Send Fruit Instead of Flowers this Valentine’s Day

What gifts pop into your mind when you think of Valentine’s Day? Roses? Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates? Love “coupon books” containing stuff like “free hugs”? Better be careful…a recent survey found that over one in five Americans seriously consider ditching their partners for giving them a “cliché” gift like flowers for Valentine’s Day!

It’s the Thought That Counts

A gift of roses has a lot going for it. Firstly, they’re beautiful – no one is disputing that. Secondly, they smell divine – a bouquet of roses adds a wonderful perfume to a room. Lastly, you won’t look cheap when you give your loved one a rose bouquet because roses can be expensive…depending on the type of arrangement you could wind up spending as much as $50.00 or more for just a dozen long-stemmed red roses.

Sending flowers has drawbacks, however…they don’t last very long (around 5-7 days on average), they need to be cared for (changing the water, feeding, etc.), and their strong scent can be problematic for some people (e.g. those prone to allergies).

The top two objections people have to Valentine’s Day flowers, however is that they’re A) predictable, and B) impersonal. If you stop to think about it, you’ll remember that the gifts you found most memorable were the ones your loved one put a little thought into. An original, thoughtful gift will go a lot further toward making your recipient feel appreciated this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re shopping for a partner, relative or friend!

Valentine’s Day Gift Baskets from Hale Groves

Instead of sending your recipient a vase or basket of flowers for Valentine’s Day, you can delight them with a basket of fresh fruit and other treats from Hale Groves!

Here are three reasons why a Valentine’s Fruit Basket from Hale Groves makes a splendid Valentine’s Day gift:

1. It’s easy to find a great gift to fit your budget. If you’ve ever shopped for flowers on a national website, you know how fast the price can go up. This is especially true around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and other holidays where flowers are a traditional gift, as florists tend to raise their prices at such times.

Buying a basket of fruit for your Valentine is a smart way to save money without sacrificing on the quality of the gift. Many of Hale’s gorgeous fruit gift baskets and fruit gift boxes cost a fraction of what a large flower arrangement would cost, meaning you get more bang for your buck when choosing an impressive gift. And with so many price points to choose from, you are assured of getting a quality gift while staying within your budget.

2. Fruit lasts longer than flowers. As stated above, Valentine’s Day flowers don’t generally last longer than a week, tops. When properly stored, however, fruit can last considerably longer than that – particularly winter citrus fruits, which are in season this time of year and of which Hale Groves has a wide variety!

When stored in a cool, dry place, our Grove Navel Oranges, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Hale Honeybells and other delightful citrus fruits will stay fresh and perfect as they were the day they arrived for a month or more.

3. Fruit is practical as well as beautiful. Flowers are lovely to look at and smell wonderful, right? Well, the same can be said of colorful, fragrant fresh fruit from Hale Groves! A basket of bright orange, Honey-Sweet Tangerines, blushing Ruby Red Grapefruit and Golden Honeybells add a vivid splash of color on a dreary, gray winter’s day, while the refreshing scent of their peels is vibrant without being cloying.

But there’s another great reason fruit is better than flowers for Valentine’s Day – you can eat it, and it’s delicious! Unlike a vase of flowers your recipient will worry might get knocked over, a box or basket of fresh fruit and treats is something the whole family can enjoy. Fresh fruit is a staple for many households, and a fruit gift means one less thing your recipients need to include on their lists…your recipients not only will save money, they’ll also get to enjoy premium fruits of a quality far superior to those provided by conventional fruit sellers. And fruit can be used in so many ways – as a snack eaten fresh out of hand, added to salads or smoothies, and even used in baking and cooking. Try doing all that with flowers!

Healthy Valentine’s Gifts from Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we like to say that “food always fits” – it’s a gift everyone can use and enjoy. But one thing that might make you hesitate about sending a gift of food is the concern over whether your recipient can actually enjoy it. These days, it seems like there are more eating practices, food sensitivities, and food restrictions to be aware of, and that can make gifts of food a bit problematic.

The good news is that fresh fruit is often a “safe” food gift. In fact, it’s hard to get too much fruit – most Americans don’t eat enough. Chocolate is a traditional Valentine’s Day gift, but if your loved ones are trying to eat more mindfully or have special dietary needs, giving them nutritious, vitamin-rich oranges and grapefruits is much better than giving them candy that they may not even be able to eat. Fresh citrus fruit is sweet without all the extra calories and processed sugar found in traditional Valentine’s candy.

That doesn’t mean you have to forgo chocolate entirely, however…many of Hale Groves’ gift baskets include gourmet baked goods and candies fresh from our kitchens and bakeries as well as crunchy nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruits for a variety of treats to please every palate. By choosing a variety assortment you can ensure your recipient enjoys a little indulgence along with their healthy treats, and that there’s something for everyone!

Popular Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas from Hale Groves

Need some help getting started with your holiday shopping? Here are a few ideas that we’ve found are popular with Hale customers in search of the best Valentine’s Day gifts:

1. All-fruit gifts. If your recipient is a health nut, you can’t go wrong with our Orange Extravaganza, which contains eight Grove Navel Oranges and four each Honey-Sweet Tangerines and Petite Cara Cara Navels. Our Treasure Coast Trio is another great choice because it includes our famous Ruby Red Grapefruit.
2. Gifts that inspire smiles. You can’t not smile when you behold a box of our Happy Honeybells, because we’ve wrapped our juicy, sought-after mandarin hybrids in smiley face tissue paper! Equally smile-inducing is our Grove Valentine Favorites Gift Box, which contains four each of our Grove Navel Oranges and Tangerines along with foil-wrapped chocolate hearts, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Honey-Roasted Peanuts, and Jelly Belly® Beans, and our fun, Valentine Cheer Gift Bag, a lined burlap sack packed with a variety of our most popular citrus fruits and sweets.
3. Budget-friendly gifts. Need to watch your spending this year? Our low-cost options still let you make a bit impact! Perfect for singles and smaller families is our Simply Spectacular gift box, which contains three each seedless Grove Navel Oranges, easy-peel Honey-Sweet Tangerines, and berry-flavored Petite Cara Cara Navel Oranges. Or go with a gift tin of our best-selling gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies.
4. Gifts for a crowd. Is there a special family or team of employees you want to treat this year for Valentine’s Day? Hale’s Old Florida Orchard Crate is a great choice with its plethora of Sunshine State flavors including fresh-from-the-grove citrus fruits, a milk chocolate orange, Coconut Squares, Toasted Coconut Cookies, Honey-Roasted Almonds, and two kinds of marmalade. Our Deluxe Breakfast Box containing a Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake, Orange Blossom Honey, Orange Marmalade, Canadian Bacon and a variety of citrus fruits is a great way to start their day.
5. Sweets for the sweet. If your Valentine has a devoted sweet tooth, you can indulge it with a gift tin of our famous Homestyle Cookies! Sweet and tangy orange and lemon cookies contain a touch of zest and coconut and a drizzle of icing. Our Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake is another popular sweet offering, and one that makes morning coffee or afternoon teatime extra-special.

Think Outside the Vase!

Convinced yet? Think outside the vase and surprise your special someone this Valentine’s Day with a basket of fruit instead of flowers! We guarantee they’ll be delighted with your thoughtfulness and ingenuity.

SHOP Hale Groves Valentine’s Day Gifts>>