4 posts tagged “flowers”

We gave these carnations to our daughter on her birthday June 1st, so they are not in perfect conidtion anymore, but the colour is so delightful I had to share.

 

 

 

 

Well you can't say that you don't get variety on my blog!

Purplesque actually tagged me first and I didn't read until now - so here is my sequel. The instructions are to summarize my life in a six word memoir, with optional photo illustration and to tag six others....but I just tagged six - so open to all!

I thought it came with flowers?

 

If I were possessed of greater material wealth my one true indulgence would be fresh flowers in every room. Blue flowers, and green flowers and every colour in between. Big vases, little vases, bowls and teapots, wine glasses and tin cans! All filled will an abundance of fresh blooms. Or single stems.

 

If I needed any prompting I could follow what the researches say about flowers in connection with human well-being:

 

As early as 1789, medical personnel noted that impoverished patients who had to work to pay for their care seemed to recover more quickly when they worked in a hospital’s flower garden as opposed to working in cattle sheds or other surroundings.

 

Rooms and offices decorated with flowers can help reduce your stress, as measured by decreased blood pressure and pulse rates.

 

Horticultural therapy has been used over the years to improve mobility, balance, endurance, socialization and memory skills

 

Studies have found that looking at beautiful flowers can produce a decline in systolic blood pressure.

 

Looking at flowers can aid recovery from stress as measured by changes in brain electrical activity, muscle tension, respiration, and shifts in emotional states, all of which may be linked to better immune function that, in turn, can protect people from disease and help them recover if they are sick.

 

Beautiful and colorful flowers directly or indirectly make you to look intensely at something, and when you bend down to smell something; you bypass the [analytical] function of the mind. You naturally stop thinking, obsessing, worrying. Your senses are awakened, which brings you into the present moment, and this has been shown to be very effective at reducing stress.

 

One of the best known studies, by Dr. Roger Ulrich, showed that patients recovering from gall bladder surgery who viewed flowers and plants from their hospital windows had shorter hospital stays, took fewer potent analgesics for pain and received fewer negative nursing comments than their counterparts who viewed a building from their windows.

 

Research made by Diane Relf of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute shows:

 

1. People communicate better in the presence of flowers or plants, and they  tend  to eat more food more slowly when flowers are on the table.

 

2. Flowers restore people from mental fatigue and enhance self-esteem.

 

3. Placing plants and flowers in a room significantly increases humidity, which reduces some of the effects of dry air such as common colds.

http://gardening.ygoy.com/can-flowers-in-your-garden-enhance-well-being/

 

 

The Home Ecology of Flowers Study at Harvard uncovered three main findings:

 

Flowers feed compassion.

 

Study participants who lived with fresh cut flowers for less than a week felt an increase in feelings of compassion and kindness for others.

 

 

Flowers chase away anxieties, worries and the blues at home.

 

Overall, people in the study simply felt less negative after being around flowers at home for just a few days.

 

Participants most frequently placed flowers in their kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms, where they spend a lot of time at home. They reported wanting to see the blooms first thing in the morning.

 

 

Living with flowers can provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work.

 

Having flowers at home can have a positive carry-over impact on our mood at work, too. The study found that people were more likely to feel happier and have more enthusiasm and energy at work when flowers were in their home living environments.

“As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings,” Etcoff says. “Our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on our well being.”

http://www.aboutflowers.com/home_ecology.htm

 

 

 

Location, Location, Location

 

Participants in the Harvard study reported the greatest mood-boosting effects when fresh cut flowers were placed in common areas of the home such as the kitchen, dining room and family room. Cole’s easy ideas for social and personal spaces include:

 

Place bud vases in high traffic home areas – with even just a few flowers. Any decorative glass from the kitchen will do!

 

 

The kitchen table might be the best place for flowers, because it’s where people gather together. Stop by a florist or supermarket, where you’ll find a wide selection of flowers from which to choose.

 

 

For an easy, elegant table decoration, set a series of crystal vases on a fabric runner. Place fresh flowers in each of the vases and surround them with greenery.

 

 

Float two or three blooms, such as open roses or gerbera daisies in a favorite crystal bowl.

 

 

In the foyer, create a space to hang your keys that also includes a weekly vase of flowers. It will be the last place you see on your way out the door and the first you see on your way back inside.

 

 

Go big and bold for open spaces. An abundant arrangement of lilies, gladiolus, hydrangea or any large blooms create an inviting environment for an expansive entryway or dining room.

 

 

A bouquet can also perk up personal spaces such as bathrooms and bedrooms.

