Here's Why You Should Be Keeping Fresh Flowers In Your Home Year-Round
Imagine a world without flowers — what a drab and dismal place that would be. If you don't stop and smell the roses once in a while or let the elusive charm of a sunflower cheer your mood, then you're missing out. Keeping fresh flowers in your home 365 days a year is a surefire way to ensure you get the flower fix you need. They're not only aesthetically pleasing but can also help your mental well-being, lower your stress, and increase your creativity. Celebrities such as Sir Elton John are so enamored by having flowers in their home that the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" singer once admitted to spending $363,000 on them yearly.
Fresh bouquets have helped lift the gloom and brightened our homes for generations. Yet apart from the aesthetic they can add to a space, there are a host of other reasons for keeping blooms in your house year-round. Let's tiptoe through the tulips together and find out more.
Flowers are good for your mental well-being
When life beats you up to the point your mood is low, the sight of some pale pink roses or bright yellow daffodils can boost your mental well-being. Don't just take our word for it! A study by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, found that in the company of flowers, people became happier, more sociable, and far more positive in their long-term outlook. Over 140 women were given flowers to display in their homes over a 10-month period. The act of receiving flowers had an immediate effect on their mental well-being. Participants revealed that they felt much less depressed and anxious after having flowers in their homes for an extended period.
Lead researcher and psychology professor Jeannette Haviland-Jones explained, "What's most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their moods healthily and naturally. Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy. Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, but they also have strong positive effects on our emotional well-being." Professor Jones also added that the study seemingly demonstrated that entering a room full of flowers appeared to make it far more of a welcoming and sharing environment.
Flowers help you reconnect with nature
A well-cultivated rose bush or a tulip in full bloom can invoke feelings of wonder and joy. Having flowers in your house all year round can help you maintain that all-important connection with nature and bring a touch of the great outdoors to your home. A poll by the UK's National Trust revealed that an increasing number of people had forgotten the need for birdsong, flowers, and open skies in the modern world. It is nature that connects us with our fundamental selves. Having a vase of well-presented carnations or lilies in the home can touch us in places Netflix or social media simply cannot reach.
Professor Miles Richardson explained to Ecologist that noticing nature in your daily life through simple acts, such as having flowers in your home, can be integral when it comes to taking action for nature. He explained, "We discovered that the kind of connection that makes the difference involves more than simply spending time outdoors — instead it's about actively tuning in to nature, regularly spending simple, bite-size moments relating to nature around you." This leads to a renewed commitment to the climate crisis. "If we're to tackle the nature crisis, then a closer connection and new relationship with nature is needed across the majority of the population." And let's not forget, flowers in the home look divine.
Flowers can boost your energy
There's something admiringly effortless about a flower in full bloom. An orchid, tulip, or chrysanthemum doesn't have to break a sweat or make an effort to look grand; they're simply made that way. This, in turn, can give you a renewed sense of energy. According to a joint study by Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, having flowers in the home can give you an early morning boost and leave you feeling energized for the rest of the day. Researchers picked participants who confessed they struggled to feel positive or proactive first thing. Yet, after living in a home with fresh flowers, they revealed they felt much more energetic from sunrise to sunset.
Glancing at a bouquet of roses or lilies first thing can pick you up in much the same way as a double expresso but without the caffeine side effects. Lead researcher Nancy Etcoff told The Society of American Florists, "The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon. When we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up." Etcoff revealed that the blooms seemed to work best when placed in the kitchen because that's where families tended to gather in the morning. Opt for bouquets with energizing shades like red, yellow, and orange for the best kick.
Flowers make everything smell so much better
When you think of flowers, the first thing that usually comes to mind is their gorgeous color. A close second is their scent. Introducing flowers into your home year-round is akin to a bowl of potpourri; it helps make everything smell better and can assist in neutralizing the more unpleasant odors of the daily grind. There is a rich variety of blooms to choose from when looking for that perfect scent. The smell of roses can be evocative, and is known for its relaxing and romantic properties. Darker roses tend to smell stronger than those of a lighter hue. Rosesbuds have a different aroma from those in full bloom, but when the weather heats up, roses become even more fragrant.
Some lilies sometimes carry no aroma, but others enrich the air with a sweet and tropical perfume that carries a hint of honey. In general, Asiatic lilies are unscented, while Oriental lilies have a strong aroma. The scent of pink and white double peonies is sweet, aromatic, and very popular. Freesias have a fragrance that is sweet and fruity. The smell of lavender has a calming effect, and when freshly cut will last for seven days in water. The scent of hyacinths is richly complex and evolves as the bud blooms. It begins quite light and airy, but soon develops an earthy sweetness. Although small, sweet pea packs a mighty punch for its size in terms of scent. Whatever your mood and taste, there's a flower out there whose scent will make your home so much homelier.
Flowers can help you heal
As we've already established, flowers can have mood-enhancing properties and are capable of bringing a little joy into our lives when we need it most. However, did you know that having some flowers in your personal space can help you heal on a physical level? It may sound stranger than fiction, but according to research, there is a sound reason why hospital wards used to be filled with flowers, and it wasn't just to brighten up the place. A study of 90 patients recovering from abdominal surgery showed that those with flowers in their room had fewer complications than those without. The patients surrounded by flowers needed fewer post-op painkillers, their blood pressure and heart rate measurements were lower, and they were markedly less anxious and fatigued.
