“People are starved for beauty, and flowers are nature’s biggest show-offs. They are mood elevators and stress relievers.”
—Lewis Miller, world renowned florist
After purchasing a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice and organic fruit at the Saratoga Farmers Market, Cecile and I went to the Stanford Shopping Center to exchange an item at Bloomingdales, and had lunch at Chipotles Mexican Grill. While Cecile did some browsing and tried on some outfits in other stores I did a self-guided garden tour on the fly at my own pace that included a vast array of dahlias, hydrangeas, delphiniums, shining rose, begonias, camellias, to mention a few.
While not essential, flowers are powerful and beautiful. They make a person happy. Scientists say they stimulate the brain’s key happy chemicals: dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin. During the coronavirus pandemic, Lewis Miller quoted above the title of my post was praised for adorning trash receptacles with colorful flowers throughout New York City. He was quoted in Vogue in Elise Taylor’s article “It’s Scientifically Proven That Flowers Make You Feel Better," (May 18, 2020) as saying, “every New Yorker deserves to be bowled over by nature’s raw and unbridled beauty.” Pinterest found searches for “flower boxes” were up 408 percent year over year which proves Miller’s point.
Delphiniums are a symbol of lightness, fun, levity and joy. Blue Hydrangeas in particular represent gratitude, grace, and beauty. Red Dahlia like the ones above Cecile’s head in the photo I took of her in her flower print top in front of the white planter is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family and can be orange, yellow and the more common red. Begonias stand for caution and consideration, as well as good communication between different parties. They are often given as a gift when paying back a favor, or to end a feud or argument, especially men who find themselves in the doghouse:-)
Even after his death of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, his family found comfort in adorning the autocratic dictator’s body for public display with Kimjongilia, a beautiful red hybrid flower named after him that was registered as the scientific name: Begonia XZ tuberhybrida ‘Kimjongilhwa.'
Henri Matisse once said, “there are always flowers for those who want to see them.” They won’t cure all your ills, but taking some time to see them, will make you smile and feel good, something we could all use from time to time.
