Chamomile

…is a happy little white flower with yellow centers that can be made into a tea. As a tea, chamomile is known for its anti-anxiety properties. It’s a wonderful sleep aid and might also reduce inflammation.

Lavender

…has a calming scent flower hue. Lavender oil helps with anxiety and depression.

Jasmine

… was one of my dad’s favorite flowers. The oil eases anxiety, and the wonderful fragrance promotes sleep.

Chrysanthemums

…come in lots of colors and textures, and a bouquet of them is sure to make you smile. The flowers are a wonderful air purifier, and the tea has relaxation properties.

Gerbera Daisies

…are a highly requested flower that comes in bright vibrant colors. Their presence alone will cheer someone up, but they also remove toxins from the air.

Peppermint

…is a great flavoring for ice cream and hot chocolate. As a tea or an oil, peppermint will also lower frustration and relax muscles

Chives

… are a great herb to cook with but also provides delicate wildflowers. The flowers can be made into a tea that helps with depression by blocking a chemical that inhibits “happy” hormones.

Aloe Vera

…, as every beach-goer knows, has healing and soothing properties. Having a plant will also improve the air quality at home or in the office.

Snake Plant

…is another good plant for the home or office. It removes several different kinds of toxins from the air that help with sleep and reducing stress.

If you or your friends and family need a vase full of flowers and plants that are calming and cheerful on election day, we’re just a phone call away!

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This Week’s News

I hadn’t thought of the book in years until two news stories this week brought back memories of those days curled up in my great grandmother’s sleepy hollow chair (What an amazing chair for reading in, but that is for another blog post!), steeped in the saga.  The first story was about HBO Max temporarily pulling the movie, “Gone with the Wind,” until they could include a “discussion of its historical context” with the movie. The second story was about the country group Lady Antebellum changing their name to Lady A. The trio acknowledged they did not take “…into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before The Civil War, which includes slavery.” It reminded me that I first learned the meaning of antebellum by reading “Gone with the Wind.”

Lasting Impressions

I remember how I felt as I read the parts about the slaves. As a little girl, it was hard for me to wrap my arms around one human being treating another human being that way. Later as I studied the Civil War in history classes, “Gone with the Wind” actually helped me understand the emotions on both sides. For me, the book and the movie never glorified slavery; it had just the opposite impact on me. Hopefully it will have this same impact on future generations–allowing the beauty and romance of the south to come through while shining a spotlight on the atrocities of slavery.

Crepe Myrtle

The romance of shade lined drives reign supreme in the south, and it’s easy to see why. During summer months, the shady drives give needed respite from the heat and humidity. It is this very heat and humidity though that allow the romantic flowers of “Gone with the Wind” and Georgia to flourish. Crepe myrtle comes in white or shades of pinks and purples. They are delicate and fringy, and I love them because they are one of the few trees that bloom all summer. Usually the color you get from flowers is it ground or bush level. Crepe myrtles provide color up high. My crepe myrtles are probably about fifteen feet tall now and start blooming just about the time the shorter lilac bushes in front of them lose their blooms.

Magnolia Trees

Magnolia trees are forever associated with the south for me. I know magnolia trees thrive in this part of Virginia, but my image of them is gracing the expansive front yards of antebellum mansions. Since working at the flower shop, I have discovered the wonders of magnolia leaves. Their dark shiny top side are gorgeous in arrangements, but it’s the leathery underside that fascinates me. If you’re looking for a more masculine look, including magnolia leaves in a way that highlights that leathery underside is a perfect addition.

Gardenias

I had to look up what cape jessamine is. It’s the old fashioned name for what we know as gardenia. If you’ve ever had a gardenia plant, you know the heavenly scent the blooms produce. It’s a smell that I associate with steamy summer nights and flickering fireflies. We are able to get gardenias when they are in season, but they are definitely a special order flower that you’ll want to order well ahead of time.

Zinnias

What’s not to love about zinnias? They are just happy flowers! They come in vibrant colors with gorgeous texture and symmetry to their blooms. Some zinnias remind me of my old spirograph drawings that I did as a little girl. It fascinates me that mother nature can produce so much intricacy and delicacy in each bloom. You can’t go wrong with zinnias in the garden or zinnias in an arrangement.

