Advice From a Florist On Giving Women Flowers

Possibly the only thing women love more than anything is receiving flowers. The reality is, men are usually at a loss when it comes to giving women flowers. To get a handle on the issue, I reached out to Dana Beavers, a florist and owner of Dana’s Flowers in Fayette, Alabama. Being the sympathetic soul that she is, Dana graciously agreed to lend her expert advice.

Special occasions are obvious opportunities for giving women flowers. Valentine’s Day and other special holidays are a few examples. But what other times should a guy consider sending flowers to his favorite girl?

Just Because (When They’re Least Expected)

The absolute, very best possible time to give a woman flowers is when she least expects them. Shea Goldstein, the marvelous cook and blogger behind DixieChikCooks.com, confirmed this strategy. She also has a different take on Valentines Day flowers too.

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“Girls, especially Southern girls, love being surprised with romantic gestures. Receiving a bouquet on Valentine’s Day isn’t romantic at all,” noted Shea. “As women, we want to be surprised with our favorite flowers when we least expect it. In the middle of a random month with a lovely card. That will get you lots more brownie points!”

Making a lady feel truly special will get a guy everywhere; well, almost. Regardless of your relationship status, surprising her with a simple, yet elegant bouquet is the ticket for practically any occasion.

However, Dana believes guys must be aware of the circumstances and that sending the wrong flower at the wrong time isn’t a wise move.

“If the relationship hasn’t risen to the ‘serious’ level, then I recommend a colorful mixed bouquet of seasonal flowers,” Dana added. “Roses symbolize love, so unless that’s a signal you intend to send, I wouldn’t recommend sending them during the early stages of the relationship. And certainly not before or after a first date. Now if you’re in love, a half-dozen red roses are ideal.”

When You’re In Trouble (like when you leave the toilet seat up)

Or in even MORE trouble, like you forgot that it’s your turn to make dinner and put the kids to bed, but you end up going out with the guys after work.  Yeah, you know what I mean.

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Most guys can relate to these examples. Just imagine; you’re sound asleep in the wee hours when a blood-curdling scream awakens you. Thinking a violent crime is being committed, you spring up and realize the noise is coming from your sweet darling. She’s screaming a string of choice words in your direction as her bare bottom touches the cold water in the toilet. Merely thinking of this episode sends chills down my spine. 

“In this case, I would recommend Gerbera daisies with a happy face. This type of mistake deserves a moderate apology,” Dana sheepishly said. Her advice didn’t stop there.

“I’ll share a secret if you promise not to tell,” whispered Dana. “Most women like flowers other than roses because a rose might not last as long.” Perplexed, I asked why.

“Roses are only good for a few hours unless they remain in a vase of clean and fresh water. Then they’ll only last a few days,’ so there are better options available.” Hmmm. Who knew?

As far as the roses, Shea adds, “Roses are cliche. To me, roses indicate that they didn’t put a lot of effort in because they think all women love roses. That isn’t true. If you know the woman, you’ll know the flower she prefers. Ask her; she’ll tell you in a heartbeat.”

When She’s Sick (or it’s that time of the month)

Receiving a fresh bouquet of colorful flowers is a nice pick-me-up for any girl. They do wonders when a lady who is “under the weather” gets a surprise delivery. But heed this warning and understand, you’re taking a risk if it’s that “special time of the month.”

Given all the extra hormonal activity, this can result in having them thrown at your head for “relationship sins” committed years ago. You know, the ones you forgot about after she indicated forgiveness. Yeah, right. Women never forget our accidental, unfortunate and unintentional silly mistakes. How ridiculous of us to think otherwise.

Giving Women Flowers On Her Birthday

Any girls birthday is an extraordinary day for her, so treat it as such. Along with the flowers, Dana suggests including a gift card to her favorite salon or store so she can pamper herself. As for flowers, “something whimsical and festive that includes orchids and anthurium’s is a good idea.” 

What to Avoid When Sending a Girl Flowers

Cheezy sentiments on the card. “Every Valentine’s Day we take an order from a man for 11 roses. On the card, he asks that we write, ‘Eleven roses for my sweetheart because I’m the other rose in your life.’ That’s so lame,” Dana said, laughing and shaking her head.

“It’s important that men hand write the card, as well as address the envelope. That’s a sign he took time to make the gesture special.”

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And for heaven’s sake, don’t send them the day before or the day after Valentines Day. Guys may think it’s cute to send flowers on one of these two days, but women feel just the opposite.

“Most girls want flowers on Valentine’s Day because all their other girlfriends are receiving them too. No girl wants to be left out.”

Prices

From a price perspective, carnations and daisies are the least expensive, roses and lilies are in the middle. The more costly flowers are tulips, anthuriums, peonies, garden roses, and orchids.

Upon learning this, my first thought was, “if roses are a mid-range priced flower, then why are they so expensive on Valentine’s Day?”

There are two reasons. First, the demand is high because practically every guy in America is ordering roses at the same time. The prices per bundle from the wholesalers practically double, so retailers must charge more to make a profit. Second, if it were up to florists, Valentine’s Day would be in the middle of summer growing season, when roses are at their best. “February isn’t the best month to find roses in peak condition,” Dana said.

Where to Buy Flowers

Dana confessed she’s biased on this topic and insisted that purchasing them from a reputable florist is best. “Flowers are fresher when they come from a florist, and you get expert, friendly advice from a local flower shop,” she emphasized.

If you’re thinking of buying them from a grocery store or retail chain; then think again. “You never know how long supermarket flowers have been sitting there,” said Dana. “There’s also a good chance they’ve been in stale water too. That will certainly impact the lifespan of the flowers.”

Here’s a final piece of advice:

Don’t even think about ordering flowers from someone not located in the city or town where delivery occurs. “1800Flowers and other online florist are going to turn around and call a local florist, taking a percentage for their trouble. Plus, you get ‘zero’ personal service,” Dana said. “It’s best to call a florist with a retail storefront. Every city and practically every small town in America has at least one.