Let's boycott flowers this Valentine's day

[sharptoothlemonshark]

Why are we still indulging in this outdated misogynistic behaviour of men giving women flowers and women accepting them?

The industry is rotten to the core, with women in Africa getting their lungs burnt out by pesticides so women in Western Europe can look at something useless but "pretty" ( - if you consider the forced, unnaturally bred genetically mutated exaggerations "pretty").

The environmental damage done by transporting them from country to country is immeasurable, never mind the sacrifice of land that could be used to grow food and lower food prices.

And how is it people who object to pesticides being used to grow food are ok with soil being smothered in the stuff to grow flowers? It all enters the same water course.

And what a waste of money it is! Surely your partners could use the money or something more personal and thoughtful?

YABU - I like receiving forced, genetically mutilated, unnatural instruments of environmental damage and disabling of women.

YANBU - lets inform our partners these are not acceptable Valentine's day gifts.

Being spiteful is never a good look, no matter how witty and funny you think you're being.

We don’t do Valentines Day, but I buy flowers for my DH on his birthday and he buys them for me. We both love them — for their beauty and their transience. Agree with the environmental and human costs of importing them, but see nothing wrong with home-grown flowers.

This reads like a pastiche of a radical feminist

Awa bile yer heid min. FFS

Are women allowed to buy flowers for men, op? Or buy flowers at all for any other reason, or is it just Valentine's Day you find objectionable?

I only use second-hand flowers too babe, so it's all good

Mr Milkandnosugar knows I prefer U.K. grown flowers

@sharptoothlemonshark The environmental damage done by transporting them from country to country is immeasurable

Bullshit, it's very easily measurable, and not nearly as damaging as you might expect.

Please post links to the health damage.

Do you realise that simply boycotting the industry is going to hurt and impoverish the women harvesting the flowers more than it will help them?

This is sobering stuff and makes for uncomfortable reading. https://amp.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/feb/12/the-women-suffering-for-your-valentines-day-flowers

My multiple petalled roses in my garden produce fertile rose hips?

I can’t wait to get my flowers on the 14th. I hope it’s a lovely big bunch.

If you didn't have the flower industry then you also risk loosing out on many new medical breakthroughs as there wouldn't be the abundance for research.

For example daffodils have high levels of galantamine which has been shown to slow down alzheimers disease.

You also say flowers aren't food.....not true many flowers are edible, roses make rose water for example.

You can chose what you like to do as can others but to boycott an entire industry is nonsense. Just like people should buy sustainably sourced clothes the same can be done with flowers!

I didn't know this about some of the flower industry. Thank you for your information OP.

But I do love pretty flowers & plants so will now make an effort to buy British / Dutch / ethically grown ones.

What makes you think I'm bothered about how I look to you?

The OP's style of communication is absolutely dreadful and if she's anything like that in real life, I stand by exactly what I said.

I feel the same way about soy wax candles

I'd like to send you some flowers. Do you have a PO Box, qplease?

🌻💐🌸🌼🌹

You sound like a 14 year old tbh op.... Grow up

As long as this thread is getting attention…if you’re buying flowers for someone with a pet, make sure the kind of flowers you give aren’t poisonous to that pet. On our second day home with our new baby, my husband and I had to get emergency treatment for our cat because she chewed on lilies from the flower arrangement my mother gave us.

OP, your concept of men “buying favour” from women by giving them flowers sounds a little insane. People buy Valentine flowers for their significant others, who presumably “favour” them already. You make it sound like some kind of prostitution rite from an anthropology textbook. 😂

I LOVE fresh flowers! I’ve got pink tulips in my sitting room and a beautiful Spring arrangement in my bedroom! I always have fresh flowers in the house! I buy them myself and I love to receive them in a gift! Not sure what’s wrong with that?

Thankfully my husband can manage both….he buys flowers for me throughout the year !

If-and I say if-goods are produced by exploitative processes, what difference does it make whether you buy the goods new or second hand?

I’m single so I bought my own. Pink tulips.

Mine does both, sorry yours can only manage one.

My DF bought my Dm some stunningly beautiful dark crimson roses. Their anniversary and valentines are close. im not into flowers but they were perfect
My dm nearly exploded when she saw the cost but he had saved up his weekly cash to buy them!