Sending flowers to someone who’s down with a bug feels like the easy thing to do. It’s a good impulse, but the execution, oh boy, that’s where the wheels can start falling off. Wrong blooming plant, wrong time, delivered to a ward that flat won’t take them because they’re worried about dirt and germs in the water, it’s easy to get it wrong. And trust me, most people who send flowers have no idea they’re making it more complicated than it needs to be.
The Hospital Rule That Nobody Tells You About When You’re Ordering Flowers
Before you even start, it’s worth knowing that not every hospital ward will take fresh flowers. In Melbourne, ICU’s, oncology wards and high-dependency ones usually have rules against them because they’re worried that the dirt and bacteria in the flowers could give people in the ward an infection. So you go ahead and book a get well soon flowers delivery, only to have them turned away at the nurses’ station, basically they end up going to waste.
Just takes a couple of minutes to ring ahead and check, or, even better, ask the person directly. If you’re still unsure, just home deliver them. That way they get to wait for the person, rather than being left sitting there going to waste because some ward has a rule against fresh flowers.
And don’t even get me started on the scent of the flowers. I mean, roses and lilies are nice and all, but you’d be surprised how often they trigger a bout of nausea in people on certain meds. The smell that might smell nice in an open room can be pretty overpowering in a small hospital cubicle.
Flower Colour, Not Just A Pretty Face
When it comes to flowers and someone who’s in the hospital, you might think it’s just about aesthetics, but it’s actually got a lot more to do with how they make the person feel. Yellows and oranges, like sunflowers and gerberas, are always really uplifting and brighten up the place. Soft whites and creams are really good for people who need to rest, as they’re super calm and soothing.
Roses, on the other hand, are pretty strongly associated with being romantic, so it’s best to avoid them if the two of you aren’t a couple. Pastel flowers though, are pretty universal and are as happy to brighten up a hospital room as they are to decorate a wedding.
Sending Flowers at The Right Time
Sending flowers in the first day or so after you hear about the illness is a real winner. It shows you noticed right away and you’re thinking of the person. But so is sending flowers a bit later on, when everything has died down a bit. Just don’t send them at that weird middle point when they just sort of arrive out of the blue and nobody is really thinking about them.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics does a report every year on the horticulture industry and guess what they say? Australians spend something like $3.2 billion a year on cut flowers and all that stuff, which just goes to show that sending flowers is genuinely how we talk to people when they’re down. It’s not just because florists are good at selling us stuff.
Extending the Lifespan of the Gift
A handwritten message with a personal touch always beats the monetary value of any bouquet. It is something special, related either to a common experience or a particular detail, showing that you cared enough to pay attention.
In case of prolonged recovery, potted plants and easy-to-care-for plants will be way more useful for your recipient than cut flowers: they will stay alive for weeks instead of days. It might be significant during the period when all of the initial support is fading.
Such accessories as chocolates and small gift baskets extend the lifespan of your present without making it more complicated. Balloons will look appropriate in case of a younger recipient or family member; otherwise, such decoration looks more suitable in places, where the patient requires peace and quiet.
Things to Consider Before Making the Purchase
Check delivery radius before completing the purchase. Although the florist’s website might state that the delivery takes place in the whole of Melbourne, not all of the suburbs might be included in the list of zones for the delivery.
Moreover, you need to consider the availability of flowers during the season. In order to make a beautiful photo, flower shops choose perfect flowers. It doesn’t mean that the arrangement will consist of exactly the same flowers – depending on what came to the wholesaler that week, your bouquet will be different. It means that sometimes you will get more fresh flowers if you order something in the category of seasonal or florist’s choice.
When you check the reviews, concentrate only on the delivery part – how reliable the delivery service is and when exactly you could receive the flowers. The five-star rating might come from the picture only, while reviews stating that the flowers arrived on time in such or such suburbs of Melbourne will give you another picture.
The flowers matter. Everything else also matters.
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