The importance of being thankful

Everyone loves feeling valued it is a perfectly natural feeling. An equally valid feeling, and one we think should be embraced more fully, is the desire to give thanks. Giving thanks shows that you care and appreciate the important people in your life.

Life can be difficult. We are all striving to overcome difficulties life throws in our way. That makes it vitally important to let those around us know that they are appreciated.

Why do we say thanks?

To be honest, there is almost an endless list of things to be thankful for in life, but most of these things don’t require thanks. Like a sunset or a sunrise. Showing our gratitude is necessary when other people are involved.

 Maybe someone helped you move? Or perhaps you want to thank the bridal party at your wedding? The reason to say thanks could simply be that you want your friend to know how much you love being their friend.

The point I am trying to make is that there are probably as many reasons to express your gratitude as there are gifts you could give to show that gratitude. Unsurprisingly, everyone at Flower Shops Network thinks the best way to say ‘Thank you’ is with flowers. We are the UK’s local florists after all.

Why are flowers such great way to show thanks?

It is not always easy to say thanks; we rarely find the right words to say. Or perhaps it is difficult to express exactly why you are thankful. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by what someone has done for us. These are just some of the reasons that flowers can say what we struggle to ourselves.

Vibrant, vivacious, bright and beautiful, flowers make the perfect gift for any occasion. They are for so much more than offering sympathy or condolences, are symbols of much more than romance. In fact, flowers have been used to communicate for millennia, often spanning cultural divides to do so.

The language of flowers: Floriography

Records of fresh flowers being given as gifts appear everywhere you look in history; from ancient China and Japan, to the Greek and Roman Empires and also the Egyptian dynasties. In Victorian era Britain giving flowers became extremely fashionable. What is remarkable across all of these cultures is that people were using flowers to convey emotions, and were almost creating a new language, a universal language.

That language is known as Floriography. As it was frowned upon to express strong emotions in Victorian Britain, Floriography became almost vitally important. In modern times it has thankfully become far more acceptable to show our feelings and emotions however we should still pay attention to what we are saying with our flowers.

Some blooms are better suited to saying thanks than others and our local florists have provided a quick guide to the best flowers for showing gratitude.

Orchids

Some see the Orchid as the Queen of the flower family, and it is easy to see why. They combine a simple, luxurious beauty with a combination of unique shapes and colours. The real reason that Orchids are such wonderful thank you flowers is their versatility. They combine well with other flowers to form beautiful bouquets, and also have the individuality to be the star of the show as a potted plant.

Roses

Don’t be put off by the well-established, some might say clichéd, view that roses mean romance. There is much more to this fantastic flower than a single red rose clenched between gritted teeth. Roses have become something of a superstar in the past few decades and there are now thousands of new varieties and hybrids to choose from. They are available in all shapes and sizes, and they accentuate the beauty of any stems they share a bouquet with. (If you are really worried, just steer clear of red and purple roses as these are the ones most closely associated with romance.)

Daisies/Gerebera

These beautiful blooms are part of the Aster family, as are Sunflowers, and can make terrific thank you flowers. They conjure images of sunny vibes, and can be found in many hue and shades. They bear also pretty abundant and can be picked in the local park. However, for a more formal bouquet we suggest using Gereberas as they are resilient and beautiful. They are the perfect gift for someone who has helped you persevere in the face of difficulties.

Sunflowers

These perhaps seem like an odd choice of thank you gift, but hear us out. Sunflowers are famous for tracking the sun and can grow to an incredible 8ft, which makes them perfect for showing your gratitude to someone who has helped you find direction in your life, or helped you to grow and realise your potential.

Lilies

With a truly delicious scent and ethereal shape, Lilies have the ability to upgrade any bouquet to the spectacular. These vibrant, yet delicate, blooms are perfect for showing deep gratitude because they show sincerity on the behalf of the sender. 

Hydrangeas

We must admit, there is almost full agreement between our local florists, in our opinion Hydrangeas are the best flowers for showing gratitude. Each individual flower is a minimalist masterpiece, but when they are grouped together they can become multi layered and multi textured bursts of colour. Their history as thank flowers dates to the early emperors of Japan, and their meaning is deep. Renowned for meaning honesty and gratitude, Hydraengeas are ideal to show your sincere thanks and how much someone means to you.

Show someone your thanks

Before we leave you to think about exactly who you want to thank and why, we thought it would help to show you a couple of hand tied bouquets featuring of favourite flowers for showing gratitude.

Sunblush

This bouquets features a combination of hydrangeas, roses and isiantus in varieties of pink. The raspberry tones will brighten anyone’s home and heart, and let them know exactly how thankful you are.

Taffeta

Available for next day delivery, this bouquet feature opulent purple hydrangeas and is the perfect way to show your gratitude.