DIY tips
FLOWER CHAT
ENCHANCEMENT TIP: When preparing your house for resale FRESH FLOWERS ARE A MUST.
The flower arrangements don’t have to be elaborate and expensive. The emphasis is on fresh. (Be vigilant and remove any flowers showing signs of wilting/dying.) Place arrangements throughout the house. The displays will give potential buyers a sense of wellbeing and welcome.
More about FLOWER POWER
Flowers – these little bundles of fragrance and color pack a powerful punch. This isn’t news, especially to the floral industry and to anyone who has been the recipient of fresh flowers.
But why exactly, do we respond viscerally to flowers?
A behavioral research study conducted at Rutgers and published in Evolutionary Psychology, concluded that flowers were a natural and healthful mood elevator that actually lasted for days for both men and women. The presence of flowers also led to increased contact with family and friends, suggesting a strengthened desire for sharing and intimacy.
In Chinese medicine a flower’s color is utilized to influence emotional direction. Each color creates a different frequency of light waves which travel through the retina and down the optic nerve, setting off a chain reaction of responses in the body. Neurotransmitters are released inducing the production of hormones. Depending upon the flower’s color a calming, stimulating or mood-boosting state will be experienced.
Increase energy with red roses: Since red has the slowest vibratory rate and longest wavelength, it stimulates adrenal glands, boosting energy.
Boost confidence with irises: The color indigo stimulates the brain's pineal gland, which is the regulator of sleep patterns. Indigo also helps to free the mind of worries, fear and inhibition.
Enhance alertness with sunflowers: Yellow light waves stimulate the brain, making you alert, clearheaded and decisive. And since we associate yellow with the sun's rays and daylight, it's said to help us feel more optimistic.
Get a good night's sleep with bluebells: Blue triggers the production of melatonin, a brain chemical that helps us relax and sleep soundly. Blue also stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxin, a hormone that regulates metabolic rate.
Relax with green zinnias: Green affects the nervous system, making us breathe slowly and deeply, slowing the production of stress hormones and helping the heart relax.
Prevent allergies with orange daisies: Orange strengthens the immune system and the lungs, which can ward off spring allergies. Orange also has a strong beneficial effect on the digestive system and can stimulate the sexual organs.
Relieve stress with lilacs: Violet cools us, alleviating "hot" conditions like heat rash and sunburn, and suppressing hunger and balancing metabolism. It also stimulates the pituitary gland, the part of the brain that releases tension-fighting beta-endorphins.