It's no secret that being in hospital isn't anyone's idea of a good time. In fact, it can be downright scary. So, what can we do to lift the spirits of our loved ones while they're in the hospital?
One way we can brighten up their day is by giving them flowers. If you're able to physically visit your loved one while they're in hospital, you might be able to bring them a bunch of fresh flowers in person. But if you're unable to visit them, you may be wondering—can you have flowers delivered to a hospital?
Keep reading to find out more about sending flowers to a hospital, or explore our range of "get well soon" flowers via the button below.
Are flowers allowed in hospitals?
We thought we'd start by answering this fairly important question. The answer is: Yes! Most Australian hospitals do allow flowers. This is in contrast to the UK, where flowers are banned in most NHS hospitals.
How to send flowers to a hospital
Before sending flowers to a hospital, there are a few things you'll need to do first.
Check hospital delivery policies
Some hospitals may have restrictions on what deliveries they can accept, and when. It's therefore important that you check if the hospital has any delivery policies before you send your flowers.
Additionally, flowers may not be allowed in the ward your loved one is staying in. Many hospitals don't allow flowers in their intensive care unit or high-dependency units, for example.
Confirm what, if any, the best delivery times are, that they will accept the delivery and that the flowers are okay to go to the ward your loved one is staying in.
If you can't find any information online about a hospital's flower delivery policy, it's wise to call the hospital directly and check.
Confirm the address for delivery
In some cases, it may not be appropriate to list a room or bed number for delivery, as your recipient might be moved to a different room before the flowers arrive. That's not to say that you definitely shouldn't; it will depend on individual circumstances.
It's also worth noting that the courier won't be able to take the flowers directly to your recipient. They will need to leave them at the nurse's station or at a front reception desk. The nurses will then bring the flowers to the patient.
Double checking that your recipient's name and the hospital address are both correct on the shipping label will help ensure your flowers reach their intended destination.
Find a reliable online flower delivery service
Once you've confirmed that you can have flowers delivered to the hospital in question, actually sending the flowers is a breeze! There are plenty of online florists that specialise in flower deliveries.
Floraly is one such online flower delivery service. We make it easy for you to send joy to the people you care about most, even when they're in hospital.
We offer same-day delivery 6 days a week in Sydney and Melbourne on selected bouquets (when you order before 12pm), and next-day delivery elsewhere in Australia.
We deliver all our flowers in our signature gift box, along with a card for your personal message—perfect for sending well wishes to your loved one.
It's important to note that our letterbox flowers are intended to be arranged by your recipient. We understand this may not be feasible if your recipient is in the hospital. To be safe, we recommend sending one of our posies, which come already arranged in a glass flower jar, or selecting the "hand-tied in glass vase" option, which is available on any of our bouquets.
What flowers should you send to someone in hospital?
The type of flowers you send to someone in hospital will depend on a few factors, such as the reason they're in hospital and your relationship with them. But there are few important health considerations you should also take into account, which you may not be aware of.
Choose non-scented flowers
Try to avoid sending flowers that produce a strong fragrance, particularly if your recipient is sharing their hospital room with others. Strong smells can make people who are already unwell feel even worse. Additionally, some individuals find that particular fragrances trigger headaches and nausea and make them feel ill, even under normal circumstances.
Lilies, freesias, lavender, jonquils and peonies are all examples of flowers that can be heavily fragranced, and so are best avoided.
Choose non-allergenic flowers
This is a hard one. Some of the brightest and most cheerful flowers are also some of the heaviest pollen producers.
Gerberas, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, asters and daisies will all add much-needed colour and cheer to the patient's hospital room, but because they produce a lot of pollen they may be a problem for any allergy and asthma sufferers.
Flowers like these might be fine to send if your recipient is in a private hospital room, but may not be appropriate if they're sharing a room.
Always go a size down
In terms of bouquet size, we do recommend going smaller rather than larger. There's limited surface space in hospitals, and you don't want your blooms hindering the nurses and doctors' ability to do their jobs, or getting in the way of any equipment.
Include a vase if you can
We recommend sending flowers to a hospital that are already in a vase, rather than sending a bouquet that's simply wrapped. This is because most hospitals don't have an unlimited supply of vases they can loan out.
You want to make it as easy as possible for the patient and for the nurses to put your blooms on display!
What about new baby flowers?
Of course, not everyone is in hospital because they're unwell!
If you're sending flowers to a hospital because your loved one has just had a baby, you should still consider all of the above, in addition to whether it's better to send flowers to the hospital or to wait until they've arrived home.
In most cases, new mums don't spend a long time in the hospital after giving birth. Sometimes, they can be in and out in just 24 hours! This means your flowers won't be on display for long. Plus, the new parents will be bringing home a brand new baby, so they may find it difficult to bring your flowers home with them, too.
It may be best to wait until they're home from the hospital to send your congratulations flowers, rather than sending them to the hospital directly.
In terms of flower choice, yellow, white and blue blooms are among the most popular baby boy flowers, while pastel pink and white flowers are popular for baby girls. You can shop our range of new baby flowers here.
The best flowers to send to someone in hospital
When taking into consideration all of the above factors, these are our top hospital flower picks:
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Roses—The most popular cut flower in the world. Roses are a great hospital flower choice because their pollen is not exposed, which any allergy sufferers will thank you for. Once upon a time, roses may have had a strong fragrance, but today floristry roses don't tend to smell of anything. It's thought that this may be because modern roses have been bred so heavily for their appearance, rather than for their scent.
- Carnations—These ruffled blooms are a great alternative to roses and peonies. They don't have exposed pollen and they're also unscented, plus they're incredibly beautiful and available in a huge range of colours.
- Tulips—They're elegant, come in all sorts of different colours and have a very low pollen count. Double tulips are especially stunning, if you can find them. Plus, tulips will continue to grow after they've been placed in a vase.
- Australian natives—These low-maintenance blooms will last a long time in a vase. They may produce a scent, but it is often subtle and not a typical "flowery" scent. Wattle produces a beautiful, fresh fragrance but may trigger allergies in some people, so be cautious of sending bouquets with wattle to shared hospital rooms.
- Dried flowers—Flowers that have been dried won't produce pollen or have a fragrance. Plus, they don't even need to have water added to them, making them an ideal choice for someone in the hospital.
Send flowers to a hospital with Floraly
At Floraly, we have a wide range of beautiful flowers to choose from, guaranteed to brighten up anyone's day. We're sure you'll find the perfect arrangement to cheer up your loved one in hospital.
Our delivery partners will do their best to ensure your blooms make it to their intended destination on time. We also have a 100% happiness guarantee, so if you're not satisfied with your blooms, our friendly customer care team is always just an email away, ready to help make it right.
Shop our range of "get well soon" flowers via the button below, and send a little joy to your loved one in hospital.
