NOW CLOSED: Nominate a MNer to receive flowers - and talk about flowers with The Flower Council

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by the team at The Flower Council to get your nominations for which Mumsnetter you'd like them to send a bouquet of flowers to and why.

The company are keen to get folks thinking of flowers as a gift to cheer someone up, to say hello or just because you want to - rather than being for special occasions.

They also want to get folks thinking about what their friends favourite flower may be - they say "The aim of the Favourite Flower campaign is to show that a flower is not just a present (and not just a bouquet of flowers), but a special present, because when you know or try to think about what flower is your friends favourite then it makes the present very personal and special".

So please on this thread add your nomination for a MNer who you think would appreciate a bunch of flowers - it could be anyone (not yourself though!) - and what flower you think they would like. We will decide on the final winners and contact 3 MNers for their address and then The Flower Council will send them the flowers! (worth c£30 each)

We'd also like you to post your thoughts below on flowers - for example.......
~ How often you get given them or buy them for yourself, what you love about flowers, any variety you dislike, what it means to you to get flowers or to send them.
~ Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this?
~ Do you pick which flower to send to which friend - is this based on colours, fragrances, time of year or what you think they like.
~ Do you know / or do you think you know what your best friends favourite flower is? How do you know? What about your family - what do they like?

Share your thoughts on this thread and don't forget your nomination.

thanks MNHQ

PS They have also developed a very lighthearted game - check it out here and let us know what you think - it's designed to identify your Favourite Flower and if you can guess your friends you could both win a FREE bouquet.

[KeemaNaanAndCurryOn]

I forgot to answer the questions.

I tend to send flowers as a thank you or even just to cheer someone up. I either to choose the most vibrant colours I can find or pick something with fresias in as they have a beautiful smell.

I get flowers occasionally from my OH, normally on our anniversary, but in spring he'll randomly buy me bunches of daffodils as I love yellow and its like bringing a bit of spring into our house.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I would like to nominate julienoshoes.

She has given hundreds yes hundreds if not a thousand people fantastic advice and shared her experience and knowledge of H.ed

She is not a professional in any organisation but works tirelessley to support many families needing help and advice.

I don't know how I would have managed without her wisdom, when I first set out on my journey back in April.

Please send her roses.


I buy flowers most weeks but dh surprises me every now and then. I usually ask what he has done, or what does he want, lol.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I would like to nominate julienoshoes.

She has given hundreds yes hundreds if not a thousand people fantastic advice and shared her experience and knowledge of H.ed

She is not a professional in any organisation but works tirelessley to support many families needing help and advice.

I don't know how I would have managed without her wisdom, when I first set out on my journey back in April.

Please send her roses.


I buy flowers most weeks but dh surprises me every now and then. I usually ask what he has done, or what does he want, lol.

[Tee2072]

I would like to nominate Chaos. She's one of the sweetest human beings, IRL and on here. Even with the typos. Some sort of chaotic arrangement would be good.

~ How often you get given them or buy them for yourself, what you love about flowers, any variety you dislike, what it means to you to get flowers or to send them.
My husband used to bring them to me quite regularly but hasn't lately. Must drop a hint. I love roses and daisies. Nothing I dislike. I just think it means someone was thinking of me/I was thinking of someone.
~ Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this?
I used to, when I lived in the US, send them for Mother's Day and birthdays to my mom. Not so much now.
~ Do you pick which flower to send to which friend - is this based on colours, fragrances, time of year or what you think they like.
What I think they'll like
~ Do you know / or do you think you know what your best friends favourite flower is? How do you know? What about your family - what do they like?
No idea!

[GlaikitFizzog]

I could vote for the woolly hug trio too, but my vote is for tribpot who has done loads for the woolly hugs too. Setting up the help sheet and being very patient with novices like me and their silly questions. She is also very lovely in general.

I sometime buy myself a bunch from the supermarket, but its mostly dh who brings flowers home. I used to get flowers sent to me by dh, but ever since I gave him a row for spending £££££ on a delivery in valentines day he doesn't bother anymore. Shot myself in the foot there!

