Gift giving is always a challenge. What gift accurately represents your feelings toward the other person? What fits within your budget? Will they like it…love it…hate it? It’s never easy, which is why the gift card industry has exploded.
Sometimes, though, a plant or arrangement of flowers can say just the right thing at the right time. Flowers can say “Happy Birthday”, “Congratulations on the new job”, or simply “I love you and was thinking about you”.
The big challenge with flowers, however, is the fact that the look great on day one, but not so much on day seven. Then, more often than not, they end up in the trash bin.
So, can artificial flowers and plants replace the “real thing” when it comes to gift giving? We think so! In fact, we thought through 5 different scenarios where we believe giving a faux plant is better than giving a live one.
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The Recipient Is Busy And On-The-Go
You know who I’m talking about.
That person who is a non-stop whirlwind of activity. Whether a busy mom, working to grow their career, or the social butterfly these folks are constantly moving and rarely sit still enough to water a houseplant or care for the flower arrangement on their desk.
It doesn’t mean, though, that they don’t like beautiful plants, flowers, or shrubs. It’s just that they often aren’t around enough to care for them.
In this case, maybe a high-quality orchid arrangement, or a simple fern would be a great low-maintenance gift.
An orchid arrangement is a great gift for someone on the go.
They Just Have A “Brown Thumb”
Not everyone is a wizard with plants. Some folks just can’t keep a plant alive despite all their efforts.
That doesn’t mean they don’t like to have flower and plants around, so why not give them the gift of a high-quality, low-maintenance artificial plant? They won’t have to struggle with watering and worry about sunlight.
With just a little bit of maintenance, they’ll have a gift they can enjoy and treasure for a long time. And each time they see the plant, hopefully they’ll think of you. As a suggestion, we recommend a beautiful flowering tree or shrub.
Unexpected colors of this Smoke Tree will complement any home’s décor!
They Live In A Hygienic Environment
If the recipient of your gift lives in a nursing home or is in the hospital, maybe a live plant or flower isn’t the best choice. In these situations, the pollen or other allergens might cause issues, so a beautiful faux plant could be a better option.
Even if the stay is short-term, they can always take the plant home with them and not have to worry about ongoing maintenance. To reduce allergens and give them something easy to maintain, consider plants that have broad leaves and are easy to dust. They want to be able to easily hit the plant with a Swiffer duster and know that the allergens are taken care of.
For those living in a hygienic environment, you want to give a gift that can be easily cleaned, like the broad leaves on this bird of paradise palm.
Believe it or not, they can wash most of these plants in the shower or dust them with a hair dryer to really make maintenance easy.
They Suffer From Allergies
Even if the recipient isn’t living in a nursing home or is in the hospital, some people are just more allergy-prone than others. Rather than giving them a bouquet of flowers and a box of antihistamines, give them a faux flower arrangement that the won’t have to worry will aggravate their sinuses.
They Travel A Lot For Business Or Pleasure
Much like the folks who are always on-the-go, a lot of friends, family, and co-workers travel.
Whether it’s heading out to meet with a client, continue growing that sales opportunity, or just jet-setting around the world enjoying retirement, travelers don’t want to have to worry about their houseplants. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to decorate their “home base” with beautiful plants, trees, and flowers.
So, for these folks, consider giving them a boxwood tree, a succulent or a bamboo tree that suits their style.
There you have it!
Five situations where artificial plants and flowers might be better than the real thing.
Have you gifted artificial plants and flowers to others? We’d love to know whether there are other ideal situations and how the gift was received. Share some of your examples in a comment below.
