Flowers for a colleague or boss: what to give at work

The short answer: for a colleague or a boss, a neat medium-sized bouquet in calm colours, or an easy potted plant that will survive an office, is almost always right. What matters most is that the gift is not too personal and is easy to take home. If the whole team is giving, it is better to collect money for one good bouquet and add a card signed by everyone than to bring several small ones. Below are the most common occasions at work and the practical details.

Occasions at work

• Birthdays and milestone birthdays. The most common reason. For a round number the team usually gives together.
• Name days. Many people in Lithuania still celebrate them, and a small bouquet or a single stem at work is a kind gesture.
• Farewells. A colleague is leaving for a new job, retiring or going on parental leave.
• A new role. A promotion, a move to another department, a first day in a new position.
• Thanks. For someone who helped with a project, covered for you during a holiday or showed a new person the ropes.

Budget and size

At work a gift should not be too expensive or too large. A very grand bouquet from one person can make both the recipient and the rest of the team feel awkward.

• From you alone, a small bouquet (from 15 €) or a few roses (from 2,50 € per stem) is enough for a colleague.
• From the whole team, one larger, better-quality bouquet or a flower box (from 35 €) works well.
• For a boss, it is usually the team that gives, not each person separately. That way the gift reads as shared thanks rather than someone trying to win favour.

Collecting money as a team

When several people chip in, even small amounts add up to a good bouquet.

• Let one person collect the money and place the order, so the colleague does not end up with three separate bouquets.
• Agree on the amount in advance and do not press anyone who can give less.
• Spend a larger sum on quality rather than size. A few good roses or lisianthus look better than a big bouquet that is mostly filler.

A bouquet that has to travel home

Whoever receives flowers at work will be taking them home that evening by bus, trolleybus or car. So:

• Choose a compact bouquet that is easy to hold in one hand and will not get in other passengers' way.
• In the cold months make sure they are well wrapped in paper, because even a short walk in frost can damage the petals.
• Flowers should not be left in a hot car in summer or a freezing one in winter.
• If the colleague is going somewhere else straight after work, a flower box or a small plant is easier to carry and will not wilt after a few hours without water.

Plants that survive an office

A plant suits a promotion, a new office or a thank you, when you want the gift to last. Offices are hard on plants, though: there is often little daylight, the air is dried out by heating or air conditioning, and nobody waters at weekends or during holidays. So choose tough ones:

• ZZ plant (Zamioculcas). Copes with low light and infrequent watering, because it stores water in its thick stems.
• Snake plant (Sansevieria). Grows in bright or fairly dim spots and goes a long time without water.
• Pothos (Epipremnum). A trailing plant for a shelf or the top of a cabinet that tolerates a spot away from the window.
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum). Tolerates shade but likes regular watering, so it only suits an office where someone really will water it.
• Orchid. A lovely thank-you gift, but it needs a bright spot such as a windowsill.

Cacti and succulents look undemanding, but they need a lot of light. In a dim corner of an office they stretch and weaken.

Before giving a plant, think about whether the colleague has room on the desk or windowsill. If someone is leaving, the plant will go home with them, so a small one is kinder.

A card from the team

A card signed by everyone often outlasts the flowers.

• Pass it round a few days early so that everyone has time to sign and add a few words.
• A short, warm wish is enough. For a farewell, a few more personal lines about working together are welcome.
• Attach the card so it does not get wet from the stems.

What to avoid

• Red roses. Many people read them as romantic, so for a colleague or a boss choose white, cream, peach or yellow instead.
• Anything too personal: a single red rose, hearts, or a lavish bouquet from one person.
• Strongly scented flowers such as lilies in a shared office. The scent fills the room, and some people react with allergies or headaches.
• An even number of stems in a small bouquet. In Lithuania even numbers are associated with funerals.
• Potted chrysanthemums, which in Lithuania are linked to All Souls' Day.

For a male colleague, a bouquet with a clear shape in deeper colours, or a plant, usually works best.

Choosing the moment

• For a birthday or name day, hand the flowers over when the team gathers, for example at a coffee break. If you give them in the morning, make sure there is a vase or at least a jug at work, otherwise wait until the end of the day. A flower box needs no vase.
• For a farewell, give them on the last working day when everyone gathers to say goodbye, not as the person is walking out of the door.
• For a boss, choose a moment when they have a few minutes for the team, not just before an important meeting or in front of clients.

Ordering in Kaunas

The Gitanos gėlės flower stand is inside the Šilas supermarket at A. Baranausko g. 26, Kaunas, open every day 8:00–23:00, so you can collect a bouquet in the morning on your way to work. Bouquets start from 15 €, potted plants from 8 € and flower boxes from 35 €. You can pre-order by SMS at +370 656 38880 or on gitanosgeles.lt. Mention the occasion, your budget and whether the flowers will travel on public transport.