Alternatives for someone allergic to flowers:

Fruit Magic is a beautifully presented basket of the finest seasonal and tropical fruits, such as mango, passion fruit, physalis, lemon, melon, sharon, tangerines, and kiwi.

Chocoholics - Overwhelm them with a chocolate gift basket containing gourmet foods, chocolates, and cookies.

Juices & Sweets wicker basket - a selection of snacks, crackers, mixed nuts, and two all natural fruit smoothies. All gift wrapped in a reusable picnic basket. Fit for all occasions at the office or at home.

Bonsai Trees are an elegant and sophisticated gift, and they also have the distinct advantage of remaining alive and healthy for many decades.

Cut your flowers

When you receive your flowers, they have probably been out of water for a few hours. The bottom of the stem where the cut was made will have formed a seal to protect the plant from drying out too quickly.

It's important to cut this portion of the stem away (cut about one or two centimeters off the bottom of the stem), so that the flower can absorb the fresh water that you place it into. Make the cut slightly diagonally, so that the maximum surface area is exposed for absorbing water.

Remove excess leaves

Remove any leaves that will sit below the waterline. Leaves decay quickly when they're soaked in water, and these will cause the water to smell if they're allowed to remain.

Woody stems

Woody stems need a little extra care. In addition to trimming the end, make a small vertical slit in the bottom of the stem so that the plant can absorb water more easily.

Add plant food

If you've received a little packet of plant food, add this to the water and stir in. If you receive flowers often, or cut flowers from your own garden, you may want to purchase a larger packet or bottle of cut flower food to keep your flowers fresh for longer.

Change the water

Cut flowers can last for several days, and sometimes even longer than a week or two. You need to change the water in your vase regularly to prevent algae and bacteria building up. This makes your water turn green and it will begin to smell. Additionally, your flower stems will start to decay in this contaminated water, which exacerbates the problem.

The easiest way to change the water in a vase is to place the vase in a bucket or bathtub, and pour in clean water until the old water runs out of the vase and is replaced by clean water. This process also prevents the cut stems being re-exposed to air, which can shorten their life.

Alternatively, you may wish to lift the flowers out of the vase and rince the stems under the tap to remove rotted material and algal build up. Clean the vase out to remove any scum that may have developed along the waterline and bottom of the vase. Fill with clean water and replace the flowers.