Say It With Flowers
The simplest way to show love, affection and respect, the wrong flower can muddle up the true intent.
Blame it on Hollywood. As with every other trend that burns a hole in your pocket, it’s the Hollywood movies that have fed an almost insatiable appetite for flower gifting — and the more expensive, the better. From the days of Audrey Hepburn to the days of Meg Ryan — the standard romcom has built a fetish for flowers. And as Tom Hanks hands over daisies to Ryan in You’ve Got Mail or Mr Big sends an arrangement of long-stemmed roses to Carrie, you want to get flowers too. Unfortunately the Indian film industry hasn’t done much for the cause of flower gifting. Given our flower movie moments are typical suhaag raat, stage and puja scenes. Flower gifting has never been a priority for us Indians. However, if the roadside flower shops sprouting everywhere in your colony is any indication, ‘saying it with flowers’ is a language we are learning fast. Agrees Pawan Gadia, chief executive officer of Ferns N Petals (FNP) — one of the leading flower boutiques in India. The culture of gifting flowers has seen a lot of change from the early ’80s and ’90s. “But the concept of ‘saying it with roses’ is relatively new,” he says. Over the years, FNP has seen customers’ tastes evolve from loud arrangements of roses with fillers packed in coloured papers to state-of-the-art arrangements by designers using imported posies.
Fancy Flowers
Now if you have to say it with flowers, make sure they are fancy. As American television actress Delta Burke had once commented, “If you want to say it with flowers, a single rose says: I’m cheap!” If your bouquet doesn’t have any statement flowers, chances are it might not survive another day. Lilies, carnations, hydrangea and orchids have now come to stay, other than the plain gerberas and roses. People now demand exotic varieties and also request specific arrangements. “Customers don’t think twice about spending a few thousands on a bouquet or flower arrangement today,” Gadia says, adding that “while quick fixes are for last minute deliveries, it is not uncommon for customers to ask for customised arrangements.”
Weddings, birthdays and anniversaries are still the key drivers for gifting flowers. People are now sending flowers to even business associates to build networks and stay in touch. From an occasional purchase, gifting flowers has seen a change. As Rishi Sachdev, owner of Aryan Florist that runs an online florist company aryanflorist.com, claims that he gets requests to deliver flowers in villages as far flung as Sangrur in Punjab. Flowers at Work? While in the West, flowers are suited for every occasion from funerals to the workplace, in India, flowers are relegated to personal occasions and almost never at funerals. But in the Indian offices, it’s now okay to gift your boss or a colleague flowers on their birthdays.
However, there’s a separate flower-gifting etiquette code for that. While deciding to gift flowers in the office always pick a mildly scented arrangement that doesn’t assail the senses. And this even when your colleague might love fragrant flowers, as the office mates might not be okay with a heavy smell — however pleasant — hanging in the air. Play it safe.
Of course, steer clear of the long-stemmed red roses, which hint at stronger feelings and are liable to send the wrong signals. Instead choose a standard mix — seasonal flowers with a blast of colours is the best choice.
Any dominating colour scheme and your bouquet can be open to interpretation: red for love, pink for secret love, yellow for friendship, etc. Or gift a potted plant. Just make sure it is low maintenance, else it is most likely to die in the office. But Gadia claims that flowers in India don’t hang heavy with imbued meaning. In the West, since flowers are extremely personal there’s one for everything and every moment. Case in point: give a flowering cactus to someone you know who has endured a lot in life. If you want to show loyalty, gift them a bamboo plant, while woodbine is the perfect flower to give to your brother. “In India, men [the prime pickers of flowers] look for trends and bestsellers to aid them in the purchase process,” Gadia says.
WHAT OCCASION, WHICH FLOWER
Who: Newly-Weds Send: Roses (red and pink), lilies, tulips — all signify love, bird of paradise signifies prosperity
Who: Lover Send: Long-stemmed red roses or lilies, both signify love
Who: Grandpa, mom or teacher Send: Orchids to imply nobility; evergreens say long life; and jonquil says youth
Who: New businessman Send: Yellow chrysanthemums, bird of paradise represent wealth and prosperity
Who: Someone in the hospital Send: Any light-scented ones like carnations Never send a potted plant — depicts finality
Who: Friends Send: Chinese roses, chrysanthemums or yellow roses all are flowers of friendship
Who: Secret Love Send: Pink roses — the flowers of secret love — will help you confess your love
( :: Nupur Amarnath ET16OCT11)
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