Florist Sian Wild told Country Living, "Flowers are proven to help reduce recovery time. Although flowers are no longer permitted in hospitals, if someone is ill or recuperating at home, a thoughtful bunch of blooms can generate a sense of well-being. Blood pressure and heart rate levels will be reduced." When you're feeling a bit under the weather and in need of a duvet day, a vase of flowers on your bedside cabinet could be just the tonic when it comes to speeding up your recovery.
Flowers reduce stress
If modern life is good at anything, it's generating stress. Money never sleeps, and neither do a lot of people in the unforgiving playground of capitalism. However, instead of reaching for a bottle of the strong stuff when wishing to unwind, try alleviating all that stress with some strategically positioned vases of flowers instead. According to a 2018 study by the University of North Florida, it only took a few days of having flowers in their home for participants to notice a significant improvement in their stress levels.
The study "The Impact of Flowers on Perceived Stress Among Women" pointed to contact with nature as a key component in helping combat stress. Lead researcher Erin Largo-Wight, Ph.D., shared, "Adding flowers to reduce stress does not require tremendous effort to generate a meaningful effect. When life seems to be in a constant state of frenzy, flowers can provide us with a much-needed moment of calm." Lisianthus, roses, peonies, and sunflowers are all good for alleviating stress, but jasmine and lavender are the true powerhouse performers. A vase in the bedroom can help lower heart rate and encourage sleep.
Flowers can spark creativity
As a visual stimulant, flowers have long been a source of inspiration to the creative mind, and their presence can help a tired brain see things in a new light and from a different perspective. Because of that, having a vase of flowers in your home, particularly in an adapted workspace, can help spark your creativity and improve mental performance.
Research released by the Society of American Florists (SAF) revealed that over the course of eight months, participants in a study organized by Texas A&M University proved to be far more innovative and creative in an office-based environment surrounded by flowers and plants than those without. Researcher Roger Ulrich explained that adding flowers and plants to an office made a big difference to those working there, explaining, "People's productivity, in the form of innovation and creative problem solving, improved." Put a bouquet in your home office, and watch your mind expand.
Flowers can help detox the air
Sometimes all we need is the air we breathe. However, that air, particularly in indoor spaces, can become stagnant and heavy with everyday pollutants. Here's the good news! Flowers and plants can help purify the air and create a healthier environment. A study carried out by NASA in the late 1980s demonstrated that certain plants and flowers could eradicate common household chemicals such as xylene, benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the environment. Often found in linens and upholstery, formaldehyde can be extremely irritating to your airways, and the other chemicals can trigger both dizziness and nausea.
Although flowers will not be as effective as an industrial-strength air purifier, they are much more pleasing to the eye and far more natural. For example, lilies have staunch air-cleaning capabilities, although not advisable for people with pets because of their potential to poison. Chrysanthemums, gerbera daisies, and the flamingo lilly are also reliable for improving the air quality within your home.
Flowers are the interior design gift that keeps on giving
The design and aesthetic of our homes are in constant evolution. From the paint on the walls, the rugs on the floors, and the furniture we lounge upon, nothing is permanent. However, practicality and expense dictate that we can't always change the design of our homes as often as we want. Yet, the small things in life can make a huge difference, and by keeping fresh flowers in your home year-round, you have an interior design gift that keeps on giving. A strategically placed vase of carefully selected flowers can add a wow factor to any room.
Flowers are also an easy way to change a room with color and form. If your decor is traditional, opt for a universal classic such as roses or hydrangeas. And if minimalism is your bag, why not make a statement with cherry blossoms? Flowers with lots of greenery, such as thistles or billy balls, work well with a farmhouse style, and flowers such as daffodils will work well with crisp cream walls and pale wood furniture. Whatever your choice, using blooms as part of your decor shouldn't be complicated. Remember, the beauty of them is their inherent simplicity.
Flowers make your home more welcoming
First impressions count, and if you've ever walked through the front door of someone's home and been delighted by an arrangement of bright and bold flowers, then you'll appreciate the effect flowers can have. A home full of flowers is a house that is welcoming and puts visitors immediately at ease. It suggests they are in the home of someone who appreciates beauty and cares about their environment. Who wouldn't feel relaxed in such a place?
Placing hyacinths, freesia, roses, or lilies in your hallway will welcome visitors with a soft and sweet scent that is noticeable but not overwhelming. Hyacinths also work well in the kitchen to help mask the smells of cooking, and who doesn't like flowers in the bathroom? With its connotations of tranquility, purity, and serenity, lavender makes for a great welcoming flower. Tulips symbolize prosperity, positivity, and friendship, and make a perfect first impression. And as a flower that represents friendship, fortune, and good health, chrysanthemums set the tone perfectly. Whatever flowers you choose, rest assured they speak a universal language that everyone understands!