To not want flowers!

[ChantillyCream]

Does anyone else find big bouquets of flowers a pain in the bum? For recent events (birthdays, anniversaries etc) my husband has stopped buying gifts and instead buys a big over-the-top bouquet. I don't mean to sound ungrateful but he works next to a florist so he just picks it up on the way home. Job done, box ticked.

I end up with this massive bunch of flowers, which although look lovely, it's then up to me to to cut the stems, find an appropriate vase, remember to change or top up the water, pick up the petals as they drop, dispose of the dead plants in the compost a week or two later. We are also currently renovating our house so have limited space and a very small dining table for the five of us, and every meal or when the kids want to do colouring etc the vase has to get moved out the way onto the floor. I just find it a big hassle.

They're also pretty expensive and I'd just rather the money was spent on something else. Is it just me or am I being ungrateful?

I completely agree with you.

I hate receiving flowers. I look at them an immediately think 'oh great- more fucking housework for me.'

Cut flowers usually have a massive carbon footprint.

I've told DH I don't like them and he's stopped buying them.

Perhaps just tell him you were reading about the environmental impacts and you've decided to avoid cut flowers.

I agree it's lazy for him to make that your only present every time.

YANBU.
I saw a video of someone who explained it perfectly.
You haven’t been given a gift. You’ve been given a chore.
As you say you have to cut the stems, put them in the vase, get rid of the wrappings, change/top up the water, take the dying blooms out, wash and put away the vase.
It’s a total PITA.

Yes me too! Flowers are a crap, thoughtless token that require work.

I agree op.

A while ago I had a 'big' birthday. I received 9 bouquets of flowers from family and friends. They are all relatively well off so they were expensive flowers. I was totally skint at the time and only had one vase. I probably had about £500 worth of flowers sitting in my kitchen waiting to die! I could have cried. Honestly I'd have rather had a ten quid supermarket voucher.

I love flowers. Loads growing in my garden. But I hate cut flowers, a small bunch may be ok with a bottle of wine, but not as a gift in themselves.

I would rather get nothing at all than to get cut flowers.

It must be hurtful that your husband is ignoring your feelings and taking the lazy way out.

I totally agree with you.
But only because I live in a cottage and there’s not enough room to do them justice.

I also hate them, fucking petally cunts.

I love flowers and they would make me happy EXCEPT if I knew the florist was next to DH’s work. It’s still a lazy gift. No thought out into it because it’s grab and go. Even less effort required than buying wilting daffs at the service station.

I like flowers but I’m sure they used to arrive ready-arranged, sometimes in water. Now it seems that to save money, companies just send out the flowers with no arranging so that the recipient has to spend fifteen minutes faffing about making them look nice. Although from what I can see, most people just plonk them in a vase and they look rubbish.

Totally agree with you OP. Tell him.

Depends on the flowers and the florist. I hate those long-stemmed, scentless red roses that men seem to think are romantic.
Sadly, in my experience, only gay men know how to buy flowers!