Flight attendants always tell us to put on our own oxygen mask first because that is the only way we will be capable of helping our loved ones. As our world wrestles with pandemics of disease and racism, the ability to maintain our sense of balance and joy is essential. Scientific studies prove that flowers reduce stress and bring joy. That’s why this week it seems perfect to highlight the flowers of “Gone with the Wind” and antebellum Georgia. We’re always here to bring joy one vase-full at a time!

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I see it in the faces of the two ladies that stopped by Fantasy Floral on their lunch break, “It smells so good in here!” I hear it in the choked up voice of the mom who called us on Mother’s Day, “I just wanted to thank you. This is the most beautiful arrangement I have ever received! I just…just thank you…” Our delivery drivers witness it walking into office buildings, and without fail, someone they pass exclaims with a smile, “For me?!”

Reduce Stress

Last month, one of my childhood friends posted a photo on Facebook of her handing a bouquet of flowers to a woman as part of the Society of American Florists’ #StressLess tour. The look on the recipient’s face is one of joyful surprise, and I thought to myself, “This is why I love managing my son’s flower shop!” It’s not just a job; it’s being a part of something that brings joy, but that photo made me realize that it’s so much more than just bringing a moment of joy.

Bring Joy

Traditionally, we give women flowers for special occasions–anniversaries, birthdays, and of course Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. We’ve always known women love receiving flowers, but as I contemplated why we love flowers and did a bit of research, I found studies that provided a wealth of information and unexpected insight.

In one study, run by Jeannette Haviland-Jones in her Human Emotions Lab at Rutgers University, participants were presented with one of three gifts—a decorative candle, a fruit basket, or a floral bouquet—­supposedly as a thank-you for taking part in a study on mood. “In every case, the recipients responded to the flowers with what is known as the Duchenne smile—a heartfelt ‘true smile’ involving the mouth, cheeks, and eyes; neither the candle nor the fruit elicited that kind of across-­the-board positive response. And three days later, the flower recipients were still feeling happier than their cohorts in the study.”

Increase Personal Connections

The good effects don’t end there though! The participants that received the flower bouquets “reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.” While we’ve always known how much women love flowers, did you know that men also love flowers? “The men who received flowers demonstrated increased eye contact in conversation, stood in closer proximity to the researchers, and produced more and truer smiles than those men who did not receive flowers.”

Brighten the Office

Recently, we started delivering weekly arrangements to a local business. Every Monday we rotate the old arrangements out and replace them with new arrangements. We provide two smaller arrangements that sit on coffee tables in waiting areas, and we provide a larger arrangement for the counter in their coffee/beverage area. It’s amazing how much the flowers brighten up the office, and after reading various studies on the effect flowers have on people, I also think it’s a great strategic move on the part of the business! Flowers have a positive effect on the mood, energy level, and productivity of everyone in the office!

Boost Productivity

A behavioral research study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that “study participants who lived with fresh cut flowers for less than a week felt an increase in feelings of compassion and kindness for others. Overall, people in the study simply felt less negative after being around flowers… The study found that people were more likely to feel happier and have more enthusiasm and energy at work.” Adding to these findings, a Texas A&M study found “that a change as simple as adding flowers and plants can be important in the most meaningful way to businesses in the modern economy… People’s productivity, in the form of innovation and creative problem solving, improved – which in certain circumstances could mean the difference between mild and great business success. During the study, both women and men demonstrated more innovative thinking, generating more ideas and original solutions to problems in the office environment that included flowers and plants.”

What’s not to love about flowers?

For me, I’ve been working with computers since I was in high school using the first generation of Peachtree Software in the early 80’s. Although managing the flower shop still involves a computer, I just love this latest chapter in my life–learning about flowers and designing arrangements. One of the best parts, happens on a day that is grey and rainy and my mood is not much brighter; I come into the shop and find gorgeous ranunculus, or peonies fully blooming, or see stargazer lilies bursting in color. I defy you to stay glum once you step into Fantasy Floral! Now that means you have to come visit us!

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