrived. They’ve simply darkened a little in colour.’

4. Aldi’s Roses Are Red Bouquet

Rating:

Estimated price: £20

Actual price: £13.99

Jessica said: ‘Upon receiving these roses, I couldn’t help but smile – they were such a lovely bunch, despite probably not being the most expensive (and this I could only guess at because of the ever so slightly small size of the flowers).

‘The bunches of the smaller gold Gypsophila, alongside the large red blooms, and tons of greenery made the bouquet a lovely addition to my dining room decor.

‘The flowers came beautifully arranged, meaning I didn’t need to change anything and could place them in a vase as they were.

‘Better yet, they have remained vibrant and colourful over the past few days since their delivery. Here’s hoping they last till the 14th!’

5. Moonpig 

Rating:

Estimated price: £40

Actual price:  24 roses for £50

Monica said: ‘The roses were a nice colour and size and the bouquet was packaged and wrapped conveniently. 

‘They stood up nicely in a vase without needing much rearranging. I didn’t receive any instructions on how to care for the flowers but was given some guidance on when to add each food sachet.

‘The buds had already bloomed when the flowers arrived and while overall the bouquet was of a high quality, some of the petals looked a little wilted. However, after five days the flowers still seemed relatively fresh.

‘Overall, they seemed to be a better quality then supermarket flowers, I would guess they cost around the £40 mark, and would make a good option for a loved one on Valentine’s Day.’

6. Serenata Flowers 

Rating:

Estimated price: £60

Actual price: £49.99

Clare said: ‘This ‘blooming lovely’ bouquet arrived beautifully packaged in lavish gift wrapping – and it was a great surprise to see different-colored flowers on display.

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

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

‘The only minor issue for me personally, was how sparse they initially appeared until I rearranged them. A little more greenery or floral additions would’ve been hugely appreciated. But overall, I’d be very pleased to received these on Valentine’s Day.’

7. Morrisons Red Roses Bouquet

Rating:

Estimated price: £12

Actual price: £5    

Claire said: ‘These were proof you cannot go wrong with a simple fresh bunch of roses! 

‘None of them were damaged in the delivery and they are still fresh five days later, which is just incredible. 

‘They are a beautiful, bright red and have been blossoming throughout the week, which has been lovely to see. I’d definitely pick them if I was buying for someone else.’

8. Waitrose

Rating:

Estimated price: £30

Actual price: £30

Jessica said: ‘When these arrived, I was instantly pleased. They appeared beautifully wrapped and even included a lovely red gift bag, making it easy to give it straight to a loved one as a gift.

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

‘But because of this, I admit, that at first I was slightly worried about how long they’d last – but after a week they still appear quite fresh.

‘They don’t particularly smell of anything – which was a disappointment personally, as I usually prefer my flowers to have a lovely floral scent.

‘Overall they were simple and elegant – and while they didn’t appear the most expensive, they were certainly a lovely bouquet nonetheless.’

9. Bloom

Rating:

Estimated price: £60

Actual price: £60 for ten

Clare said: ‘This bouquet arrived simply presented in a brown paper packaging – almost as if I had gone out and bought them from my local market stall, which some customers would no doubt enjoy.

‘Inside the elegant wrapping were 10 roses – boasting a rich scarlet in colour and thick, long stems. 

‘And while they appeared significantly expensive, I would’ve preferred more than just 10, as when you place them in a vase, it’s almost an underwhelming impact.

‘They appeared lonely, and lost some of the luxurious impression they gave while in the packaging. But, while I could’ve done with more leaves or flowers to decorate the arrangement with, this isn’t to say they weren’t still simply stunning.

‘And the best part – they lasted quite some time, giving me around ten days worth of pretty flowers to gaze upon.’

10. Aldi’s Dozen Red Roses

Rating:

Estimated price: £8

Actual price: £3.99

Jessica said: ‘This bunch was cheap and cheerful – but while you could tell from the packaging (a red, plastic, dare I say, cliche wrapping) that it wasn’t the most expensive bouquet of roses, it still brightened up the room just as well as any other.

‘There was no wilting of the petals, and there was more than enough to fill a vase and make an elegant arrangement from them.

‘And still after a few days from delivery, they look perfectly fresh. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the obviously cheap wrapping, I would’ve had some difficulty telling their price range. I currently put it between £5 and £10.

‘As it is, a few bunches together – or even the one – already placed in a vase would make someone a perfect gift, and I doubt they’d grumble about the money possibly spent.’

11. Morrisons Pure Love Bouquet 

Rating:

Estimated price: £5

Actual price: £15 

Claire said: ‘These would definitely make for a very miserable Valentine’s Day. They seemed like they were ready to give up on life the moment I opened the box, which made for a disappointing delivery. 

‘A day after I received them, I had to throw three away and the whole bouquet followed about two days after. 

‘They did not blossom so much as died a slow and painful death on my shelf.’