Can Flowers Fight Against the Coronavirus?

Well, flowers DO make people happy...

This might seem obvious to florists, as we’re around blooms day in and day out, but to others this simple joy of ‘stopping to smell the roses’ is one they don’t often get to experience. Folks are pining for warm spring breezes and to see spring bulbs poking their sleepy heads above ground, before bursting forth with color.

Now that spring has sprung, and as this coronavirus situation continues to change and evolve, folks are beginning to feel trapped indoors. As the immediate crises begin to decline, the long term mental health crisis will just be beginning, and we can be part of the antidote! Florists are uniquely positioned to bring a bit of natural beauty into people’s lives. We can send ‘good vibes in a vase’ or as my grandmother put it, ‘a hug in a jug,’ to people who need some beauty and joy in their lives right now.

We’re not Lying, Flowers Really do Make you Feel Less Stressed! 

Our friends at the Society of American Florists have compiled some scientific research that shows flowers are more than just a safe and joyful way to connect with those we love and care for, they are the BEST way to send love at this time of required social distancing.

Research from Harvard University reveals that people feel happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning. After being cooped up indoors for days at a time, this makes fresh flowers sound like a cure for the ennui that can set in. Overwhelmed, worried or anxious? Flowers reduce those feelings in people who have them on hand in their homes, replacing them with enthusiasm, compassion and energy. That sounds amazing right about now, doesn’t it?

We’re all missing each other right now, farther apart and yet closer than ever.

Checking in with friends and family has become an everyday part of life. Its especially tough if you’re missing an elderly loved one. Wishing you could visit right about now? Here’s a thought. In senior citizens in particular, flowers decrease depression, refresh recent memory and encourage companionship, according to research from Rutgers University.

Flowers Decrease Depression and Stress!

Study participants showed a significant increase in happiness and positive moods when flowers were present. Seniors performed higher on everyday memory tasks and experienced enriched personal memories in the presence of flowers.

Those who received flowers re-engaged with members of their communities and enlarged their social contacts to include more neighbors, religious support and even medical personnel. Research from the University of North Florida further backs this up.

That study showed that people who had flowers in their homes for just a couple of days even said they felt a significant decrease in levels of stress and even saw improvements in their moods.

Get Flowers into Their Hands

Let them play too.

A great idea on how to get these mood-improving blooms into people’s hands came to me from Nicole Varney from Kent Island, MD. Her store, Island Flower Shop, has an awesome social media presence and she’s being extra creative with her flower fans during this unprecedented crisis.

Knowing that folks are stuck at home, wishing for an early spring, she’s taken her regular monthly in-store design classes online. Nicole’s created ‘design kits’ for her online students including fresh flowers, all the same things she’d provide for an in-store class she now delivers direct to her students’ homes, contact-free of course. She leads the design class on livestream, with playback afterwards for those who may have missed it, and those at home follow along with her.

With the help of effective social media marketing, this program has lifted off, expanding beyond her core group of design class regulars to a new group of people who wouldn’t normally have the time to engage in a self-care activity such as social floral designing. Who’s coming now more than ever? Millennials and Gen Zers, along with parents with children who are looking for educational activities for their home-bound kids.

That’s Not All She’s Up To, Either

On a livestream, Nicole asks her social media followers to ‘sponsor a bouquet’ for the elderly who must be away from their families at such a hard time. She’s sent dozens of bouquets out to the Arcadia Nursing Home so far. Bravo, Nicole! We applaud you!

Now’s our chance to show the rest of the world what we all already know. With a captive audience, now is our time to share the power of flowers. What are you doing to help spread some cheer in your community? We’d love to see and hear what you’re up to, share with us on social media @oasisfloralproducts!