Holidays + Occasions
Sending Get Well Flowers
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
It is always tough to have a friend or loved one that is sick. We want to do all we can to make them better. That is why it can be so important to send get well gifts, especially flowers. Get well flowers can brighten any room. Make sure to give brightly colored bouquets with interesting flowers, and your loved one will be feeling better in no time!
The tradition of giving flowers as gifts goes back centuries. The Ancient Greeks gave olive branches to the winners of athletic competitions. Those were congratulation flowers but still functioned as a gift. The Ancient Egyptians also gave flowers as gifts to lovers and their gods Lotuses were a special importance flower for the Egyptians. The practice of flower gift-giving has not gone out of style in the centuries after these ancient civilizations.
One reason for the ubiquity of flowers and plants as gifts is the symbolism associated with flowers. While what the exact flowers mean has changed over the years, the idea that flowers have meaning has not gone away. To go back to our examples in the last paragraph, both the olive branch and lotus had meanings to the Greeks and Egyptians. The olive symbolized peace, prosperity, resurrection, and hope. Ancient Egyptians believed the lotus stood for rebirth and regeneration.
Not only the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians assigned meaning to flowers and plants. The Romans used bay laurels to symbolize strength and victory. By the 19th century, every known flower was assigned its own meaning. There was an especially complex language of flowers and customs surrounding how and when to give certain flower gifts. Victorian England is most known for this practice; however, it was common throughout Europe and the United States.
Flowers still retain their meanings in a less complex way today. But some of the most recognizable flowers have meanings known throughout Western culture. The rose, for example, is still associated with love. You can use the modern meanings of flowers in your get well gift. Why not send an ill loved one a unique message communicated through a bouquet? While sick people tend to get a lot of flowers, they will greatly enjoy the thought your put into such a unique gift.
Common Gifts That Say “Get Well”
If you are searching for the right get well gift, look no further than the items on this list:
Flowers/Plants: Flowers as a get well gift are the topic of this article, and they have to go to the top of this list. Get well flowers and live plants make a wonderful gift for any occasion. It is extremely common, however, to send flowers as a get well gift. There are so many flowers and plants to choose from at BloomsyBox that you are guaranteed to find the perfect bouquet for the occasion.
Soup: chicken soup has been used as a remedy for colds and cases of flu for centuries. Some studies back the idea of chicken soup as a remedy. Any type of warm soup should provide similar benefits. If a loved one or friend is ill, sending gourmet or customized soups with some flowers could be the perfect gift.
Cookies: no one dislikes cookies. While they may not be as good for you as soup, cookies can brighten a period of illness. There are a wide variety of cookie types, so you can send ones you know the recipient will enjoy. Putting together a get a good gift basket with flowers and homemade cookies will brighten the mood.
Card: no matter what get well gift you plan on sending, make sure to include a card. Greeting cards have been exchanged since ancient China. In modern society, cards are an inexpensive way to tell someone you are thinking about them during their illness. Plus, a card can help you explain the meanings behind the flowers and colors you chose for your bouquet from BloomsyBox.
Teddy bear: teddy bears may be associated with children—and Teddy Roosevelt—but they make a great get well gift for adults too. Teddy bears are soft and comforting. As strange as it may seem, approximately a third of adults surveyed during a 2019 study in Britain admitted to continuing to sleep with soft toys. If you have a friend who has held on to their childhood teddy bears, gifting them a new one during a trying time is a great way to offer your get well wishes.
Balloons: balloons are a great way to celebrate multiple occasions. Whether it is a holiday, Mother’s day, or a birthday, you can find a balloon to fit the mood. Balloons can have fun or inspirational messages on their surface. They are also often made of bright colors. Why not combine bright flowers and a couple of balloons to make your friend smile during their illness?
Books, coloring books, activity books, toys, etc: anyone who’s ever been sick knows that it can get boring. There is only so much Netflix a person can watch! If you are looking for items to send with your get well flowers, consider some activities. Books, puzzles, coloring books, activity books, and adult toys are all great activity gifts to give. Legos and models are perfect for the crafty person. If the person is extremely ill, you may want to stick with small, easily completed gifts. However, the sky’s the limit.
Here are the Common Get Well Flowers
Get well flowers can be a part of any gift. Any flower will work in a get well gift. But, there are a few flowers that say “get well soon” a lot better than others.
Below are our top five favorite get well flowers and their meanings:
1) Sunflowers
If you want to send a get well flower that is bright and colorful, the sunflower is for you. It doesn’t get more cheerful than the sunflower. You can find sunflowers in a variety of sizes and colors. Most are yellow or orange, bright colors that symbolize enthusiasm and happiness. As a bonus, sunflowers do not have a strong scent, which is ideal for a get well gift.