I love gerberas and germinis. I bunch of them all the same colour in a simple glass vase. Perfect! Oh and alstromeras too.

I'm not particularly keen on the "filler" type flowers. Chrysanthemums carnations, that babies breath stuff. And stinky lilies.

As we live away from our home town I regularly send flowers as gifts or thank yous because on the convience. Because everyone loves getting flowers delivered!

I tend to go for colour ways when sending flowers. Mil likes pink, DM loves bright yellos and oranges and SIL gets whatever is o special :o

By best friend is a florist and her favourite flower is a gladioli, but I never send her flowers, it's a bit like taking coals to Newcastle! She send them to me though :)

[Iceflower]

I would like to nominate coffeepot who in spite of all that's happened, and is happening, manages to bounce back, be cheerful, AND be supportive to others.

I rarely get flowers, or give flowers. I tend to choose inoffensive/bland colour schemes . I like sending flowers as a gift to people who live some way away, and who are hard to buy for as they have everything/are fussy!

Vote for coffeepot

[MrsKwazii]

Another vote here for Knottylocks, Ratherbeonthepiste and Purplepidjin for being absolutely lovely and for their amazing Woolly Hugs work. I like the selection wolfcub suggests, perhaps with some salix twigs too, to add some woolly hug texture.

I used to buy flowers every couple of weeks for the house but it seems a bit lavish when the prices of everything else are going up now. I do like to receive them though, and will often be given them for special occasions, or as a gift if we invite people over for dinner. You seem to need to spend a lot now to get a decent sized bouquet which puts me off sending them more frequently.


I buy flowers for other people to say thank you and for their occasions - I like to buy neutral colours with lovely foliage like eucalyptus, salix or berries - definitely no fern or baby's breath. I like roses, freesias, lisianthus and tulips - sometimes sunflowers - but never carnations, chrysanthemums or badly dyed flowerheads. I like lilies but not the overpoweringly scented ones, and I always snip out the pollen because of the cat.

[germyrabbit]

seriously is there a flipping flower council who funds that i wonder

[BonnyDay]

Agree. Flower council. Wtf.
I nominate thebigstickBIWI for making people lose weight.

[StellaAndFries]

I rarely receive flowers as I have a joking motto of "if I can't wear it or eat it I don't want it" dp tends to buy me a book or piece of costume jewellery he knows I'll love and which will last longer.

I buy flowers for my nan, mum and mil, sometimes for occasions but sometimes just because I know they'll like them. Mil in particular loves roses so if I see a nice bunch I pick them up.

My recommendation for the mumsnet flowers would be MrsLettuce as she has really helped me and been very friendly on the S&B boards :)

[MrsKwazii]

Germyrabbit it won't be paid for through your council tax It'll be a trade association for flower sellers or growers that the industry pays for (or summat along those lines anyway)

[Firawla]

I would like to nominate hazeyjane for making the bumpy path support thread in sn section because its really helpful to have something like that to see others in the same boat and I know it can be tough at times so im sure it would be nice for her to get some flowers. I wanna nominate others from the thread too but i might miss someone so thats why ive just stuck to the op!

Also nailak she is a very nice person, she does a lot for her community and i see her on here always patiently explaining to others whenever there is a query about our religion (islam), never getting annoyed or arguing with people but just always happy to explain anything!

lastly ellenparsons she has just moved house so im sure some flowers would be nice to brighten it up, she is a great person

my thoughts on flowers, i dont tend to buy them for myself i just never get round to it but have had them as a gift a few times from friends (not often from dh only about once!), i like it when its not really routine but more random cos then it feels special.
I dont tend to buy flowers for others that much either but when i do i tend to go by the colour more than anything else, unless i know they really have a particular preference to a certain type of flower

[BeaWheesht]

I'd like to nominate unlikelyamazonian and also winnybella

[Pastabee]

pickles77 because she has just had a baby and is having a hard time of things with her ex. She is doing a fabulous job with her newborn DD all on her own.

