In this world of dark hues and grim undertones, flowers are incredibly pleasing to the eye, but their presence in our lives goes way beyond the obvious. Flowers can instantly lift a spirit and brighten the darkest of days, they can do a body a spirit good, but they also have some not-so-positive qualities. Although flowers are gorgeous, you can’t overlook the effects of flowers on your health – good, bad or otherwise.
Flowers have been known to boost emotional health
Flowers are often used as a medium to show love and care to those who deserve it, because of the mood boost they give with their soothing scents and vivacious colors. You just need to go to a flower shop and buy the ones you like best. They bring the much-needed brightness and serenity in the times of melancholy and chaos.
Flowers may sharpen memory and concentration
We all have studied the process of photosynthesis in elementary science, and we know that plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the environment. Therefore, keeping plants and flowers close creates an oxygenated climate, which helps in boosting the brain cells and hence helps in sharpening memory and concentration.
This is an era of multitasking, and with so many jobs simultaneously at hand, people often get lapses in memory and concentration. Therefore, flowers are a cheap supplement for your brain health.
Watching our kids grow is soothing to the soul, as the process of growth in itself is extremely relaxing to witness. Many people love gardening to relieve their everyday stresses and enjoy a peaceful mind. The scent of flowers can make on feel very relaxed bringing home even a small pot of aromatic herbs like lavender can do wonders in resting a weary mind.
Flowers can speed up the healing process
Often doctors advise recuperating patients to visit lush green places because seeing the greenery in full bloom helps them heal faster. Keeping that in mind, when you visit a friend or family in the hospital, you might wan to bring flowers, as they could very well speed up the healing process.
But please be aware that not all plants and flowers are good for you and there are some aspects of plants which can be quite troublesome.
Flowers can cause allergies
We all have to be extremely careful about this aspect of flowers because allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illnesses in the U.S. The most allergy-prone flowers include chrysanthemums, sunflowers, pigweed, chamomile, goldenrod, and daisies.
Some people are allergic to specific plants. It’s probably not a bad idea for everyone in the family to see their doctor to find out if they are allergic to any flowers.
If you want to have a close-up relationship with flowers, then it may not be a bad idea to opt for a florist course to get a better idea about the taxonomy of flowers.
Some plants and flowers can be lethal if ingested
Adults may be aware enough not to eat plants, but toddlers tend to put everything in their mouths. If you have toddlers in your home, be on the lookout for flowering plants that are lethal to consume. For that matter, keep an eye out for any live plant. You never know which ones might be toxic and it just isn’t worth taking the chance if you are unsure. Many plants are also toxic to pets so make sure you keep an eye out for them too. We have four indoor cats, and we don’t keep live plants in the house at all, just to be on the safe side. This time of year, Poinsettia plants are popular and people love to give them as gifts. Although I would love to be able to display one as the centerpiece on the kitchen table, I don’t dare, as they are extremely poisonous!
Hopefully this post has helped you become a bit more aware about the the positive and negative effects of flowers on your health, and that hence forth, you will be able to make informed decisions about the kind of flowers in your life and home.
