Flowers for Health & Wellness

‘Where flowers bloom so does hope.’ - Lady Bird Johnson

Hundreds of independent studies have confirmed it! The flower is officially good for your health and well being. A study conducted by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, states;

1. Flowers immediately & universally have a positive effect on happiness. All recipients expressed “true” or “excited” smiles and demonstrated extraordinary delight and gratitude.
2. Flowers have a long lasting positive effect. The positive effects felt by participants lasted anywhere from 5 – 21 days. Participants felt less depressed, anxious or agitated and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.
3. Flowers lead to increased social contact. Participants increased their contact with family and friends, and when friends or family were in the presence of the flowers those positive effects were passed on to them.

Another study by Dr. Roger Ulrich concluded that patients recovering in the hospital who were sent flowers had shorter hospital stays, took fewer prescription medicine for pain and whose medical tests revealed healthier and better results.

Diane Relf of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute determined;

1. People communicate better in the presence of flowers or plants
2. They tend to eat slower when flowers are on the table.
3. Flowers restore mental fatigue and enhance self-esteem.
4. Some potted plants remove pollutants from a room’s atmosphere.
5. Placing plants and flowers in a room significantly increases humidity, which reduces some of the effects of illnesses such as the common cold.

Another study conducted by Rutgers, geared more towards senior citizens & flower effects, shows some great results.
1. Flowers decreased depression in over 81% of seniors studied.
2. Flowers helped to refresh recent memory & provided enriched personal memories in over 72% of participants.
3. Flowers encouraged companionship in over 40%, by re-engaging with members of their communities and enlarged their social contacts to include more neighbors, religious support and even medical personnel.

Sending flowers not only brightens the day of one person, but has an immediate effect on many people. Flowers in a nursing home can bring increased health and happiness to all within the building & can brighten the day of someone who feels alone and forgotten, and this could be a person who is not even receiving the flowers!

Send flowers to your mom, dad, sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends, family, co-workers, or congregation members just to say, "I'm Thinking of YOU!" and it will be a day no one will ever forget!!

September Sunflowers

As mom always said, staring into the sun will make you go blind.

Greek mythology teaches us the tragic tale of Clytie, a Roman water nymph, who was enamored with Apollo (also known as Helio), god of the sun. Their romance, to her dismay was short lived, and she soon found herself weeping and pining for her lost love. Clytie decided she could not sit by and do nothing, and so she went to the father of Apollo's new love, Leucothea, to tell her tale. Orhcamus, Leucothea's father, was so angry with what Apollo had done to Clytie and could possibly do to his own daughter he took Leucothea away to spite Apollo. Clytie took this opportunity to try and win back his love, but her actions had only hardened his heart.

As the legend goes Clytie sat alone crying for nine days. The hot sunny days went by quickly and the cold nights left her lonesome and angry. As the sun would rise every morning her eyes followed its solitary course through the sky at every hour without fail. She could see nothing else, as she was blinded by her love for one who could not see her, so small and petty sitting alone and crying. At the end of her nine days of suffering she was transformed into a sunflower, destined to spend the rest of eternity turning her head longingly to watch Apollo's chariot of the sun.

"The heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close;
As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets
The same look that she turned when he rose."

Ancient mythology is filled with stories explaining the names for flowers today. The word sunflower comes from the Latin word, Heliotropium (Helio = sun, Anthos = flower). Today the sunflower symbolizes an undying love. It screams "I only have eyes for you!" A typical symbol of late summer and fall, the sunflower sends a bright and cheery message. Send a sunflower arrangement nationwide today!