Is the act of gifting flowers dying? Or is it merely adapting to a newer generation of romantics? Editor Oisín Gaffey discusses the rise in popularity of Lego Flowers over the classic bouquet.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, love is in the air, but is pollen? Or are Gen Z turning to Lego flowers to express their love? Is the act of gifting flowers dying? Or, is it merely adapting to a newer generation of romantics?
Increasingly, young people are more likely to buy their friends or loved ones a Lego flower set than your traditional bouquet. Lego launched their Botanical Collection back in 2021, and it is safe to say that it has been a huge success. Currently on the Lego website you can buy a range of different sets of flowers, plants and gift sets ranging from their €15 collection of individual Cherry Blossoms, Sunflowers, Roses, Lotus Flowers and Daffodils to an extravagant €113 Flower Arrangement.
Lego flowers can quickly become a mainstay of your or your partner’s accommodation and can easily be moved between rooms and spots to suit the feng shui of each season.
The appeal of Lego flowers is obvious; for a Lego-loving couple, or friend group, the prospect of sitting around a table and building your new flower set sounds altogether lovely. A Lego flower set prolongs the gift-giving exchange, and transforms it into more of an experience that you can do together rather than simply exchanging a bouquet of flowers.
Lego flowers are also, well, Lego, so they don’t die the same way that a bouquet of flowers would after about a week. Lego flowers can quickly become a mainstay of your or your partner’s accommodation and can easily be moved between rooms and spots to suit the feng shui of each season. Similarly, Lego flowers do not require any maintenance; you don’t need to make sure they have enough water or that they are getting enough sunlight, and you certainly don’t need to worry about staining your favourite white jumper with pollen from a vase of dying lilies.
Also, the smell that dead flowers can radiate when they have passed their prime but you can’t bear to part with them, or because you have forgotten to get around to it, is not a problem for Lego flowers.
Yes, flowers can be tricky to deal with when they come to their end, and they might take more work in order to stay fresh, but isn’t that the whole appeal of gifting flowers? Do we not want to have to put a bit of work into arranging our nice new bouquet? Constantly checking if they are getting enough water and light? And what about the beautiful smell they can bring to a room when they are at their peak?
Some online have argued that the growing trend of young people buying their partners Lego flowers reflects a general lack of effort in modern dating.
The argument can certainly be made that buying a set of Lego flowers that last a lifetime is more financially sustainable for students than buying real flowers on a semi-regular basis. However, if you know where to look you can avoid paying a fortune for flowers that will barely last a week (unfortunately I’m looking at you, Grafton Street...) The likes of Tesco, Dunnes and Lidl have a surprisingly plentiful selection for a reasonable price, allowing the €30 you would spend on a Lego set to buy you a range of real flowers, maybe even spread out over a number of weeks.
Some online have argued that the growing trend of young people buying their partners Lego flowers reflects a general lack of effort in modern dating. I am going to optimistically dismiss this argument, as I choose to believe that those buying Lego flowers for their partners are doing so in a loving way because they know their partners, rather than as a way to avoid having to buy real flowers semi-consistently.
Nothing quite beats the beautiful aroma that fills the room after new flowers have been set in a vase, or the rare winter sun catching the petals on the windowsill.
For me, Lego flowers will never beat the real deal, whether I’m the one gifting or receiving. I also know for a fact that my girlfriend doesn’t like the Lego-building experience, so I would really just be buying it for myself. Nothing quite beats the beautiful aroma that fills the room after new flowers have been set in a vase, or the rare winter sun catching the petals on the windowsill. Buying the real deal also allows you to explore different flowers to find out which are your partner’s favourite (or if you buy really ugly ones at least you can redeem yourself within a fortnight).
Most importantly, everybody and every relationship is different. Whilst I wouldn’t buy my girlfriend Lego flowers because I know that building them wouldn’t be her cup of tea, it’s up to you to decide if your partner would appreciate them. For many, getting to build your own set of flowers is ideal! I’m not passing judgement either way, each to their own, but lads, if you are buying a loved one some flowers this Valentine’s, maybe explore further than a single, red rose (unless that happens to be their favourite.)