The case for sending a board instead of flowers

A board arrives needing nothing. No vase, no water, no trimming, no finding a space for it. It gets opened and eaten, and at the end of it there is no drooping evidence of the occasion left in a hallway.

Where a board is clearly better

For a thank you, an apology, a new job and a housewarming, a board works because it is consumed. You are not asking anyone to find room for it or to remember to change the water. For a new job, a board that says nothing is better than flowers that say congrats on the mug.

Where flowers are better

For a funeral, and for someone who is unwell, flowers are often the right thing and food is not. Grief and illness are not occasions for a gift that needs to be eaten. Send flowers, or send nothing, but do not send a cheese board to a hospital.

The practical bit

Flowers wilt over about a week. A board lasts about a week in the fridge, which is not a fair comparison and is not meant to be. The difference is that the board is finished. Nothing is left over and nothing has to be thrown out.