Flowers traditionally evoke thoughts of romance. They have been proven to have an effect on women. Britain’s most romantic man has revealed the secret of his success — buying his wife flowers every week for 70 years. Jack Mills, 89, from Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, has managed to keep his wife Millie sweet by handing her more than 3,000 bouquets of flowers in the seven decades they have been together.
Television actor of repute, Amit Verma confesses to being a romantic at heart. He says, “I am very romantic, but I like to vary in my idea of gifting. I have seen women going all weak in their knees when gifted with flowers. In college we would compete on who would give the maximum roses. My friends would even go to the extent of giving 2,000 roses, but I feel one rose can be quite romantic.” Conceding to being a true believer, designer Riyaz Gangji says, “Flowers are real healers. I like to gift flowers as they bring a unique freshness in life and liven up the person and bring out that genuine ‘I love you’ and a big thank you smile. Actually I have just bought 14 acres of farm land near the Bombay-Goa highway and since I buy flowers so often, I’m actually thinking of farming flowers there.”
Although actor Aamir Ali loves the idea of giving flowers, he has never really gone out of his way to buy them. The Balaji Telefilms favourite says, “Flowers have a very soothing effect. They make ideal gifts to surprise your lover with. But I believe that only if they are given casually, do they have any effect and not on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. Those are occasions to gift something more lavish.”
Someone who’s always gone weak in the knees at the sight of fresh flowers is fashion designer, Deepika Govind. She says, “I have always loved flowers and I think anyone who still gifts flowers has a soft heart and can make a life brighter. Flowers always remind me of things pure and natural. Who cannot give in to the beauty of frangipani, wild orchids and lilies? In our courtship days, whenever we would fight, my now husband and I would make up with flowers. I think they are the sweetest expression of love.”
Agrees Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, author of Faraway Music, being published by Hachette, “Flowers, candy, soft toys, cards are today what probably love letters were once upon a time — a bridge to communicate one’s innermost emotions to their beloved. While I’d be lying if I said women don’t still swoon over flowers, it’s also true that today’s modern women, need much more than a symbolic reiteration of their partner’s love. They would prefer their spouse cooking dinner/cleaning dishes, rather than just giving flowers all the time. So, pamper the fairer sex all you will with the season’s choicest, but remember we’re looking for a real hero, not a knight in shining armour!”