Flowers Vs. Plants: Which is a Better Gift? (virtual)

September 30th, 2008 admin Posted in flowers |

By Amy Nutt

When it comes to giving gifts, many people opt for flowers, but a plant can be just as good a gift. Both flowers and plants make excellent gifts for just abut any occasion and are almost always welcome.

Choosing Plants as Gifts

A plant is a great present for someone in a stable situation who has space for it. Of course, plants don’t have to take up a lot of room and you can even choose one that can be replanted into an outside garden if the recipient is more likely to enjoy an outdoor addition.

Plants as gifts should be something special. That doesn’t mean you have to pick a flashy plant, or one that is flowering, though this can be very nice. Look for a plant that will mean something to the recipient.

If you know your friend loves ficus, for example, because they remind her of her mother, then go ahead and get her a ficus. It will mean far more than an African violet or another prettier plant.

A few advantages to selecting a plant as a gift:

- They can be replanted.

- They last longer than cut flowers.

- A plant can be placed anywhere in a home.

- They add oxygen to the air.

Be sure to opt for a plant that requires the level of care that can be afforded by the recipient. An exotic orchid might not be the best choice for someone who has a black thumb and is seldom home, but a fern or even a cactus could be a far better gift in this case.

Choosing Flowers as a Gift

Flowers are a more traditional gift than plants, but that doesn’t make them any better. For some people, those who simply have no desire to own plants or who can’t keep even a cactus alive, flowers are a great choice. Of course, they also make a good gift for any special occasion like the arrival of a new baby, an anniversary or even a job promotion.

With such a wide range of flowers available to choose from, you’re bound to find something ideal for the person you have in mind. It really helps if you can find out what their favorite flowers are, but you really can’t go wrong with a bright, beautiful bouquet, whether it’s made up of Gerber daisies or roses.

It’s a good idea to tailor the flowers to the relationship, as well. A dozen red roses for a co-worker aren’t very appropriate, but a bouquet of mixed flowers is. If you want to give roses to a friend, stick to non-romantic colors like yellow, coral or gold and shy away from red and pink which can be mistaken as a completely different gesture.

Flowers also lend themselves to small gift inclusions, like a teddy bear for a new baby, a bunch of chocolates for a lover or a figurine for that special someone in your life. These extras can add a lot more meaning to your gift and will be appreciated long after the cut flowers wilt and die.

Whether you opt for flowers or plants as a gift, you’ll be making the right decision. They are both excellent gifts that are enjoyed greatly by the recipients. Which one you choose depends mostly on personal taste and what the recipient will enjoy most. Flowers and plants make for a more unique gift than many of the standard options and can be a fun way to mix it up a bit, especially if you add in a little extra gift tucked into the foliage.

Toronto flower shop offering bouquet and arrangements for any occasion. Choose from a vast selection of wedding flowers arrangements, birthday flowers and more.

Retail Florist Flower Buying Coop Saves Money
By Ava Rose

Retail florists are aware that consumers have a variety of choices and can buy flowers from many places. Then brick and mortar florist has lost business and made lower profits as a result of orders being taken by companies that get commission or people simply shopping elsewhere. Rising fuel costs have also added to the misery and despite the downward pressure on retail price points the floral wholesalers have raised prices to retail florists. Companies like FTD that FedEx flowers to retailers are not doing florists any favors as their costs are high also. Flowers are not a staple and discretionary products in these economic times become more of a luxury.

That is it for the bad news. The good news is that florists have been paying roughly twice as much for fresh cut flowers because they buy them from floral wholesalers. How is this good news? Well, you can join or create a coop of retail florists and dramatically cut your fresh cut flower costs by more then half. Local florists can then offer customers much more product for the same price while at the same time reduce costs and become more profitable by attracting additional customers. A retail flower coop is very effective.

Buying flowers direct is very easy to do, the issue is that when you buy the flowers direct they are consolidated (dropped off) in Miami Fl and the flowers need to get to the the local flower shop. Wholesalers do buy direct, consolidate in Miami and truck the flowers in bulk to their wholesale store and then distribute it to the retail florist. The key for a local florist is to get the product trucked to their location.

By forming retail florist coops with a group of several local florists you are able to buy flowers in bulk and get them trucked to one of the shops. Some of the large flower trucking companies try to stop this by protecting the wholesalers but you can usually find plenty of trucking options or in the alternative simply create a wholesale florist company for the coop.

The first reaction from a florist when they hear this is no way, it is too hard to do, it cant be true that I can pay half as much and it must be another sales pitch. When florists try it out they then say I cant believe how much money I have saved and how much money I have wasted in the past. The retail florist coop is gaining in popularity and the wholesalers are not happy.

Start or join a retail florist coop in your area today and start saving.

New City Florist has led one of the most successful flower buying coops in the nation. They work with local NY/NJ flower shops in Rockland County, Orange County, Westchester County and Bergen County to buy wholesale flowers. To find out more check out the flower blogflower blog

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