It’s FINALLY (nearly officially) spring, and that means things are starting to bloom! I worked as a florist in high school, so spring was my favorite time of year. We got in such a diverse selection of flowers from all over the world, and it always blew my mind what a wide variety of looks, smells, and energies each flower brought to our shop around this time of the year.
I could go on for hours about how wonderful flowers are. They’ve been shown to improve mental health and they look and smell great! In addition, flowers in a variety of forms provide people with health and beauty benefits outside of simply warming our hearts and bringing smiles to our faces.
Flowers are for Smelling
Whether your flowers are living, dried, or have been extracted in essential oils form, they are without a doubt incredible to smell. And the benefits of smelling flowers doesn’t stop at being delightful, as they can also be very good for things like sleeping, relieving anxiety, and some even have a few anti-inflammatory properties!
Lavender is a very popular floral scent to keep handy at home. It can be used topically for things like minor burns and bug bites, but it also has powerful calming abilities that allow it to ease anxiety and insomnia and promote restful sleep. (Let’s not forget, it’s still National Sleep Awareness Month!).
Geranium is another great flower to use in essential oil form, especially in wound treatment. This amazing floral can not only inhibit bacteria growth, it can also help heal scar tissue. By the same token, this oil can be used as a natural deodorant. Lastly, some findings have indicated that geranium essential oil has the potential to help mentally uplift people suffering from depression and anger issues, easing their levels of mental strain.
Many types of floral smells have corresponding health benefits, and can be even more powerful when used in combinations. This can be achieved by creating dynamic floral arrangements for your home, or by creating essential oil mixes that let you reap the most olfactory benefits as you possibly can! And, Plant Therapy makes a variety of floral and non-floral essential oils, and even a few mixes to help enhance the powers of many of these fantastic florals!
Flowers are for Eating
There are a surprising number of flowers that you can eat (I found a list of 60, which is just crazy!). They also provide a plethora of health benefits, depending on how you use them in food and what type of flower you choose to use!
For example, hibiscus flowers are often used in tea. Hibiscus tea has been used (sometimes combined with mint tea for a little flavor) for many years as a digestive aid, as well as to help lower cholesterol levels and potentially blood pressure levels too!
Violets are another striking flower that can be eaten and provide people with lots of interesting benefits. Violets are used as remedies for coughs and sore throats due to their surface-soothing abilities. Because of these same abilities, violets can also be used as topical treatment for things like eczema and acne.
Flowers are for Admiring
Like I mentioned before, flowers have actually been scientifically proven to make a positive impact on peoples’ behaviors and moods. Just having them around the house (again, even if they are dried or silks!) can seriously improve the outlook your household has on the world. And, just to further my point (and because it was fun for me), here are some of my favorite flowers to try arranging in your home or growing in your garden this spring!
Peonies
Tulips
Lavender
Hydrangeas
Stargazer Lilies