2) Daisies
Daisies are another flower without much of a scent. Often when people are ill their sensitivity to smell is intensified. Go for a lightly scented get well flower for these scenarios. The daisy is the perfect flower for any get well bouquet. Their bright yellow centers and small white petals symbolize new beginnings, a perfect get well message.
3) Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are less common get well flower, but they should be more popular. The large blooms made of multiple tiny flowers come in many colors. They are a striking addition to any bouquet as well. Plus, the hydrangea represents perseverance, another ideal message for a person recovering from an illness.
4) Roses
Roses are one of the most popular flower types on the planet. Most people know that roses represent love. These flowers are often used for occasions like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Anniversary gifts. However, the rose makes a wonderful, classic-looking get well bouquet as well.
5) Live Plants
Live plants are the gifts that keep on giving. At BloomsyBox we offer several live plant options. These plants will arrive at their location in soil and a beautiful pot. As long as they remain watered, they will provide a constant source of comfort. This can be the perfect get well gift for the garden-lover. If you want to give a get well gift that will last indefinitely, then you need to consider a live plant gift. The best way to get the perfect gift is to have the professionals curate a selection for you!
Here at BloomsyBox, we pride ourselves on bringing you the best blooms in beautiful bouquets from our farm partners (who are all Rainforest Alliance certified and sustainable). Let us build a very special custom bouquet for you every month that provides the perfect congratulation gift! We promise it will always be unique and one-of-a-kind – and also that you’ll enjoy it, guaranteed.
Our bouquets feature hand-tied arrangements that typically focus on a single type of flower that inspires us for the month. It arrives thoughtfully arranged with greenery that highlights the beauty of the featured flower and is designed to last in a vase for weeks.
For another gift idea, why not send a get well plant? BloomsyBox offers many one-of-a-kind flowers that provide splashes of color that will brighten up any sickroom. Plants provide an activity for a sick person, and they also live indefinitely.
How to Send Get Well Flowers to a Hospital
Sending flowers as a get well present may be extremely common, but there is a certain etiquette you must follow. Just sending a bouquet without thinking can be more of a nuisance than a help, especially if you are sending the get well flowers to a hospital.
Keep these guidelines in mind before you send get well flowers:
Being sick can be a scary and painful time. It doesn’t matter if the person has a cold, a chronic illness, or the coronavirus, no one likes being ill. Or, perhaps your friend or loved one has broken a leg or arm. All types of illnesses or injuries could be brightened by a get well flower gift.
Send your get well gift as soon as possible. If your friend or loved one is still at home, then get well flowers can be sent at any time. Hospitals have their own rules surrounding the delivery of get well flowers.
For hospital delivery, you may need to call before you have your flowers delivered. The hospital will likely not allow the get well gift to be delivered directly to the patient’s room. The flowers all go to a central location and are then distributed.
Also, keep in mind that some hospitals do not allow the delivery of balloons. Check with the hospital before you include a balloon in your get well gift.
Always include a card, whether you have the get well flowers delivered to a home or hospital. The card should indicate who sent the gift. Yours is likely not the only bouquet being delivered to your friend, a card can help them keep track of who sent what. The last thing a sick person wants is to worry about who to send the thank you notes too!
If you send a BloomsyBox subscription or live plant, make sure the recipient knows to expect it. Yes that will take away the surprise a bit. However, a live plant can easily get lost in the shuffle, and you don’t want your gift to die before the person finds it again. A BloomsyBox subscription is a great way to keep the bouquets coming to your friend every week or month, but they should know to look for those deliveries.
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Cheerful is Better When Sending a Get Well Gift
Being sick can be a scary and painful time. It doesn’t matter if the person has a cold, a chronic illness, or the coronavirus, no one likes being ill. Or, perhaps your friend or loved one has broken a leg or arm. All types of illnesses or injuries could be brightened by a get well flower gift. However, keep the flowers cheerful.
You don’t want the sentiment to seem forced yet providing a bleak gift during a dark time in a person’s life is a little besides the point. You want to make them feel better with your gift. That is why we recommend bouquets like BloomsyBox’s Sunny sunflower bouquet, or even a big bouquet of red roses. Bright and colorful flowers can contrast with a hospital’s white walls and provide some much-needed color into an ill person’s life.
Once you have decided on the best flowers to send your friend as a get well gift, you need to contact BloomsyBox. We provide a number of custom-made and farm-to-table bouquets and live plants for any occasion. Show a friend or loved one that they are in your thoughts with a beautiful flower arrangement or flower subscription - it will definitely put some sunshine into their day!
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