To be irritated by receiving flowers

[DappledThings]

Firstly let be clear I did politely thank the sender, I'm not terrible. But I was sent flowers in the post yesterday and my only reaction was annoyance.

I don't own a vase so had to find a jug big enough for them. Loads of random wrapping that makes a big mess, loads of water in the wrapping that I didn't know about so flooded the table, spilt half the packet of the food liquid stuff which is very sticky, couldn't cut through the thick stems with first pair of scissors and had to use a knife.

Then they last a little while and don't even look that nice, and once they are past their best there's smelly, slimy water to deal with a drippy bunch of dead plant matter to chuck away.

I would happily never be sent or given flowers ever again. Just me or anyone else not like them?

Same. i write a thank you note and then bin them at the next opportunity. Cut flowers are not something I want in my house.

I love em, always have them for my birthday, and buy weekly for me why not, I ca afford them.
I often send them. ( about 3 times s year) to my 87 yr old aunt, and 87 yr old godmother they need nothing else and it cheers them, I make sure I get good deals too

I can’t imagine why anyone would want to send such an ungrateful person flowers. You don’t just dump them in a vase and let the water go mouldy. You are supposed to trim the flowers and change the water every few days.

My DW was saying something about organising a Fathers' Day card for our children to give me, and I said not to worry about - in fact, I'd far rather get some flowers. No-one has ever got me flowers.

YABU to be irritated by it - it was a kind thought, an expression that someone cares - there are people out there who have no one ever send a gift, no one to be irritated by.

BUT YANBU to not like cut flowers. I can't stand them. They're already dead when you receive them, you just get to enjoy watching them rot! They might look pretty, but then so do kittens - I don't want a dead kitten on my sideboard either!! I would say I prefer live houseplants but I'm terrible with them, they just take one look at me and die anyway.

@icansmellburningleaves if you like flowers, its a great gift. not liking something somebody gives you doesn’t make you ungrateful
If I dump a bag of horse manure in front of your door, and you don’t like it- does that make you u grateful? i would love that as a gift, you probably not.

I can’t imagine why anyone would want to send such an ungrateful person flowers. You don’t just dump them in a vase and let the water go mouldy. You are supposed to trim the flowers and change the water every few days

This is hilarious. Again, if the sender never knows they were anything other than gratefully received why is such offence?

And as I don't want them in the first place and have no interest in making them last I won't be trimming them or changing the water or faffing any further!

I buy myself flowers every week, the house is never without them. I even have a vase in the kitchen. Fortunately for me, the people who love me know this and I haven’t had a birthday, mothers’ day Or wedding anniversary without at least one bouquet for years now.

For cleaning glass vases with narrow necks you can put some uncooked rice in with water and shake. This is how we clean marks off bottles before beer making.

You can use any jugs or bottles, just cut the stems and remove some foliage. They usually last a week or so, refresh the water and you'll avoid smelly slime, when they're finished they can be wrapped in newspaper and into the green topped compostable bin with the veg peelings. When charity shops open up get yourself a couple of vases, different sizes.

I think you sound unreasonable too. Just my opinion.

Yanbu, When I came home with baby twins I had daily visits from interflora for several weeks.

Any arrangements that arrived in a oasis were found a space on a windowsill, but i'm ashamed to say that any others were dumped on the work surface in the utility room.

I barely had the time or energy to go to the toilet let alone be faffing vases.

My aunt came to visit when the babies were about a month old and cleared all the dead flowers away.

I still feel guilty about it now, but would have preferred the lovely senders had not spent the cash on it.

I’m with you OP my heart sinks whenever I’m given a bunch or a bouquet, I can just about tolerate them if they are white elegant flowers but invariably they are some hideous multi coloured concoction and even worse when they have a random singular sunflower stuck in the middle. I am always grateful however to the sender and thank them and I make sure they are out of sight before I give them away or throw them straight in the green bin.

Blimey, how miserable. Have these . Oh, wait...

Blimey, how miserable. Have these flowers. Oh, wait...

Oh no, virtual flowers are quite welcome. Zero faff required!

Ha ha I was thinking this exact same thing last week when I received a bunch of flowers! It doesn’t help that I’m super fussy about flowers and am best off buying them staled. I will only buy tulips, roses or peonies in vintage pink and cream colours and they must be at bud stage - no partially opened or opening buds as I want that stage to happen at home.

YANBU. My mum hates flowers and would rather have a houseplant that lasts longer. My own hatred of bunches of flowers (so much faff, hate the smell of them, especially when they turn, clearing them up is not a gift) is only surpassed by my hatred of houseplants (all the trauma of flowers but they last longer, which is even more annoying, and sometimes get those little fly infestations).

Also hate being bought outdoor plants. They're never what I'd normally choose, usually something with much more faff factor, and I hate that sense of urgency to pot them up just after you get them. Not a gift.

*myself

A bouquet of peonies would be lovely, I love fresh flowers , often buy for myself but don’t get them sent to me very often.

Perhaps what it is is that loads of us would love any old bunch of petrol station carnations at this stage in the game so we just can't empathise

(I'd even stretch to a dahlia)

I quite like the unnaturally coloured ones from petrol stations, and divide up the random multicolour bouquets if I'm feeling tasteful.

eggandonion doesn't everyone love a turquoise carnation?

Buy a vase

Why thank someone when you don't appreciate them?

Sending flowers is not cheap, maybe they'd rather save their money that waste it on someone who's so ungrateful they take to the internet to complain.