 

 

A bud vase with a simple cluster of flowers hidden in the center of a clear bubble bowl filled with potpourri is the perfect way to create a welcoming atmosphere in a guest room.

Styles and Trends

 

Experiment to match a room’s décor with one the hottest flower trends – monobotanic (arrangements of all one type of flower) and monochromatic (using all one color palette, such as a range of pinks).

 

 

For a contemporary look, group several vases together holding just one or two stems. If you’re using your own container, be creative! Use champagne glasses, china pieces or other items that fit the décor of the room.

 

 

Old water pitchers, antique teapots, classic urns or even tattered clay pots make fascinating containers for a casually placed flower arrangement.

 

 

Choose soothing colors, like blues and greens, to create a tranquil feeling or bright reds and oranges for a more sensual arrangement. Yellows and peaches are nurturing and pinks and lavenders are romantic.

Maximizing a Budget

 

Care for your flowers to keep them lasting. Before you put the flowers in the vase, remove all leaves below the waterline, and include flower food for extra nutrients. If the water becomes cloudy after a few days, replace it entirely with properly mixed flower food solution. If possible, re-cut stems by removing one to two inches with a sharp knife or scissors.

 

 

Flowers have different life spans. Once some flowers begin to fade, remove them, and transfer the longer-lasting flowers to a smaller vase to place elsewhere in your home.

 

 

Shop strategically. Know what’s on special at the supermarket, and ask your florist for the freshest varieties in stock that day.

                                                                                     http://www.aboutflowers.com/home_ecology_morning.htm

 

 

 

Symbolism of rose colors and flower colors

 

When sending flowers, or choosing flowers for a wedding bouquet or other special occasion, it is a nice touch to choose the color of flower according to the feelings that you wish to convey. The flower meanings given below traditionally applied to roses, however it is now generally accepted that these color meanings apply to any type of flower in that color.

 

Blue Flowers

Blue roses are almost impossible to cultivate. Light blue flowers symbolise: mystery, attaining the impossible, peace, quiet, tranquility. Dark blue flowers symbolise: stability, trust, peace.

 

Burgundy flowers

Burgundy flowers symbolise: beauty and love, unconcious beauty.

 

Coral Flowers

Coral flowers symbolise: desire, passion and love, satisfaction of attaining success and strengthened love

 

Green Flowers

Green flowers symbolise: harmony, fertility, joy, optimism and richness. Buying green flowers or a plant will tell her how rich they have made your life.

 

Orange Flowers

Orange flowers symbolise: fascination, intrigue, warmth and happiness.

 

Peach Flowers

Peach flowers symbolise sympathy, gratitude, wisdom, appreciation, enthusiasm, desire, sweetness, modesty and joy. Peach has both the romance aspects of pink flowers and the warmth and gratitude of orange flowers.

 

Pink Flowers

Hot pink flowers symbolise: gratitude and appreciation. To send hot pink flowers says “thank you”. Mid pink flowers symbolise: romance, sweetness, playfulness, confidence, admiration and gladness. When you send mid pink roses you express the playful, romantic love that you have. Soft pink flowers symbolise: admiration, fun, happiness, grace, gentleness and gratitude. Buying light pink flowers expresses joy and happiness.

 

Red Flowers

Red flowers symbolise: romantic love, passion, desire, courage and eroticism. Giving red flowers, and in particular red roses is the perfect way to say “I love you and respect you”

 

Purple Flowers

Violet and lavender colored flowers symbolise love at first sight, hope, generosity, faithfullness, modesty, humility, enchantment, devotion and nobility. Sending lavender flowers will say “I have fallen in love at first sight, I am enchanted”.

 

White Flowers

White flowers symbolise: innocence, purity, secrecy, reverence, perfection, humility and silence. White flowers can be sent at the beginning of a relationship to say “I miss you” or “you are perfect”

 

 Yellow Flowers

Yellow Flowers indicate friendship, platonic love, joy, happiness, pride and freedom. Send yellow flowers to indicate a desire to remain friends, or to express congratulations to newlyweds.

 

 

 

Color Combinations

Red and White Flowers

Red and white flowers symbolise: unity, togetherness, long-lasting love and bonding.

 

Red and Yellow Flowers

Red and Yellow flowers symbolise: joy, happiness and excitement. This combination of flowers is perfect to send at the beginning of a new relationship as the yellow expresses current friendship and the red expresses the desire to move things towards a relationship.

 

Two Roses Entwined

Two roses taped or wired together to form a single stem signal an engagement or marriage is imminent.

 

 

So there really is a lot of power in those flowers!

 

 

 

 

 

Flowers from my garden - snapped between showers