Scouting for gifts for your beloved’s approaching birthday? Today, birthday flowers remain a popular gift to convey emotions and thoughts with beauty and fragrance. A well-decorated bouquet can remind the recipient that someone is thinking of them on their special day, no matter where they are.
Ordering flowers online is easier than ever. Before you buy, make sure you know flower gifting etiquette to avoid any embarrassment!
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DO: RECOGNISE THE MEANING BEHIND THE FLOWERS
A bouquet with dedicated meaning is a powerful gift to express your feelings and blessings. To help inspire you, we’ve listed a few common blooms perfect for birthday bouquets.
| Rose | A symbol of love and appreciation. Red or pink: Passionate love, affection Yellow: Friendship, caring. It is a “friend zone” flower so never send yellow roses to someone you’re romantically interested in. |
| Calla Lily | A flower of magnificence and beauty. White: Purity, innocence, perfect for a wedding bouquet Pink: Admiration, appreciation |
| Carnation | Best known as the Mother’s Day flower. Pink: The love of a woman or a mother Red: Love, pride, admiration White: Pure love |
| Daisy | It is a great flower to convey loyal love and promises. White: A symbol of innocence and purity |
| Hydrangea | The symbol of heartfelt emotions. Pink: Unity, sincerity Purple: A desire to deeply understand someone. Blue: Gratitude, apology |
| Orchid | A symbol of refinement, thoughtfulness, and mature charm. Pink: Beauty, femininity Purple: Royalty, respect Yellow: Everlasting friendship, achievement |
| Tulip | A symbol of a declaration of love. Pink: Confidence and happiness Yellow: Hope and positivity |
| Peony | A flower of compassion, prosperity, and good fortune. Pink: Love at first sight, or the beauty of marriage Yellow: New beginnings, hope, positivity |
| Anthurium | A flower of hospitality and abundance. Red: love, passion Pink: Femininity, compassion White: Purity, innocence |
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DO: GET INSPIRED BY BIRTH FLOWERS
Sending the recipient their birth flowers tells how unique and precious they are. Usually, birth flowers are seasonal flowers in their months, so using birth flowers in your birthday bouquet guarantees the freshest blooms in your flower arrangement!
| January | Carnation, snowdrop | Fascination, distinction, love |
| February | Violet, primrose | Wisdom, modesty, virtue |
| March | Daffodil | Rebirth, prosperity, new beginnings |
| April | Daisy, sweet pea | Youth, purity, blissful pleasure |
| May | Hawthorn, Lily of the valley | Beauty, humility, sweetness |
| June | Rose, honeysuckle | Love, gratitude, appreciation |
| July | Water lily, larkspur | The strong bond of love, dignity, sweet |
| August | Gladiolus, poppy | Strength of character, moral integrity, honour |
| September | Morning glory, Aster | Patience, daintiness, remembrance |
| October | Marigold, calendula | Warth, devotion, winning grace, protection |
| November | Chrysanthemum, Peony | Compassion, friendship, abundance |
| December | Poinsettia, Narcissus | Good cheer, success, special, self-esteem |
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DO: CHECK IF THE RECIPIENT IS ALLERGIC TO ANY KIND OF FLOWERS
Some people with an allergy can react poorly to irritating pollen, and trigger runny noses, itchy eyes, uncontrollable sneezes, or other unwanted miseries. By asking whether the recipient has an allergy to flowers shows your thoughtfulness and considerate personality, but it can ruin the surprise. Try asking relatives or friends of your intended recipient to ensure you know any potential allergies before sending the flowers.
Avoid gifting garden plants like aster, baby’s breath, dahlia, daisy, chamomile, chrysanthemum, or sunflower if your birthday person has allergic symptoms. Consider choosing these flowers instead as they are considered hypoallergenic:
- Rose
- Hydrangea
- Orchid
- Camellia
- Begonia
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DON’T: OVERLOOK THE SUPERSTITIONS
The act of gifting, especially in Chinese society, can have unspoken rules derived from superstitions. Making undesirable gifting mistakes can have the opposite effect of blessing the recipient. Be sure to consider the taboos in the flower arrangement to score the perfect birthday gift!
| White/ black flowers | While the colour white symbolises purity and innocence, it is also associated with death and funerals in traditional Chinese culture. The black flower symbolises mystery and magic, but on most occasions, it reminds people of calamity and grief. |
| Yellow chrysanthemum | Yellow chrysanthemum is the flower for funerals in Chinese culture. Sending a bouquet with only the chrysanthemum may convey a different tone. Make sure to consult with your florist on how to pair chrysanthemum with other blooms to avoid sending out the wrong message! |
| Withered flowers | Withered flowers can give the feeling of depravity and decadence. Sending withered flowers to a girl is a big no-no, as flowers are usually used for complimenting beauty and youth. Be sure to order your bouquet from a reputable florist to provide you the best fresh flowers! |
| The number of 4 | Chinese people generally avoid the numbers 4 and 14 as it sounds the same as death in Chinese. If you plan to send a rose bouquet as a birthday gift, choose a bundle of 12, 36 or 99 stems to send a hidden love message. |
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DON’T LET PETS EAT FLOWERS THAT ARE POISONOUS TO THEM
Flowers are a beauty to behold, but a small percentage of plants can be dangerous to pets. Before you pick your perfect birthday bouquet, make sure to be aware of the potential danger to pets of the following flowers. Remind the recipient to keep their pets away if their pets are curious ones!
- Azalea
- Morning glory
- Lily of the valley
- Tulip
- Hyacinth
DON’T: BE LATE
Sending a belated birthday bouquet somehow strips away the celebratory excitement, but nowadays it’s easy to avoid.
With online flower ordering at M FLORIST, you can order your bouquet to be delivered exactly on the recipient’s birthday with our free delivery. You can even enjoy same-day delivery by placing the order before 1 P.M., or specific-time delivery to awe the recipient at the perfect moment.
Now that you have a solid understanding of the dos and don’ts of birthday flowers, check out our Birthday flower collection to plan for your birthday gifts!