Bright, bold colours and amazing arrangements of flowers can not only fill a space with a pop of colour and lovely scents, but – if you’re feeling a little low – flowers are also a great way to quickly boost your mood!
There’s even science to back up the way in which flowers and plants can put a little spring in your step. The Washington Post investigated and found that being around plants can have a positive impact in numerous ways. The article states, “When we focus on demanding activities for a long time, such as our jobs, it can lead to mental fatigue and negative emotions that can affect how well we can pay attention. Seeing a plant in this situation can provide a spark of interest, redirect our attention, and restore our depleted mental and physical resources, an idea known as attention restoration theory. Studies have found that the plant-induced “restoration” effect has a wide reach: renewing positive emotions and increasing productivity, creativity, and attention capacity”.
Furthermore, a recent article from The Society of American Florists has likewise shown how beneficial blooms are. Members worked with a team of researchers from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, regarding the way in which flowers can positively impact a person’s well-being. The resulting study states that, “The presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction, and affects social behaviour in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed. ‘What’s most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their day-to-day moods in a healthy and natural way,’ said Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study”.
In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the benefits of flowers are wide reaching with options for everyone’s preferences of colour, scent, and style. In the busy day-to-day hustle and bustle of our daily lives, with lots of responsibilities (and screen time), it’s a nice option to get back to appreciating the beauty of nature. With longer, warm sunny days, there’s no shortage of summer flowers to choose from.
Soothing Scents
There are lots of wonderful-smelling flowers, including freesia, lavender and roses. These flowers not only offer beautiful colours and a wide variety of sizes but, in addition, their sweet scents have been linked to assisting individuals feel peaceful and relaxed –and can even help with sleeping!
Orchid Options
Orchids are an elegant choice; with their unique petals and variety of colour choices, they also positively impact your health by lowering anxiety. At night, these flowers release oxygen, and have air-purifying and sleep benefits.
Sunny Sunflowers
Distinctive yellow sunflowers are sure to brighten and bring happiness to your day. There are a few varieties of sunflowers, which can range in height from 1 or 2 feet, to over 6 feet. They are a wonderful option for your home, but if you don’t have space for this larger flower, you can always get your sunflower ‘fix’ by visiting your local sunflower farm.
Feel-good flowers
Looking to give back to the community while supporting the environment? Consider a pollinator garden. Using wildflowers or bee balm or snapdragon flowers can be a great starting point to create mood-boosting florals. Colour choices play an essential role – white, blue, purple and yellow flowers are excellent choices for attracting bees and butterflies to your growing garden.
Bright and bold
Colour selections are an important consideration when looking to positively impact your mood and outlook. In the heat of the summer months, it’s also important to consider types of flowers that are hardy and can handle the heat and sun. A few options to add to your home — that certainly fit the bill for this — would be a mix of hibiscus, daisies, peonies, geraniums and daylilies. These are all excellent options to create a combination of flowers that you are happy to come home to, and will brighten your day.
Whether you are looking to find the perfect flowers for inside your house, to give to a loved one or to create a garden in your backyard, porch or balcony, there are many different blooms, scents, colours and styles to choose from. They are a wonderful way to enhance your day (with the added bonus of building your budding florist skills as well!). Stick with the bright colours and aromas you enjoy, and you will be all set for summer.
Stephanie Hawkins | Contributing Writer
