Budgeting can certainly be a struggle for some college students — I know it is for me. Yet, at the same time, giving gifts is a great and important way to show your appreciation for those you care about, especially during this time in life. In my opinion, flowers are the perfect gift for literally anyone. Plenty of flowers near campus are invasive, like the purple bellflowers I’ve seen all over lately. Others are just weeds, like the classic dandelion. There is no harm in picking a few of these, especially considering the damage invasive plants can do to local ecosystems, and the fact that plenty of these flowers will simply be cut or mowed over anyway.
That being said, I don’t want to discourage you from purchasing flowers from the wonderful vendors in town and on campus. These are still quite affordable, and make great gifts for partners or whoever else. I see colorful flowers flooding the mailboxes in Buntrock every Friday, but still wish there were more. When I have a few extra dollars, I like to buy Friday flowers for people I don’t know well — someone I sit by in class, my mailbox neighbors, or even a completely random person — just as a way to spread positivity. That brings me to another point: giving people flowers feels good. Sure, this is true of most gifts, but flowers can quite literally brighten someone’s day. It’s never a bad idea to spread positivity through gift giving, especially when your means of doing so is free or inexpensive.
The obvious downside of giving flowers as gifts is that, if they’re kept in their natural form, even given sunlight and water, they will wilt in a matter of weeks. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to combat this natural cycle if you want to give a longer-lasting gift. I’m personally a big fan of pressing flowers. The process of doing so is quite relaxing, and if done correctly, pressed flowers can be preserved for years. Flower pounding is another good technique. They can be pounded onto fabrics or papers, adding vibrant colors to gifts like wall art, clothing, or dish towels. Of course, these activities can be done with handpicked or purchased flowers, and they’re really only as expensive as the plants themselves.
So, there you have it: flowers. Do note that it is illegal to harvest wildflowers in certain state parks and protected areas — such as the lady’s slipper from anywhere in Minnesota — but I doubt you’d find those in Northfield anyways. And certainly don’t pick flowers from someone else’s property without permission. But if you can get your hands on them, a few flowers make a great gift for nearly any occasion. Even something as simple as a bunch of dandelions can brighten somebody’s day.
