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Flower Power

Elevating Your Garden and Your Mood

In today’s fast-paced, complex world, we often look to personal lifestyle changes and exercise as outlets for relieving anxiety.

Turns out, improving our mood may be just a sniff away. Flowers trigger happy emotions, heighten feelings of life satisfaction and affect our social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what we previously believed, according to study released from Rutgers University.

Like everyone else, I love the beauty and intoxicating scents of flowers, but I’ve never really given much thought as how they truly make me feel. Until now. Like a devoted horticulturist, I set out to unearth some new insights. This is what I found

Five Ways Flowers Touch Our Lives

Color

• Red: Associated with love and romance, said to have a positive effect on the immune system.
• Blue: Enhances creative thinking, often associated with calmness and trustworthiness.
• Yellow: A cheerful color associated with sunshine, said to stimulate memory and encourage interaction.
• Orange: Associated with conviction and success.
• Pink: Joyful, brighter pinks are said to stimulate energy, while softer hues suggest gentleness and romance.

Scent

A familiar floral scent can take us back to a memory associated with that aroma. Sweet smelling flowers can boost our mood and potentially improve mental function.

Caring

Tending to our flowers connects us to nature. We feel a sense of responsibility as a labor of love. We enjoy watching them grow, knowing we’ve cared for them, which adds to our self-esteem. They add tranquility to our home and we find value in having something to care for that relies on us.

Keeping us present

Our gardens and potted plants gift us a sense of peace and wonder. When we’re surrounded by flowers we are encouraged to enjoy each moment, aware of all our senses. Being still with nature helps reduce anxiety, even on a subconsciousness level.

Connecting us with loved ones

Flowers are an amazing way to show we care. When we give flowers to someone, it brings happiness to us along with the recipient. Sharing the beautiful décor of your potted plants or garden is an inviting expression of love that brings people together.

Tips For Creating Blossoming Pots

• Container choice: Have fun being creative with various size/height/texture pots and planters.
• Drainage:  Holes in containers are a must so your plants don’t drown. If holes are larger than ½” place a small rock over the opening to keep the soil from washing out. Then, add a layer of rocks, gravel, or terra cotta pellets — just enough to cover the base of the pot.
• Soil: Use potting mix for containers, it’s lightweight and nutrient rich with fertilizer already mixed in. Fill pots about ¾ full with potting mix. With large/tall pots, save money on soil and keep the pots lighter for lifting by filling up the bottom third with foam or the leftover containers the flowers came in, then layer gravel/potting mix on top.
• Plant selection: Search the “annual” or “bedding plants” section of your garden center. Know their growth size for mixing and matching into the perfect sized container; tall plants for height, bushy ones for width, and trailing plants to spill over the edges.
• Planting: Plant the largest/tallest plants first (usually in the middle or back of the pot) and work your way out from there. Give them a big drink of fertilized water as soon as they’re planted.
• Plant Care: Try to fertilize every few weeks so the soil stays rich in nutrients. Deadheading (removing spent blooms) and pruning helps keep them beautiful. Watering varies with flowers types and sun exposure, but remember pots always need more water than in a garden or flowerbed.

Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us “The earth laughs in flowers”

May your days be filled with blossoms that lift you up as you continue to grow with love.