by Haven Logan PH.D

Bread feeds the body, indeed,
but flowers feed also the soul.
-- The Koran

Driving around inland Mendocino County these past weeks, I have been overcome with the profusion of spring flowers. Not only have the continuing rains filled Lake Mendocino to overflowing, but they have gifted us with more flowers than I can remember. My delight is ignited each time I turn a corner in town and see a picket fence brimming over with roses. I leave behind my daily stresses when visiting the countryside where the poppies and other wild flowers decorate the fields and hillsides.

It turns out that my response to the flowers that are blooming around us is the subject of increasing research. Studies are proving that flowers do impact our moods in a positive way and that they can be used to improve the quality of our lives.

Jeanette Haviland-Jones, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University and was the lead researcher on “The Emotional Impact of Flowers Study” which was published in the April 2005 issue of Evolutionary Psychology. Researchers conducted three studies all of which demonstrate that flowers induce powerful positive emotions. In Study 1 flowers were presented to 147 women. They all responded with the Duchenne or true smile, characterized by raised corners of the mouth as well as crow’s feet around the eyes . The women who received the flowers reported continued positive moods three days later. In Study 2, 122 men and women in an elevator were given either a flower, a pen or nothing. Those who received a flower smiled more, talked more and stood closer together than those receiving a pen or nothing. In Study 3 bouquets were delivered to 113 men and women in a retirement community who reported positive moods and improved episodic memory.

Seventy-five years before this Rutgers study was published, an English doctor named Edward Bach gave up his lucrative Harley Street practice to create a new system of healing based on the use of certain wild flowers. He believed that the symptoms of illness were the external expression of negative emotional states. Dr. Bach left London and moved to the English countryside where he searched for plants and flowers that could be turned into remedies aimed at particular mental states or emotions. Dr. Bach found that when he treated the feelings of his patients, their distress was alleviated and the healing potential of their bodies unlocked.

Eventually 38 Bach Flower Remedies were found which respond to 38 mental and emotional states. For example, the remedy of mustard is used for depression that comes for no apparent reason from an unknown cause and the remedy of red chestnut is used for those who find it difficult not to be anxious for other people. The remedies are made from spring water which is infused with wild flowers either by sun seeping or boiling. These are available at most health food stores or online. Books by Dr. Bach include; Heal Thyself, The Essential Writings of Dr. Edward Bach and The Bach Flower Remedies. For more information on line visit the website www.bachflower.com.

Bringing Flowers into Your Life

• The most important aspect of bringing flowers more into your life is to take the time to truly enjoy them. Yes, stop and smell the roses, but also stop to admire the lilies and the irises and the daffodils. Notice your response to different flowers. There will probably be some that evoke greater positive feelings than others.
• What flowers did you enjoy as a child? Are there certain flowers you associate with the people you love? These past and present connections can be especially important in discovering which flowers you want to plant in your garden or in a pot on your deck.
• Bring cut or potted flowers inside your home or office. Experiment with different vases and locations. What a difference fresh flowers can make to any room.
• You can give flowers as gifts either for special occasions or to simply lift someone’s spirits. Some you may order from a florist but don’t forget the beauty in your own backyard. No need for expensive vases. A glass or canning jar filled with beautiful flowers will make anyone feel cared for.
• Look at photographs, paintings, prints of your favorite flowers. These can keep you in flowers all year around.
• Next explore the wonderful world of smell. Most perfumes are based on flowers scents. Explore both the natural world of flowers and your local perfume or cologne counter. Perhaps you will find one that seems to express your essence or that of someone you care about.
• Flowers are used in teas, juices, stir-fry dishes and salads. They are not just for decoration but many are edible. Be sure to consult a book or garden expert before eating flowers, however, as some are poisonous. If you are growing flowers to eat be sure to use fertilizers intended for vegetables.
• Flower-based skin care products can be home made or bought at your local health food store, farmer’s market or on-line. Experiment with the healing effects of these natural substances.
• Try a rose petal bath to enjoy yourself or prepare one for someone you love. Be sure to use petals from unsprayed or wild rose bushes. Gather the petals as they are ready to fall off the flowers. Fill the bathtub with hot water and then scatter the rose petals. As you relax in the floating petals take in their sweet smell. The petals will soften the water and, in turn, your skin.

What a blessing flowers are. They can heal us both physically and emotionally. They help us show love and caring for others. When you need to lift your spirits or to refresh your environment bring in some flowers. In the words of Emma Goldman, “I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds around my neck.”