So what do guys really think about
receiving flowers?
As we do not have official data in Malaysia,
we are drawing examples and research data from other parts
of the world. Nevertheless, we find that in general,
feelings of men towards gifts and flowers are quite
universal.
A poll conducted by the Society of American Florists
found that an astonishing 60% of men would like to receive
flowers on Valentine's Day. Contrary to what many women
would think, men actually have soft spots when it comes to
receiving gifts. Chocolates, sweets, pretty little things
especially flowers are well received as gifts that they
would rather receive as compare to more masculine practical
gifts as many women would have perceived.
The question is how would that 60% of men feel if their "I
Love You Shmoozy" bouquet greeted them at their
workplace while they were in their macho office outfit or
while their were man-handling some heavy equipments in the
assembly line?
We spoke with a bunch
of men we know (they're all experts in the field of
being men, having years of experience) to find out how
they'd feel about getting flowers. We tried for a wide
cross-section of men so that the results were useful for
everyone.
The biggest worry we heard about from our "man focus
group" was about signals. What kind of signals were
apparently being given by the sending of flowers? While
some men are secure enough to enjoy any flower just
because they think it's pretty or nice, most men will
worry that the flowers they receive might be your
attempt at sending a message that they are not "male"
enough. It seems silly, and it is, but that's how some
men feel.
"I like flowers when other people get them," says Larry,
a middle-aged auto parts manager, "but I wouldn't feel
right if I got a pretty bouquet of flowers. I mean, I'm
a, you know, a man's man, so some lovely pink roses
would make me feel a little uncomfortable."
So no flowers for guys?
Not exactly. When we asked Larry how he'd
feel about receiving a couple of stems of flowers in a
basket of let’s say men toiletries, after-shaved cream or a
bottle of fine wine, his opinion changed: "See now, that's
nice... something that I can use, along with something
pretty that reminds me of someone I really care about. It's
just about the right level of mushiness for your more
romantic presents."
So there are ways to make flowers into a great and unique
gift idea. Here are some tips:
Men prefer flowers that are vivid or loud,
with colors such as red, orange, and yellow. While blue is a
traditional guys' color, it's important to remember that
many of the shades of blue found in flowers may be seen as
feminine.
Men aren't big on frilly or dainty
flowers... try and find flowers that seem strong and/or
exotic. Sunflowers, Wild Orchids, Ginger Flowers, Fruit
Casa, for example, make a good bouquet for men.
Flowers have meanings, but those meanings
are lost on many guys... if you send carnations, he might
think they're roses, and vice versa.
Some men believe that flowers are only given
to husbands and boyfriends, or to people in hospital. If
your target guy does not fit into one of these categories,
he may get the impression that you want to move him there or
that perhaps you want to date him. (He probably won't think
you want to put him into hospital, unless you've made more
specific threats.)
Some people believe it's inappropriate to
send flowers to another person's significant other. If the
guy you're thinking of is seeing someone, you run the risk
of causing problems in his relationship. (Of course, this
could be your intention all along.)
Flowers are a good addition to any gift that
seems boring and "ho-hum". If you're getting him something
he specifically asked for, you may want to add some surprise
in the form of a few stems. For instance, a box of his
favorite perfume wrapped together in a basket of flowers may
likely to add a different dimension to the gift than it is
just “a box of perfume”. The mundane gift has just suddenly
become more interesting with that kind of combination.
Sending flowers can be a way of standing out
from the crowd. If you are trying to make a good impression
on someone new in your life, be they a love interest, new
neighbor, or business associate, flowers might be a gift
that's unique enough to make him take notice.
So when it comes to flowers, there are ways
to do it properly, but there are also ways to give the wrong
idea. But if the guy you're thinking of is someone you're
really close to, I doubt that you can go too far wrong.
You can view a list of the meanings of
different flowers in The Language of Flowers.
