Send Flowers or Send a Balloon?

To mark just about any special occasion, we now have more options than ever before. With a few strokes of the keypad we can choose and send off personalised cards, gifts and flowers. For a really spectacular display of congratulations, best wishes and messages of love, many people are now choosing to send helium filled balloons, either singly or en mass in a balloon bouquet. Besides the convenience of ordering online, another reason to choose this method is that many online sites offering flowers, gifts and balloons include discount voucher codes for ordering on-line, typically 10% off their normal prices.

Flowers as gifts.

Flowers have long been a traditional choice of gift for our female friends and family members. They are guaranteed to delight and lift the spirit with their beauty of form and fragrance. Their lives may be short but perhaps their very transience makes them all the more precious. The therapeutic effects of their fragrances are well known to Aromatherapists, who use essential oils to counter stress-induced illnesses. In spite of the fact that many men appreciate flowers, we tend not to give them to our male friends and family.

Balloons as gifts.

Balloons, as with flowers, create that visual "wow" factor. They are equally appropriate for either gender and particularly appropriate for delivery to hospital, for example a get well soon balloon bouquet, or to celebrate the birth of a child. They don't take up too much space and will definitely put a smile on the recipient's face. The only disadvantage is that they obviously lack the extra benefit of fragrance.

Flowers or Balloons for Hospital Patients.

We often choose floral arrangements as gifts for hospital patients but recently some hospitals have placed a ban on flowers for their patients in a move to cut down on the risk of infection. Clear surfaces promote good access for cleaning staff and visitors are encouraged not to bring too many items into hospital or place them on the patient's locker top. Floral arrangements, when they are allowed, are often removed to a table reserved for this purpose and may not be close enough to be enjoyed by the patient.

The NHS acknowledges that visitors to hospitals can be therapeutic, contributing to patients' wellbeing and recovery and that all patients should be able to maintain contact with friends and relatives during a hospital stay. Our friends are usually delighted to see us, with or without flowers and balloons, with one possible exception; immediately after the birth of a child. You might be desperate to see your friend in hospital immediately after she has given birth but do make sure you will be welcome, ask her partner, parents or in-laws if she is up to visitors. Giving birth can be an overwhelming experience, she will need time to bond with her baby, get the hang of breastfeeding, her hormones will be raging, she may even be experiencing the "baby blues" or be afraid of the germs you may bring with you. Show her you are thinking of her by sending flowers or balloons (check hospital policy on this), but respect her privacy too.