Guest Post: Everything You Should Know Before Purchasing Flowers as a Gift

Flowers are an incredibly popular gift to give to show your appreciation and love to a friend or family member. Whether you are looking for the best thank you flowers, or to celebrate a birthday, there are hundreds of options to choose from.

However, before you simply just go down to the store and pick the first bouquet you see, there are some things you should know. With that in mind, this blog post is going to go over everything you should know before you purchase flowers as a gift.

Be Aware of the Preferences of the Gift Recipient

The first thing to know is of course the type of flower your friend or family member likes. While many will appreciate any sort of flower, most people have a favorite. Whether you ask them what kind they like, ask someone that knows them well, or even look on their social media pages. There are several ways to discover this!

This could even be as simple as buying them a pink and purple bouquet as you know those are their favorite colors. There are many benefits to having flowers at home, so you want to ensure your recipient gets the type they love. The best part? They will be proud to show them off. Be sure to check they don’t have a pollen allergy either, as many flowers could aggravate these allergies.

Know the Meanings of the Flowers

Different flowers have different meanings, and it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with them a little a bit. This can have an impact as different types of flowers can say different things when given as a gift. Some have symbolic meaning developed over the years, while others will have meanings derived from their colors. This includes red roses signifying love, dark-colored roses signifying mourning and pink roses signifying happiness and grace.

The meaning can often help to guide which flowers a person should get for a specific situation. For example, flowers celebrating someone who is planning a destination wedding will often be different from arrangements for someone who is in mourning.

Of course, you don’t always have to abide by the meanings perfectly at all times. If someone prefers darker flowers, they are completely fine to give on a happy occasion, as long as you know they like them.

Be Familiar With the Signs of a Healthy and Fresh Flower

When you get someone flowers, you want them to both look and smell good. However, you also want to ensure that the flower is fresh. A fresh bouquet of flowers will not only look and smell better, but will last much longer before wilting and dying.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to know whether a flower is fresh or not. The petals should be relatively firm, but not brittle, and the leaves and stems should be healthy. The colors should be vibrant, with no wilting petals or developing brown spots.

It is a good idea to purchase flowers that are in their blooming season, as well. Also, there are a few ways to keep flowers fresh longer, so your loved one can enjoy your gift for a few more days. This includes changing their water, keeping them cool, and using some kind of flower food.

If you aren’t giving the flowers immediately, be sure to keep them in good condition while waiting to give them. If you leave them in the bag or wrap that they came in, they may not end up lasting as long as you’d like.

Know the Reputation of the Provider

Sometimes, the flower provider can be just as important as the flowers themselves. You want to ensure that the flowers you buy are from a reputable provider. They should have a lot of botanical knowledge and provide you with great customer service that answers all of your questions.

Many shops will be able to help you design the perfect bouquet. With stellar suggestions, you can choose the type of flower that is perfect for the message or emotion that you are trying to convey.

In addition to shopping at your local florist, don’t hesitate to head to online florists. The space is exploding recently and many providers are incredibly trustworthy. Whether you need a single bouquet, or a collection, they will get you quality flowers quickly, and offer better stock than your local shop.

Either way, do your best to only buy from legitimate places. While roadside flower stands might be cheap, there is a good chance that the flowers are of lower quality and haven’t been cared for. As a result, they may not last as long. Now, this isn’t always the case, as some flower stalls are professional, but do your research.

Know What You’re Comfortable Spending

It is also a good idea to know what you are comfortable spending on the flowers. Flowers can run the gamut when it comes to price. Some may only run you a couple of dollars, while others can cost hundreds of dollars. Before you even look at options, have an amount that you are comfortable spending for the gift.

Then, do your best to stick to that range to make sure you aren’t going into debt for some flowers. Be careful about being talked into flowers that are out of your price range. Also, just because a particular flower type, color, or style is more expensive, that doesn’t always mean it’s better and will last longer.

In conclusion, flowers can make an incredible gift for everything from a birthday present to a graduation gift. However, be sure to do your homework on everything you need to know before going out and buying any.

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