I think she would like something bright and cheerful.

I rarely buy flowers for myself and rarely receive them. When I am given them it will be an expensive, hand tied bouquet because it will be a very special occasion. The last time I received flowers was when DD was born.

I buy flowers for others more often than I receive them. I buy for birthdays mainly and I choose on the basis of the colours I think the particular friend likes.

[Blu]

I would nominate prh47bridge, Admission and PanelMember (or is it PanelChair now?) for services to the education boards, advising on appeals and all manner of complicated education matters. Always informative, patient, well informed and honest.

I would send them white tulips - white tulips are so classical and strong, unfussy and pure - like good advice.

I rarely send flowers - v expensive and recently i have had qualms about cut flowers. Though admittedly there is nothing like a fabulous bouquet, Things like a massive bunch of white tulips are my favourite. I would like the option to send bulbs or living plants to plant in the garden.

Yes, I fit flowers to friends / occasions. I once asked a florist to create a bouquet to mourn the death of a cat, and for another bouquet 'something reminiscent of Derek Jarmans garden'. Sudden impulse drives my sending or buying flowers.

Not sure I would know my friends favourite flowers, but I would avoid anything too naff or yellow (not keen on yellow flowers) or fake looking (no blue carnbations or dyed gerbas, or whatever they are called)

[Littleplasticpeople]

I'd like to nominate lucindaE for maintaining the thread supporting people suffering with hyperemesis despite it being a few years since she suffered herself.

I don't buy flowers very often for myself but obviously love receiving them. I do buy flowers as gifts- usually as 'thankyou' or 'congratulations'.i don't know the favourite flowers of friends or family so would generally buy what I like!

[greengoose]

Hi, another vote here for the Woolly hugs ladies. My little girl died in April, and they confirmed for me that there were many many people who cared that she had gone, and for our family. I will never ever forget their kindness and compassion. I would choose to send them some pastel coloured roses, and if it was possible (I know it's not), some bluebells from my little girl to say thank you for telling so many people about her.

[bubby64]

I'd like to nominate Triplets for some beautiful scented roseas she has had a really bad year, her DH's cancer has returned, her Dmother passed away after a short but traumatic illness, and now she is supporting a DBrother with heart problems and a DNeice who has had problems following the birth of her first child. She is doing this whilst looking after her teenage triplets!
She is so supportive of all of us on the multiple births thread, and always has a kind word to offer when you need it most.
A second person from the Multiple births thread is ShabbatheGreek, who, when she found out her son's wedding planner had gone off and left them without a venue, caterer or anything else for thheir upcoming wedding, helped arrange a new venue, which she bought all the table and chair decorations for, made the chair saches and, along with her freind 'Chelle, catered the reception as well, all this whilst minding her 4 yr old grandson for most of the week leading up to the wedding.

[ggirl]

The Flower Council is run by the dutch flower industry.

[kellestar]

I would nominate mama1980 she's having a bit of a rough time at the moment and could do with a bit of cheering up.

~ How often you get given them or buy them for yourself, what you love about flowers, any variety you dislike, what it means to you to get flowers or to send them. DH buys me flowers when I'm feeling a bit blue, just because and for occasions where he's done something I might not like [like buying another classic vehicle for restoration rustbucket]. My grandad grows his own sweet peas and often brings me a bunch, or if I'm out leaves them on my doorstep. They are my favourite, I had them at my wedding. I like classic flowers more than modern arrangements. I love getting flowers, it feels like they really care enough, or that they think of me when they see them.

~ Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this? Yes, I know the local florist really well, I also know the local florists near my relatives in Wimbledon too, I've built up a relationship with them over the years. With my older relatives I never know what to get as a gift and flowers always cheers them up. Birthday's, weddings, births, illness or crappy days. My rather lovely male cousin recently broke up with his long term girlfriend and I sent him a bunch of flowers to cheer him up and he called to say thank you and we had a good chat. His mum also called to say thank you and he'd been a bit tearful and was really pleased as they were his favourites.


