Sending Get Well Flowers: Everything You Need to Know

When you want to send get well flowers, you need to think about many different factors to ensure that your recipient receives and can fully appreciate them. For example, did you know that many ICUs don’t allow flowers in the rooms? Have you thought about what will happen to the flowers after your loved one gets them? Will they take up too much space in a small room?

To ensure your thoughtful gift is well received, here’s everything you need to know about sending get well flowers.  

Consider the Hospital Rules

If your loved one is in a hospital, you should call and find out what the rules are. Aside from the fact that flowers aren’t allowed in many ICUs, you might find hospitals that don’t allow flowers in any rooms. They might also only allow plants or flowers that aren’t likely to trigger allergies. 

After all, think about how many people go in and out of a hospital room. It’s more than just doctors and nurses. It’s maintenance staff, nutrition staff, medical assistants, and more. Many people are allergic to flowers, so that’s something to keep in mind when selecting get well flowers.

In any case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Find out the hospital’s rules before sending get well soon flowers. 

Don’t Be Afraid of Bright Colors

The primary goal of get well flowers is to make people happy, right? Don’t feel like your recipient should get muted colors just because they aren’t feeling well. If you’re looking to cheer them up, bold colors are typically the best way to go. 

Of course, always keep in mind your loved one’s preferences. Don’t feel obligated to send bright colors to a person whose favorite color is white or lavender. If you know their favorite type and color of flower, stick with that. 

Remember to Include a Card

You don’t have to be a writer to include some thoughtful words with get well flowers. A few words expressing your care for them and your hopes that they feel better soon are enough. Even a message as simple as “Get well soon” can help your flowers make a bigger impact than they would without a card. 

Don’t forget to put your name on the card so your recipient knows who the flowers are from. Hopefully, the person you’re sending the flowers to has lots of friends and family who might send flowers, so never assume they’ll know which flowers came from you. 

Think About Adding a Gift

While flowers are an excellent get well gift, you might consider adding something else your recipient will enjoy. Balloons, a stuffed animal, or snacks are things that might help cheer up your friend or family member. 

If your loved one is in the hospital, keep in mind that they may have limited space to store or display items, so smaller may be better. As adorable as that giant teddy bear might be, it could overwhelm a small, crowded recovery room. 

Choose Something Low Maintenance

Recovering from an illness or injury can take a lot of energy. If your recipient is recovering alone, they may not have the strength or ability to change flower water every few days or water a live plant regularly. 

Unless you know that somebody caring for your loved one will also be willing to also care for the flowers, pick something low maintenance. A tropical orchid that needs to be watered every day may not be the best choice, for example.

Consider a Plant Instead of Flowers

Cut flowers are great, but they die within a few weeks. Some people might prefer to receive plants that can live for months or years if they’re properly taken care of. 

Keep in mind that most plants require regular watering, which your loved one might not be able to keep up with while they’re still recovering. Make sure you know somebody will be able to water the plant until the recipient is well enough to do it themselves. A succulent could be a great low maintenance choice, especially since they can be quite small.

Include a Durable Container

When you send flowers to somebody’s home, you might assume they have a vase (or at least a sturdy cup or pitcher) to display the flowers in. If you’re sending get well flowers to a hospital, you should include a durable container with the delivery. 

Think about the hustling environment of a hospital. A dainty glass vase may not be the best choice. Pick something that might be able to handle a couple of accidental knocks. If the recipient won’t be in the hospital long, the flower container must also survive the trip home. 

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Hospital rooms can be small and crowded. Your recipient may not have room for a large bouquet, especially if they receive flowers or gifts from lots of other people, too. 

For somebody who is recovering in a hospital or other small room, consider sending a tall skinny flower arrangement rather than something wide and full that will take up more space. 

How to Send Flowers to a Hospital

All hospitals have different rules regarding flowers. Apart from the rules, they all have different ways of getting flowers to patients. Flowers might be accepted at the front desk, sent directly to the recipient’s room, or go through a busy mailroom.  

Your local florist probably knows how flower delivery works at all the area hospitals, so they can be a great resource when deciding if and how to send get well flowers to somebody who’s recovering in a hospital. 

Final Thoughts

Flowers make exceptional get well soon gifts. Now that you have all this information, you should be able to choose the best flowers and make sure the arrangement makes it safely to your recipient. You have also thought about what will happen to the flowers once they arrive. All that’s left is to send the flowers with a thoughtful card, then follow up to find out how your loved one is recovering.