This guide will tell you which flowers to send for which occasion.

Which flowers to send?

If you’re not a flower person, knowing which flowers to send can sometimes be a bit tricky. Do you go with a bouquet that has roses in, even if the person you are sending them to isn’t a romantic interest? With all the different flowers available, and with each one having a different meaning, it can be a bit tough making your mind up on an arrangement.

Romantic flowers: These can basically contain just about every flower: though ALWAYS avoid carnations and chrysanthemum’s. These are known for being cheap and are also funeral-esque flowers, so if there is one golden rule, it’s this one. Avoid these like the plague. From there you can start thinking along colour schemes – red roses of course are an obvious choice, but again, they are extremely cliche. A perfect idea would be to send an arrangement that includes a vase to your romantic interest’s office in a colour scheme of choice – purples and whites, or reds and pinks, or even oranges and yellows all work. Another thing to consider with romantic flowers is which florist to choose? There are so many available! Well, here’s a secret – I used to work at a florist, and I would always recommend NOT going with an Interflora associated florist. Why? Because these designs are often tired and re-used over and over, and they lose the magic as a lot of their designs are rather traditional. Use a nation-wide florist such as Arena Flowers who have some magical designs and can deliver UK wide next day, as long as you place your order by 7:00PM the previous day. Pretty good right? Not only that, but they have free delivery as well, allowing you to spend a little bit more on the flowers, and a little less on how they get there. Oh, and don’t send a balloon. These are a pain to get back from work.

Editors pick (pictured): Avalanche roses and purple lisianthus from Arena Flowers, from £47.99

Friendly, congratulatory flowers: So, your friend’s just celebrated a birthday. Or gotten a promotion. Or engaged. Or married. Or even had a baby. Here’s your chance to send a balloon or congratulatory baby toy alongside your flowers. Here, you want to really go with a bright and colourful flower arrangement or bouquet. Yellows, oranges and whites really highlight happiness and can be a perfect mood  accompaniment to your buddy’s great day and will keep them cheerful for days to come. Think tulips, sunflowers, yellow or orange lilies, orange roses, gerberas or even sunflowers if the season is right. Gladioli are a fantastic choice in the summer, where they are high in season and rather affordable. These aren’t available so much in the winter, so try out some happy lilies or amarylis’s. Plants are also a great choice for a congratulatory gift: check out Arena Plants or Interflora have a great plant range as well.

Editors pick (pictured): A fantastically autumnal arrangement of smiling gerberas, warm roses and lilies. Vase included from Interflora for just £29.99.

Sympathy flowers: One of the biggest questions I would get, working at the florist, was – “What flowers do I send for a funeral or sympathy?”. Simply put, never send flowers to a funeral unless you are part of the family, in which case, you will most likely want to order lettering. These can be designed by florists using florist sponge, which is a big green sponge soaked in water and come in various shapes and sizes, including lettering. Flowers are then cut and placed into the sponge to spell out names with flowers. For these, best call up a florist to arrange the lettering, along with the colour type. These can be ordered from places like Flowers24Hours.co.uk, who deliver in London and the UK

If you’re not part of the family, then typically a white arrangement is perfectly suitable, alongside a card with a simple and short message to express your sympathy. Lilies or white roses adorned with ivy or similar are usually the flowers of choice for sad occasions. It is highly advisable to send flowers that are either in a basket or vase already, as these require little thought or looking after by the family in need.

Editor’s pick (pictured): A tall vase of beautiful white lilies from Interflora for £74.99

We hope this guide has given you a bit more insight into which flowers to send for what occasion. Feel free to leave any comments with any questions and we will get back to you for answers!

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