OT: Who buys cut flowers anyway?

On 07/03/2021 13:58, T i m wrote: ...

By that line of reasoning, you shouldn't be eating fruit or vegetables either.

I'm not sure how *my* view of things would be changed by reasoning though?

We don't normally grow / pick fruit and veg and specifically just let them die and rot, as would be the case for nearly every cut flower, unless you do actually eat them after you have finished looking at them? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

If you think the flowers care about their fate, then you should think about all the veg you are killing to eat.

I wouldn't recommend eating daffodils, but a lot of cut flowers are edible and can be used to decorate food dishes.

"He bloody does eat daffodils, you know."

oh you are right

I didn't realise that

the requirement is "edible Horticulture"

and it isn't just enjoyment

in many cultures flower displays have religious significance

On one of my recent holidays to one of the poorer parts of the world, I was quite surprised to find that the local market had significant numbers of flower stalls

And I thought, they can't be that poor if they can afford to buy flowers for display. But they bought them because the religious reward for using them in their religious ceremony was greater than the financial cost.

Maybe people should eat the daffs. They are used to produce an altzeimer treatment chemical.

I take it your house has bare plaster walls and you sit on wooden boxes ?.

Buying air-freighted flowers, fruit and veg is something that people should avoid doing. And if they are 'global warming' believers then they are plain hypocrites anyway.

Now you've done it.

(...given the transience and questionable value especially ...)

( ... at least they are being 'used' for something both tangible and directly beneficial to all of us ...)

Agreed. The problem is the only people 'bothered' to avoid such are those interested in anything other than them and their needs? ;-(

Like those who when shopping don't give the slightest consideration where their food has come from and if the 'cost' to all of us could be quite high. The fact that said cost isn't built in doesn't help expose such (carbon offsetting etc).

Quite, but even if they aren't, surely the pollution generated by such movement can't be considered 'a good thing'?

Much of what people seem to try to defend is borne out of selfishness (if they were to consider it).

They 'like' taking flowers that were growing outdoors, cutting them off from their roots, only to take them indoors to 'look at' (/ 'watch die') because:

In this case the option to continue being part of the problem (as many would view it) is because of issues of supply (in this country).

And I wonder what confuses, or what medical condition Mrs Squeaker suffers that makes it *essential* for her to always have daffodils indoors?

Another (vegan) analogy:

I doubt if Cornish daffodils are 'air freighted"

A few years ago Tesco sold budding daffodils (or whatever they are called) next to the vegetables and had to put a sign up telling people not to stir fry them as they are poisonous.

On Mon, 8 Mar 2021 12:40:36 -0000, "tim..." snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: <snip>

It's actually not that surprising! ;-)

Nor did I till I saw the news recently ... but then I've considered the whole Brexit thing to be a clusterfuck of course.

And that makes sense, when you are looking at 'importance'.

Ignoring any historic / tradition / health beliefs re we might re cutting down living things and bring them in to die, I'm pretty sure that a walk in a park or the country and to look at the flowers

Or maybe part of the appeal of cut flowers is that you don't have to have much responsibility to them, just stick them in a vase and chuck them out when they start to droop.

Now, if you have some proven medical condition where part of the healing / recovery is a prescription of cut flowers then I guess that could be justified but outside that ... ?

Cheers, T i m

Please don't turn into one of *them*. Where have I even hinted of any such thing? ;-(

See above. 'Most people' are against the killing of animals for 'fun', fewer have issues re killing animals to 'survive'. Spot the difference?

I know, but isn't all of this just BS that we have been expected to buy into and if not we aren't 'hip'?

I'm not even particularly big on garnishes, all the 'stuff' we often put on / with food, apple sauce with pork (I like my main and sweet separate <g>).

Maybe all this is just because I'm not a sheep and am a utilitarian?

And luckily (or maybe it's not that 'lucky'), so is the Mrs so I think I've only bought her flowers a couple of times in the 30+ years I've known her (and then only at the begriming and for very special occasions). If she's given flowers now she will normally give them away to someone who can be bothered with them and who actually appreciates them.

Cheers, T i m

Why would you take that then?

Are you really that confused that you can't differentiate between direct / tangible comfort (a comfy seat) and the impact of looking at bare plaster or expensive flock wallpaper?

How many people rush to get the plaster covered up after renovating a new live-in house versus getting something comfortable to sit on, even if it's only a camping chair?

We had loads of areas of bare plaster here and neither of us really GAF, compared with having a functional kitchen, bathroom, and somewhere comfortable to sit and sleep.

See, maybe it's only left brainers who can't see that not everyone is like them, may have different priorities to them and see that others are made happy by different things to them?

My Mrs for example would much rather I kept her motorcycle clean and running smoothly than me giving her a bunch of flowers she has to deal with, watch die, then throw away (or painting a wall for that matter).

Cheers, T i m

Because of their 'beliefs'.

Of course, in just the same way people have sold other people all sorts of stuff they don't want, need, can afford ... or should be buying (like ivory) over the years, still doesn't justify doing so does it?

Yup, that's belief systems for you. ;-(

Now, if you were an atheist you might be a little skeptical just what that was all about, especially when they were sold by / funds to the religions concerned. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On a couple of vegan outreach stands they were (pretending to) sell swan and dog meat (meat from dogs, not from other animals (even) 'for dogs') and people were asking how much etc?

So, as with many things we do without thinking, education seems to be needed to allow people to make better choices in life.

Cheers, T i m

You *still* cannot see who the problem is!