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.

Ooops, realised I should have added more.

So, Expat - as I think of her, her family & her daughter so often. I think she'd like really bright colours, and maybe a Scottish thistle thrown in for patriotism.

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. I get given flowers a couple of times a year. I love all flowers and it I love receiving them & giving them.

~ Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this? Can't afford to send flowers routinely, but I do from time to time, when I know they'll be appreciated.

~ 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. I prefer to send seasonal flowers where possible.

~ 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 have no idea what are the favourite flowers of my friends or family.

I nominate DreamingOfPeace as she has had hardly any sleep for months. While pregnant with twins she had sleeping problems with her DD and now the twins are here they are not sleeping either. She has also been very unlucky with lots of sickness bugs and as her DH works long hours she can't get as much help from him as she would like. Despite all the difficulties she has faced, she always has time for others and I think she is just a lovely, lovely person.

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. Very rarely, I feel silly buying them for myself and nobody buys them for me. I don't like scented flowers or pink ones but like most others. Flowers are a lovely way to brighten the place up

~ Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this?
Usually for my Gran as she doesn't want things for presents and loves 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. I know very little about flowers so just pick something that looks nice and fits in my budget. Hopefully they like what I get

~ 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 have no idea what they like :( It isn't something we really talk about

Id like to nominate blizy She was on our ante natal thread and her little girl Zoe unfortunately died. She has remained on our post natal thread sharing her feelings with us all as well as being supportive when we have been struggling.
Brave and lovely lady.

deffo Knottylocks, PurplePidjin and RatherBeOnThePiste

they keep me occupied and away from the kitchen (sometimes!)

Anyfucker because she is indeed amazing on the Relationships board and has been for yonks.

Flowery for the employment law help.

I think all the mothers on the bereavement threads who have lost children are worthy candidates. I don't know how active that thread is (don't want to lurk, as it seems intrusive) but I would really support all getting some from MN in general, if possible.

I send flowers really often, because I think nothing lifts the spirits in the same way. I tend to send natural flowers that could grow in this country, but I do send exotics if I think a friend would love them more. I don't get them for myself often as it is such an indulgence, but I do spring bulbs - especially hyacinths, snowdrops, daffs etc - as it seems a way of remembering spring is coming!

I wish lily of the valley were less ruinous. They're so beautiful.

VicarInaTutu. Does a really tough job and has been fielding some horribly difficult and emotional (and sometimes thoughtless) posts on a few threads recently. She's always thoughtful, kind and very patient. I know she feels it deeply though. In fact, she can have some flowers now but please send her some real ones. I have no idea what her favourite flower is, but I think she would enjoy something colourful and bright, with a good scent.

My favourite flowers are snowdrops, but I like lily of the valley and honeysuckle too.

I couldn't do the 'game'. It was just too vile and patronising.

The last flowers I received were for my brother's death, a few years ago. I received several very large bouquets which were lovely, and made me smile whenever I went past them. As people seemed to have coordinated over it, the arrivals were staggered so as one was drooping another would arrive, so there were massive bouquets on the landing for what seemed like months!

I was given a rose tree when my mum died; I gave a rose tree when one of my cousins married.

I send flowers when I think someone needs cheering up, or for a birthday particularly a landmark one, or for other special occasions particularly for elderly relatives, or for deaths, or for a thank you or for an 'I'm thinking of you'.

Our garden has something like 6 different roses in it, and a lot of honeysuckle. I do cut particularly beautiful roses and have them in a vase in the kitchen or sitting room. I particularly like them when they've dried out and gone that lovely sepia colour with just a hint of the original colour in the petals. I have vases of dead flowers (mainly roses) all over the place!

I don't know people's favourite flowers as a general rule, my dh likes roses; so does my dd but mainly because they're good to draw!

I'd like to nominate three people.

izzyizin and Anyfucker on the Relationships threads for giving such fantastic advice. They're amazing.

The other is bonnielilsister - she's a foster carer who's also a single mum. She's just had to give up a baby she'd cared for from birth to adoption and is about to take another little one through the adoption process. She loves those children as her own and it must be the hardest job to send them out into the world.

I'd like to nominate MaryAnnSingleton for a bouquet, and I think she would like something colourful with a lovely scent, - roses perhaps.

MaryAnn was really the reason I joined mumsnet. She started the Tamoxifen thread for those of us who have been affected by breast cancer, - I was looking for support after my diagnosis, and found it with the group of fabulous women on that thread.

Since the start - where there were just a few of us posting regularly, the Tamoxifen thread has grown and helped huge numbers of women, some leave when their treatment is finished and they return to normal life, others stay on to support those at the beginning of their journey.

But MaryAnn is always there offering her kindness and love to those going through diagnosis and treatment. Over the past few years, she has become very dear to me, I count her as a true friend and an inspiration.

At present she is going through a very difficult time, and further cancer treatment, but despite this she remains her usual calm, funny, caring self.

She deserves as much support as she has always shown to others.

My thoughts on flowers

~ 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.

I love getting flowers, they cheer me up enormously. My favourites are freesias, for their scent. I'd like to get flowers more often, (hint hint DH )

~ Do you routinely send them as a gift and if so what prompts you to do this?

I often send them as a gift, especially to family members, either for birthdays, anniversaries or when someone has been ill. Or just when I haven't seen someone for a long time.

