How to Hand Out Free Flowers

The simple gesture of handing out flowers to strangers encourages appreciation of nature, promotes mindfulness, and fosters positive community connection (and all the warm fuzzies, too!).

Why this recipe matters

In a world where small acts of kindness can make big impacts, giving out free flowers is a beautiful way to connect with others, brighten someone’s day, and spread joy.

Ingredients

• A selection of fresh flowers (hand-picked or bought or donated in bulk from local markets or growers)
• Small tags or cards (optional) for personal notes
• A basket, bucket, or bag for carrying the flowers
• A location with foot traffic (such as a park, busy street corner, community event, or farmers market)
• If you'd like to try to get your flowers donated, use our in-kind donation request template

Recipe

1. Select a day for your flower giveaway.

• What's the best day for your giveaway? if you're planning to hand out free flowers at an event like a farmers market or a street fair, you'll have to follow their schedule, but if you have some flexibility around the date, be a bit strategic!
• If you're hoping for mostly in-kind flower donations to hand out, consider giving away your flowers on a Monday. This could be a great time to get a good deal on flowers that weren't purchased the prior week/weekend or to find some happy newlyweds who are open to donating their nuptial blooms!
• Alternatively, depending on where you live and the season, you could also handpick your flowers.

2. Choose your location.

• Find a spot with a lot of foot traffic, like a local park, community center, farmers' market, or outside a busy café. Consider places where people might need a little joy or a gentle surprise.
• If you choose a farmers market, make sure there isn't a flower vendor there. They probably wouldn't be too happy with the competition, even though it's a lovely sentiment!
• If giving flowers to strangers is a bit out of your comfort zone, you can bring flowers to a beloved shop, a library, community center, or leave them outside your house with a sign that says "take one."

3. Prepare the flowers.

• You can give away bunches or single flowers.
• If you plan to give away small bunches, arrange flowers into manageable bunches, securing them with twine or ribbon. Or, you can aim for simplicity—sometimes, a single stem can have the most profound effect.

4. Attach a note or message.

• If you’d like to add a personal touch, write a few words of kindness, encouragement, or gratitude on small tags or cards. Attach these to the flower bunches with ribbon or twine.

5. Start giving.

• Smile and offer the flowers to passersby, asking, “Would you like a free flower today?” Be genuine and warm in your approach—let the simplicity of the gesture shine.

6. Spread kindness and connection.

• If people stop to chat, take a moment to connect. You can share why you’re giving out flowers or listen if they have something on their mind. Small conversations can make the experience more meaningful.

Nutritional information

Giving out free flowers has an almost magical way of creating moments of connection. Have you tried it? Did it make you or someone else smile? We’d love to hear about the joy, surprise, or kindness you experienced and the conversations it sparked. Tell us how your simple act of flower-giving nurtured your community!

Finishing touch

Make it a thing! If you want to really spread the love, consider inviting friends and family to join the effort. Select a flower pick up time and location and let others know that if they'd like to join in on the flower giving effort, they can come and get free flowers to hand out in their location of choice. And of course, encourage your volunteers to keep a flower for themselves, too!