There is a connection between flowers and positive emotions. Flowers enhance moods as well as our homes, and make us feel lighter and happier which in turn make us feel connected to the earth and ultimately to one another. For centuries they have been used as a medium for expressing one's love or gratitude as well as holding space for all of life's celebrations. Studies have shown that people who are given a large bunch of flowers feel happier than those who are given money; patients recover more quickly in hospitals when flowers are present; diners order more food and drink in restaurants decorated with flowers; and a good mood lingers for three days after receiving flowers for any reason or no reason.
There are lots of ways to use flowers as a way to feel and share love. By adding just a few pops of flowers throughout your home you can instantly change the ambiance! During the late months of winter this can really help keep spirits high. Make it a point to add fresh orchids to your nightstand. Orchids look like a soft sculpture more than a floral arrangement, and their color and fragrance improves a bedroom’s ambiance. For your dining table, fill a vase full of evergreens, leaves, or grasses. Tulips are often associated with the spring; however, their season actually begins in the winter. They have the ability to transform any room with their elegant and loose beauty. A single vibrant gerbera daisy makes a playful addition to a kitchen or bathroom, or create a gorgeous bouquet with daisies surrounded by roses and mums. While red roses are traditional for Valentine’s Day, take some purple inspiration from the amethyst, February’s birthstone. Mix a purple hydrangea with lavender roses for an unexpected take on the usual arrangement.
Planting flowers in your garden is another way to share their beauty, and you get the benefit of foraging in your own flowerbed. Here in Idaho, as the first blooms begin to bud in late February and early March, you’ll find forsythia, tulips, daffodils and muscari around the Treasure Valley. Buttercups can often be found in bloom in February in the Boise Foothills.
To love and to be loved is really what being human is all about. When enjoying and sharing the magic of nature, our entire being lights up, and we feel more alive, safe and seen. When we give the gift of flowers to others or ourselves, we are giving the gift of pure love.
How To Care For Your Flowers
Our Basic Flower Care Tips for Healthy and Long Lasting Flowers and Foliage
Interact with your flowers: As your flower arrangement begins to die, try arranging and rearranging until the last flower is gone.
Water Level: Should be filled to the brim completely so all stems can drink.
Water Cleanliness: Should look clear and clean. Keep fresh and change out every 2-3 days.
Stems: Give each stem a trim every time you give your flowers fresh water
Temperature of the environment: Not too cold and not too hot
Container: A clean, fresh vase and basic maintenance will go a long way to making your flowers last longer.
Paige Johnston is the head designer & owner of Wildflower, a floral design company in Boise.