Keeping Fresh Flowers
When decorating your house, there can be nothing more natural and pleasing to the eye than fresh flowers. They add life, color, zest, freshness and bring a little bit of Mother Natures miracles into your rooms. They also symbolize several emotions like love, appreciation, and affection which work wonders, particularly during a time of loss or sadness. They are also great decorative tools and can be spotted in several offices, malls and restaurants. Flowers are pleasant eye candy and can immediately uplift the mood. Their effect on mental and emotional state is so high that they are generally regarded as a simple, cost effective way to reduce mental stress and is a good form of emotional therapy. Flowers are credited with sparking off positive emotions such as desire, happiness and overall feeling of contentment. They are also said to improve social behavior. Below are some of the positive effects of fresh flowers on people's emotions and mind:
* Happiness: Flowers trigger instant happiness in people who receive them. This is evident from emotions revealed, which may include smiles and expressions of excitement, delight and appreciation. This is noticed irrespective of the age group or gender of the receiver. * Mood enhancer: Long-term positive effects have been noticed as triggered by fresh flowers and include reducing depression, agitation, anxiety, sadness, and other negative feelings. * Connections of an intimate nature: Fresh flowers, especially roses, symbolize love not only between lovers but also between family and friends. * A symbol of sharing: Fresh flowers create an atmosphere of sharing and warm welcome to visitors and guests. Seeing flowers is regarded as the most welcoming sight that one can possibly be greeted by. Most fresh flowers can be found cut at your local florist and come in a variety of choices and colors. Bouquets can be customized according to preference as well. Unfortunately, flowers do not last for long. However, there are some tips which one can follow to ensure that the flowers last and remain fresh for a slightly longer time, the most obvious being of course, to pick the freshest flowers. Flowers with firm or upright petals are usually taken as the freshest. Also, when making a purchase, make sure to buy a flower bud or one which is just about to bloom. Some tips to prolong the life of fresh cut flowers are: * The vase or container for the flowers has to be cleaned properly and filled with either lukewarm or cool water. * The leaves of the stems from below the line of the water in the container need to be cut. One or two inches of the bottom stem may also be cut to allow the flowers to absorb water more easily. * Flowers tend to last longer in cool or cold environments and therefore, should not be left in warm rooms or near heating appliances, or heat itself. * Generation of slime caused by bacteria can be remedied by a combination of bleach and sugar. Though there are commercially produced flower foods available in the market, they are not as effective as this particular combination. * Bottom stems should be cut every few days to allow better water absorption by flowers and the water should be changed everyday. There are certain flowers which require special attention. These need to be taken extra care of. Even though the maintenance may seem tedious on certain days, it always pays off in the end, as there is no sight more rewarding than that of freshly cut flowers that add life to your room. All the effort, therefore, is well worth it. |