Blooming flowers

Back in April around the Chelsea flower festival we poured out our hearts for the love of flowers. Now, please don’t get us confused as currently we don’t actually sell any real flowers (or have plans to) however, they inspire us every day in the work that we do, such as when we are considering gift boxing, colour schemes, tea flavours or perhaps even candle fragrances.

You may find it funny to learn though, that we don’t always think flowers make the most suitable gift. Yes, they are beautiful and quite indulgent as you’re unlikely to treat yourself to a special bouquet, however they are impractical and have a very short life span, not to mention predictable and rarely personal.

There are certain situations when flowers simply aren’t a great gift, such as when you are ill or when you have a baby, yet these are somehow some of the most common times people send them.

Let’s just zoom in on the having a baby scenario… when you have just had a baby you have your hands full, learning how to care for a tiny human being. You are probably knackered and the mother will certainly be recovering from labour physically for a few weeks. So when you receive several bouquets of flowers from friends, family and business associates your heart can slightly sink. Let’s face it, the last thing you want to be doing is cutting stems and finding vases for all of them, and then tidying it all up when they inevitably die.

I speak so passionately about this as my sister is rather partial to sending flowers, and after I had my son Hugo was born she sent such a huge bouquet that we didn’t have a vase big enough. When she visited she couldn’t understand why her lovely flowers looked sad and neglected in a bucket by the back door. She must have easily spent £60 at least on these flowers, just think what else she could have bought, which could still be appreciated today.

Another scenario when flowers are regularly given is at awards do’s or concerts. They appear to be the gift of choice to publicly show your appreciation of someone's talent or effort. This is lovely and makes for some great photos, however when it comes to taking them home or putting them somewhere safe whilst you enjoy yourself after the event they are a bit of a burden. My guess is that in most cases the flowers are given away or simply left.

The question you may be asking yourself now is, so what can and should I send to replace flowers? Before you can answer that, you need to rephrase that question to ‘what would be the perfect gift for someone <in whatever the circumstances happen to be>?’ ‘what will they appreciate?’ ‘What will be valued and perhaps useful for them?’ Thinking of it this way allows you to put the recipient of the gift first and you in a better place to make a good choice of gift.

Here are some examples of gifts for where flowers are often given.

New Baby Gifts

Bespoke hampers, with personalised frames. Mini terrarium kits with air plants that need little or no care. Beautiful wool personalised blanket.

Hospital Stay Gifts

Survival kit with items to make their stay more comfortable such as luxury eye mask, ear plugs, hand sanitiser and moisturiser.

Christmas Gift

Personalised bauble and luxury candle set. Entertainer gift hamper with brass cocktail shaker, jigger, candle and gorgeous Christian Lacroix playing cards.

The possibilities for alternative gifts to flowers are endless, but if you're struggling to source something appropriate have a look at our gift inspiration page and give us a shout we’ll be happy to help.

And finally, there are situations where flowers are very much appreciated and a lovely addition to any home. I personally love receiving them for anniversaries and have in the past signed up family members to flower letter box subscription services as a birthday gift, which was most appreciated especially as you don’t have to be in to receive them. I also love receiving flowers when hosting a dinner party, or party, which is more often the case.