It’s sometimes thought that flowers don’t make good gifts as they just die. However, it can be that a flower’s entire lifecycle makes for a more meaningful gift than simply looking at a minute snapshot alone.

What makes a good gift?

A box of chocolates gets eaten, are you a person who keeps the gift card? Balloons deflate and decor tastes can change, so is it the item or the meaning behind the item? I think we all know the answer to this one but what are we trying to say?

I think we are just trying to show someone we care & love knowing them by giving them something we think they’ll love. It doesn’t really matter if they eat them all today, or can cherish them for years. It matters that you make them happy & feel loved for a moment in their day.

Different people like different things, thus one gift may not be suitable for everyone.

When Do Fresh Flowers Make Good Gifts?

Some people don’t like to have too much “stuff”. It can mean more cleaning, organising, trying to get things to match and deciding where to put things. This is where perishable goods can make great gifts. The minimalist can enjoy fresh flowers for approximately a week, before disposing of them or choosing to dry some to display if it suits them. Yes, that’s right, even after some flowers perish they can be easily hung upside down to dry out before starting their new life as dried flowers.

Dead But Beautiful!

I once saw a dried flower company that actually called themselves,”Pretty Dead Flowers”. I thought this was so clever. Unfortunately, too often people come into florist shops and find it necessary to vocalise their thoughts on the fact that dried flowers are “dead” so they don’t see why they cost so much. I kind of think well, “thanks, how literal of you.” So do you think the same about meat because it’s just “dead” animals… We need a butcher that’s called, “Yummy Dead Animals” now! 🤣🤣🤣 Sorry, you can’t always say these things anymore…

Commercially dried and preserved flowers and foliage can involve quite time consuming procedures and expensive equipment to help them last, hold their form, colour and do all this in a timely manner. Not to mention buying the fresh produce to start off with from growers. Thus, they cost what they do because of the time and money spent on caring for these “dead flowers”.

All in all, these remarks of them “just being dead” tell more of people’s lack of education and appreciation of the subject than anything to do with the product themselves.

Dried flowers can last for month, even years! When I first started floristry I made my Mum a dried flower bouquet, and she still has it! This was 14 years ago as of 2024. She just dusts it off every now and again. The rustic dried roses, eucalyptus foliage and dried daisies all still have their colour sitting nicely in an antique metal jug in their dining room hall.

Dried flowers and the art of dried flower arranging have been around for centuries to assist with brightening the home during winter when the land may be covered with snow and there are no fresh flowers blooming. They can assist with providing fragrance to a room as well, as many flowers still hold fragrance once dried.

Arrangements can come in many shapes, colours, containers and styles. They can even adorn cards and can be added into photo frames to make wall art.

The lifecycle of fresh flowers and foliage radiates beauty and cheerfulness right from the moment they bud on a plant, through to when they end up in a dried flower arrangement in a vase, in a dining room. They are a long lasting gift that keeps on giving, to cheer up someone’s day, week or even year!

If you are looking for fresh or dried flowers to brighten someone’s day today, check out our gorgeous range of fresh & dried flowers here.