Valentine's Day is upon us, and I'm sure many lucky people have already been presented with flowers, chocolates, balloons or cards.
TikToker India Atkinson is among those who have been treated to a Valentine's gift this year, but hers definitely didn't fall into the usual categories.
In fact, it didn't really fall into any 'gift' category, because it was a vegetable. A whole lot of vegetable.
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India lives with her boyfriend, Eddie Baird, in Belfast, and she admitted he's 'always quite imaginative on Valentine’s Day'. However, this year's surprise was the 'best yet', India said, because Eddie really honed in on what she likes. And what she likes is Tenderstem broccoli.
Eddie went all out, with footage shared online showing how he asked India to close her eyes before unveiling his work. The dedicated boyfriend had trailed Tenderstem up the stairs, had it packed into a flower bouquet and even made it into a love heart placed on the bed and surrounded by broccoli florets.
Even the bathtub was lined with the vegetable, in case the couple got hungry while enjoying a soak.
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India was admittedly surprised by his efforts, saying: “I adore Tenderstem – I eat it most days, but I never thought he’d use it for romance. I loved it, it’s so personal and makes me feel like he really knows me. Who doesn’t love Tenderstem broccoli, right?”
The TikToker joked that she was at least 'going to be getting one of [her] five-a-day', while Eddie said he was just focused on trying to make India laugh.
“Just like the veg itself, I wanted to do something sweet, but a little bit nutty. Our fridge is always stocked with Tenderstem and I tease her about her strange snack all the time," he said.
Eddie revealed that the 'bro-quet' flower arrangement was his favourite part of the entire set-up, explaining he'd had it made as a custom order by Keady Flowers in Armagh.
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Florist Sophia Hughes praised the idea after Eddie brought it to the business, saying: "The stems are the perfect addition to make a Valentine’s bouquet that’s a little bit more unique.
“They look beautiful on a dinner plate, so I just thought why not use them as part of a floral arrangement?”
After India shared her incredible Valentine's surprise on TikTok, the Tenderstem company, which has trademarked the name, contacted Keady Flowers and requested them to create a limited-edition run of the bro-uquets for other Tenderstem fans out there who could win them in a competition.
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Seeing that there's obviously a market for the unusual arrangements, the florist has also shared an Instagram how-to video for anyone who wants to attempt to re-create it at home. So why not have your own broccoli filled Valentine's? It might just be a hit!
Topics: Sex and Relationships, TikTok
Emily Brown