~ 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.

I usually try to pick what I know are their favourite flowers, and I usually choose for fragrance.

~ 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?

My best friend loves anything big and dramatic, because that's the type of person she is, - and her house is always full of flowers.

My mother likes anything which smells nice, but not lilies because they make her sneeze.

Erm, lots of great posters mentioned who totally deserve some flowers but really do not deserve to be associated with that dodgy campaign with the semi-naked men. Bit insulting no?

I nominate chocol8 because she needs cheering up because her son has serious special needs and she herself is very ill, too ill sometimes to even get help so she needs someone to tell her she can do it she will pull through and we are thinking of her and here are some flowers just for her because we know she is out there somewhere and wish her well even if she doesn't post because she cant face it.

I would like to nominate SARAH BROWN she does so much to help bring some sunshine into the lives of many kids across the globe I think she should receive some huge sunflowers

I totally agree celine. It is DREADFUL and patronising and made me cross and put me OFF buying flowers, as the message seemed to be 'if you buy flowers, bimboys will appear' or something.
And I LOVE flowers

Oh thank goodness. I was beginning to think it was only me Norks. I can't believe MN would associate with such a campaign. It's insulting to women and men that a few scantily clad chaps might make us buy something. Ffs appeal to our intelligence or even our vanity, but not some tacky reverse sexism.

or just 'flowers make people happy, please buy more flowers'
that would be fine

Yy.

JazzAnonMouse I think she's called. She's had a bad year with her DH having a brain tumour.

Can anyone confirm JazzAnn proper name please? Her user name I mean. I thnk she'd like some roses.

I also tried to play the flowers game but was first incredibly put off by the gratuitous half naked men (how demeaning!) and was then kicked off the webpage as it kept freezing.

A big fail all round.

Yeah, I said in my post upthread how vile and patronising it was.
Moreover, the flowers are far too small to tell which ones you like best except by colour. The whole thing's a no-no.

MNHQ, why?

I posted a thread in site stuff and Helen is apparently looking into it.

But really, you'd think someone at MNHQ might raise an eyebrow or two before allowing such sexist tripe

Quite. Well done, Celine.

I would like to nominate Coff33pot and StarlightMcKenzie from the SN boards.

Coff33 because she is the most amazing mother, who has been going through such a tough time recently and as ouryve said it would help to remind her that there are lots of people on here who care and think about her a lot. I think sunflowers for her, because they are the smiles of the flower world.

StarlightMcKenzie, because again, she is an amazing mother and also because she has always taken the time to offer the most amazing, down-to-earth advice to countless worried parents over on SNs, even when in the thick of her own issues and fights. (Not to mentions she has always been so patient with me when I have been having wobbles and panics, when if I was her I would want to give me a virtual slap to snap me out of it! ) I think she would like a simple, yet elegant arrangement with no fuss.

Personally, I am going to go against the grain here and say I don't like receiving flowers. My family think I am very odd for it (and I probably am) but I much prefer to receive a living plant than flowers. I do however, appreciate how much pleasure they bring to other people and for that reason I still buy them for others.

As the OP said, I take the trouble to find out what the favourite flowers of my friends and family are and go out of my way to find those particular blooms when buying flowers for them.

I'd like to nominate 2:

Anyfucker for her amazing advice on the Relationship boards;

Mouseface for supporting so many people on the Brave Babes Battle Bus thread, which she does with grace and humour despite facing her own challenges.

I'd send AF a bunch of something colourful, beautiful and strong flowers - perhaps a huge bunch of Birds of Paradise.

For Mouse, I would choose a massive bunch of yellow flowers that reflect her sunny personality.

I would like to nominate the ladies behind the Woolly Hugs project. Knottylocks, PurplePidjin, tribpot and RatherBeOnThePiste . they've done great work in getting us motivated to help.

I put this on 'watching' to get round to posting!

I would nominate AnyFucker - she gives sound advice, never fluffs about and ultimately always has the OP's best interests at heart. I also would hazard a guess that she has plenty on IRL (who doesn't) but doesn't let that influence / impede / alter her posts. Plus, I think she has a gentle side that would love some flowers, but don't tell her I said that

For some reason the really deep velvet colour roses came to mind - a strong colour for a strong woman, but a classic in terms of flower choice kiss ass - <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=deep+red+rose+vase&start=95&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1673&bih=914&tbm=isch&tbnid=p0rbYNosEf22-M:&imgrefurl=www.styleroses.co.uk/index.php%3FproId%3D32&docid=rZP_vvF3E5exzM&imgurl=www.styleroses.co.uk/thumb/phpThumb.php%253Fsrc%253D../images/products/rose_1160085261BLACK%252520BACCARA%2527%252520best.JPG%2526w%253D384%2526h%253D280%2526zc%253D1%2526fltr%25255B%25255D%253Dwmi%25257C../images/style_roses.png%25257CBL%25257C100%25257C0&w=384&h=280&ei=XAJuUJPVEM2FhQeknoC4Bg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1386&vpy=482&dur=601&hovh=192&hovw=263&tx=200&ty=111&sig=116454897988042303700&page=3&tbnh=167&tbnw=218&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,r:23,s:95,i:77" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Like this

Then again, I'd love to be a fly on the wall if you sent her these (- wtf?! )

I'll ponder the rest of the ''thoughts on flowers'' bit...