Are flowers a feminist issue?

I have always bought flowers for the Significant Other in my life. Without fail I have always been the first woman ever to give them flowers, and without fail they have been surprised and pleased. Make of that what you will

I'm with you charis the damage that the flower industry is doing in developing countries is horrendous and no one seems to give a hoot about it.

Hmmm, I do think that women in general do prefer pretty things like flowers more than men though. I'm not sure if this is conditioning though.

Daffodils, sweet williams and gladioli are often British - M&S and Sainsbury's certainly tell you when they are.

I've bought flowers for men. I think there is a lot of conditioning about who it is acceptable to give flowers to, but I think men like them as much as women. One of my favourite photos of my father is of him smelling the roses growing round the door.

The Netherlands has probably the largest flower producing industry in the world.

Charis - I hadn't thought about that (although I generally buy Chrysanthemums which I think are generally European grown) - I will ensure that the flowers I buy come from the UK from now on.

Surely it is only a feminist issue if it is only one way not the other and there is an expectation that flowers and only flowers must be bought for the female?

I don't buy my OH flowers, I give him rose bushes and other plants for his garden. He has bought me roses for valentines hallmark day even though I insisted we make each other a gift instead. I don't agree with hallmark day at all too much pressure for men to conform and be perfect as well as the fact I feel showing love and appreciation is an everyday not a one day thing but he insists. Part of me think he has been conditioned to but I don't feel bad because I do not expect him to go all out and I do reciprocate with my own gift. yes he knows my views, agrees but still insists.

yes, I have even bought him chocolates. Nut allergy so finding a box of chocs that are nut free is a miracle and has to be done just for the sheer novelty of sharing a box without a potential trip to A&E!

I like to be given flowers and I am a man. I like arranging them in a vase. I like house plants too and gardening. DW hasn't got a clue. Not her thing.

I hate the flower industry.

Woman in east Africa suffer terrible health problems from the pesticides and weed killers the use in the flower industry, so rich western woman can be given useless short term gifts,

That is a far more important issue than how many times they get given to men.

I always give a box of chocolates or a gift voucher, something that they can tangibly use and benefit from

Flowers are beautiful. Isn't that enough?

I buy dh flowers and vice versa.

He buys me flowers every week, I buy them for him only 5 or 6 times a year.

I like flowers (in the garden or on the table). I love having enough money now that if I find myself at the supermarket I can spend a tenner on flowers and not worry about it. I prefer flowers to chocolates as they're purely there to be pretty, I enjoy that they have absolutely no practical purpose (unlike most other things in the house)

DP has never bought me flowers (for some reason, all my partners have preferred to buy me pot plants - which I feel is missing the point of flowers)

I buy flowers if I'm going somewhere for dinner or something, and I don't know them well enough to buy an actual gift or I don't think an actual gift would be accepted.

I also grow them in the garden, and have pretty flowering bushes - I love looking out and seeing the sunflowers, or scented stocks or cornflowers waving about.

DS1 loves flowers too, DP doesn't really have feelings either way - there were never flowers in the house at home unless I picked bluebells or similar in the woods.

I don't think it's conditioning to like something beautiful (or not like if it's not to your taste) I think perhaps it's conditioning to consider them 'womens things' and therefore beneath your consideration though.

I think you might be overthinking it here. I don't buy anyone flowers because I don't see what practical use the recipient will have. I always give a box of chocolates or a gift voucher, something that they can tangibly use and benefit from.

I'm a feminist and I'm single. I buy myself flowers every week because I like them.

I'm a big gardener and I don't have any problem with cut flowers - you have to cut flowers off sweet peas or they stop flowering!

I do try and reduce flower miles though so I buy native grown

Umm which doesn't answer your question. Yes, generally men > women but think low down on list of priorities

I don't like flowers, really. I mean, I don't dislike them, but I'm not fussed about them. Maybe because I have hayfever?

I'd rather people sent me food than flowers.

Sometimes they are the only oasis of calm amidst the crap

That is absolutely one of my reasons for buying flowers.

I hate flowers, i like plants as they are still alive and growing.
DH however, on anniversarys likes a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates.

I appreciate he is not the norm.

I buy flowers as part of and along with the grocery shopping. I do try to use the local florist but M&S flowers unfortunately have the best life. Their flowers can last for up to 2 weeks and I spend around £40 a fortnight.

Husband doesn't buy flowers when he does the grocery shopping but that's an aversion to the cost not the aesthetics. He likes having flowers in the house. Oddly we don't seem to take them out of the garden.

So far as perfume I wear perfume every day and so does my husband and son. We each buy our own unless it's a gift from duty free when one of us is away. I don't think husband has ever given me perfume for my birthday or Christmas. I expect he thinks it is just stuff I buy like tights or makeup and he would not give me those as presents. I buy Terre de Herm?s for my son at Christmas and other random occasions as he can't afford it.

who didn't keep their home ready for 'display'
This made me . My house can be a complete tip but I still like flowers. Sometimes they are the only oasis of calm amidst the crap.

I know lots of men who like flowers.

I think most people who take pride in their home would like them. I imagine anyone, of either gender, who didn't keep their home ready for 'display' or as a source of enjoyment, wouldn't like them.

I bloody hate people buying me flowers. I can't arrange them to save my life and they require so much faff, all for 3-7 days' worth of beauty. I got some right after I'd had a baby and thought 'Great! More things to look after!' ungrateful bastard that I am.

I think it could be a feminist issue in that it's one of those 'all women like all the same things as they're all the same' type tropes. It would be nice to get a gift that takes into account one's personality. But there are other reasons you might get flowers, such as laziness and convenience. And of course, many people do like them.

DS loves flowers but if we buy them he pretends they are just for me to save his embarrassment.

On the other hand he will proudly carry a pot plant to the till as they fall under the territory of "gardening" not "floristry".

One of the more ridiculous aspects of patriarchal normage

I buy dh flowers, I have since early in our relationship, the first time I had to buy him a vase too though as he didn't own one.

I've bought flowers for plenty of chaps in my life and they have always appreciated them.

On the other hand, I don't get bought flowers anything like I hope for, because I'm a professional gardener and apparently that makes me difficult to buy for