Flowers definitely have power

FTD photos

“Color Me With Beauty” bouquet

I was not in the best of moods after work the other day. Yet as soon as I pulled into our driveway and saw a bright yellow rose peeking its head out from the side of our house, I had to smile. Despite the chilly temperatures we’ve had the past couple of weeks and the fact that most of the plants surrounding it have long since retired (for the season), this rose bush has continued to bloom. 

Michael Skaff

“Fresh flowers will positively impact one’s mood,” said Michael Skaff, head of floral design for FTD and one of the Color Marketing Group’s designers. Having studied the impact of color on mood, along with designing everything from individual bouquets for prestigious events like the Academy Awards and presidential inaugurations, Skaff has seen flower power in action.

Color Your Day with Joy

“Green shades convey joy and health and create feelings of tranquility and renewal,” said Skaff. Pinks encourage love and warmth, and instill feelings of calm and appreciation. Purple signifies a sense of beauty, creativity and imagination.”
 
As for yellow, like my roses and the bright sun, it sparks feelings of cheer, happiness and high spirits.

Color Your Day with Happiness

 

Flowers are also a form of art. Dutch Post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh was famous for his still lifes of flowers as was French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir who loved to show the effect of sunlight on flowers.

An arrangement of fresh flowers in a crystal vase is not unlike that of a painting -- except those blooms will expire. As with a powerful image on canvas, the arrangement’s colors and design (flower variety used) can evoke a number of emotions. This is one of the reasons why certain flowers are traditionally used for certain events, although today’s designers think outside the box, designing bouquets with everything from orchids and carnations to cactus and lilies (commonly associated with funerals).

Color Your Day with Sunshine

This is also why it’s important when sending flowers to consider the person on the receiving end. “I know my grandmother’s favorite flower was pink roses, so naturally that’s what I would send to her,” Skaff said. So every time she sees the flowers and smiles – she’s going to think of her grandson Skaff.

Having living material in the home – especially during the dark days of winter – is another reason flowers have an impact on our mood. They’re alive, when everything outside is dead or slumbering over winter.

For those of you looking to cheer up a room or a member of your family, here are a few ways to incorporate fresh flowers in your everyday home décor:

• Fill a basket with fall gourds and add a splash of white to the orange, yellows and greens with a few daisies.Gather some pine cones and glue them to the end of florist spikes. Add the spikes to any floral bouquet to give it a new look.
• Fill the bottom of a tall glass vase with beautiful stones and add a bouquet of flowers and fill it with water.
• If you cut down your own tree this Christmas, keep the branches that are trimmed off the bottom and add them to a bouquet of red roses or white hydrangeas.
• If you receive fresh flowers as a gift, trim the stems and add fresh water periodically to extend the life of the bouquet.

For more information about the upcoming winter and Christmas collection by FTD, visit www.ftd.com.
Send your comments or home and garden tips to gina.joseph@macombdaily.com; @gljoseph.