~ Do you pick which flower to send to which friend - is this based on colours, fragrances, time of year or what you think they like. In my address book/birthday book, I keep a note of what I've sent them, if they call to thank me, I take note of what flowers they particularly liked. I like to choose subtle fragrances and a nice range of flowers. I also check what is available with the florist, what is particularly nice, especially if I am feeling stumped on what to send.


~ Do you know / or do you think you know what your best friends favourite flower is? How do you know? What about your family - what do they like? I like to send mixed bunches, so will try to get there favourite[s] included, but will put in a few of mine in too [so they think of me]. I am better at remembering what they don't like. But like I say, I keep a note in my address/birthday book so I've got an idea of what they like. My mum prefers a simple bunch of lillies, but I recently sent her a mixed bunch including alstromenias and it was different from what she likes, she really liked them. Sometimes it's nice to receive something different.

I love receiving any flowers and always call to say thank you. It is a good ice breaker if you've not seen someone for a while, or if they're going through a particularly bad time and you don't know how to start a conversation.

[internationalvulva]

AnyFucker for being the voice or level headed reason on the relationships board for so long. She gives a lot of her time for others and deserves a beautiful and stylish bouquet. So something like this Or this

never ever get flowers, mostly because I hate DH spending money on them when we need so many other things, but if we were well off enough I'd love them occasionally! When I was a new graduate in London I used to treat myself to a beautiful large bouquet just every once in a while. They had amazing bouquets of gorgeous countryside-style flowers that just made me smile every time I saw them and made me think of being in a meadow in the bright sunshine without a care in the world.

To me flowers mean someone has been thinning of you, but I also think it is SO individual. I actually really dislike gerberas, carnations etc or any pinky orange 'faked' colours...which I know a lot of people love so I'd prefer to buy them for myself (or DH to pick up my hint and buy me some gorgeous flowers that I have told him I love!)

I love White freesias, John Lewis used to sell them by the box, (40 stems, gorgeous!) but no longer do booo! this would rock my world DH, if you happen to be reading! !!

[internationalvulva]

Oh, yes and I make a point of knowing which flowers my friends and relies love so I can send them something that will make them happy!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Tethers for being a style icon and Cote for being as bloomin' fussy about books as I am but always making me laugh when moaning about them.

How often do I give flowers? Four or five times a year I think.
Gift? Yes but usually only to my mum or sister.
Pick? Yes - mum loves fresias and lilacs for eg.
Get given them myself? Once a year if I'm lucky.
Do I know best friend's fave? Not a clue.

[PorkyandBess]

I would nominate - I don't know. Several spring to mind. AnyFucker for her excellent advice on relationships threads. Expat for, just because I think of her often. Mia's mum for her beautiful, eloquent posts about her daughter. BIWI for her fab weightloss bootcamps. Cupofteaplease because she's another one I think of and admire.

How often you get given them or buy them for yourself, what you love about flowers, any variety you dislike, what it means to you to get flowers or to send them. - My H buys me flowers most weeks. He is a good judge and would never buy me anything naff like chrysanthemums or carnations. I like (according to season) ranunculus, hydrangeas, amaryllis, cala lilies, gerberas, tulips and anything funky but never pink or yellow.

Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this?Yes, I love to receive flowers and I love to give them. If I visit a friend I always bring flowers.

Do you pick which flower to send to which friend - is this based on colours, fragrances, time of year or what you think they like. Yes, my best friend loves sunflowers and purple tulips - so I tend to give her one or the other. I grow masses of sweet peas in the summer, so always have posies to give to friends, teachers, neighbours etc. I would never give chrysanthemums or carnations.

Do you know / or do you think you know what your best friends favourite flower is? How do you know? What about your family - what do they like? Best friend, as before. I do know what people like, but also tend to buy them things I love! I have sisters with similar tastes to me - they'd rather have a single amaryllis than a dodgy 'petrol station' mixed bunch.