Mood-boosting
blooms

Our flower experts dig deep into the uplifting power of flowers

Words: Thea Bichard

Aren’t flowers fab? Let’s face it, we’re all looking for any little mood booster we can get right now – and who doesn’t love the sight and scent of fresh flowers? Harvard scientists recently found that seeing flowers by your bedside boosts your mood, while researchers at the University of North Florida discovered that having flowers in your home helps to reduce stress levels. So, to brighten up your day (and your mood), we’re exploring the wonderful world of flowers with a little help from our floristry friends. From the most uplifting floral scents, to the hidden meaning of flowers, and the bouquets trending now – here’s how to get your pick of the bunch.

FOLLOWING YOUR NOSE

We spoke to The Real Flower Company’s Founder, Rosebie Morton, about building bouquets according to scent.

We’re used to perfumers blending and bottling floral notes, but with floristry, aesthetics tend to come first and the fragrance is a happy side-effect. The Real Flower Company is flipping that, treating our noses to scented bouquets. Founder Rosebie Morton explains what, exactly, a scented bouquet is: “a traditional bouquet might have a single prima donna flower providing all the scent, whereas a scented bouquet will have many different scented components blending together to give a heady experience. It can evoke wonderful memories and really produces a ‘wow’ factor.”

What scents work where? Rosebie advises “aromatic herbs such as mint, sage, rosemary and lavender” to complement your culinary creations in the kitchen. Then, there’s the rich world of roses. “The citrussy, uplifting notes of Margaret Merril roses” make your living room a happy place, while in the hallway, “something with a bit of punch to carry scent around the house, like a Chandos Beauty rose” works wonders, and, for the bedroom, “something light and floral like Princess Charlene rose stems with some mint”. You smelled it here first.

Fill your rooms with floral fragrance

Take your pick of The Real Flower Company’s bouquets

A traditional bouquet might have a single prima donna flower providing all the scent, whereas a scented bouquet will have many different scented components blending together. It can evoke wonderful memories and really produces a ‘wow’ factor.

– Rosebie Morton, Founder of The Real Flower Company

FLOWERS AND THEIR MANY MOODS

We talk the language of flowers with Mariko Inoue, Shop Manager at Aoyama Flower Market in Selfridges London.

Peony

The star of the summer

“The transformation from such a small bud to a massive beautiful bloom with a sweet fragrance is something only a peony has. Everyone looks for peonies all year round, but my answer is always, ‘Sorry, they only bloom in early summer, for just two months’ – I think that’s why they are so beautiful, and people appreciate them more. When there are lots of weddings in June, peony is my first recommendation for wedding bouquets or table decorations. They last without water for half a day, so that’s another reason why they suit wedding flowers – they’re strong!”

Cherry Blossom

The Japanese icon

“As Aoyama Flower Market is a Japanese florist, we must include these. Cherry blossoms have an even shorter season than the peony, but they bloom like nothing else, so they’re just so special. The soft colour, gracefully shaped branches, and even the way they die, with thousands of petals falling, is so beautiful. Their length varies from 50cm to 2m, so you can enjoy them in many different ways. I would recommend giving them as a birthday gift to someone who was born around the season, as it’s such a privilege to have them!”

Hydrangea

The chameleon of the bunch

“One big hydrangea head is made out of so many small blooms.... This fluffy, eye-catching flower is originally from Japan, but now you can see them everywhere in London. The colour gradation from green to pink, or blue to dark purple, in one bloom is certainly part of its charm. Colours of some types of hydrangeas change as they bloom – pink hydrangeas become green in 10 days, so just by keeping them in the water, people must feel lucky as they can enjoy the same flower twice!”

Rose

The say-no-more flower

“A rose doesn’t need any other flowers or foliage to make it look good. No other flower can tell you ‘I love you’ with a single stem. Red roses, of course, work the best for a proposal, but I like different occasions more. One day, a gentleman was looking for a single white rose. ‘I have to apologise,’ he said – it was for his boyfriend. I asked him, ‘Do you need a message card?’. He said, ‘No, no, I think this rose will tell him.’ It’s one of the most common flowers, but I think roses have a hidden power to tell a story, revealing human feelings without a word.”

From Tokyo to London…

Flowers for every space

A small bunch of something seasonal is always a good choice. My personal favourite is a single sunflower, beautifully wrapped, as it guarantees a smile!

– Gemma Kavanagh, Flower School Operations Manager at Moyses Stevens

HOW TO GET THE PICK OF THE BUNCH

We asked Gemma Kavanagh, Flower School Operations Manager at Moyses Stevens, for her advice on finding the perfect blooms for you or a loved one.

The importance of the seasons

“Buying flowers when they are in season means that not only will you get more flowers for your money, you will also help to support British growers. Spring and summer offer the best blooms – tulips, hyacinths and peonies, for example – although autumn and winter offer their own delights, such as dahlias and helleborus.”

The flower with the power to brighten someone’s day

“A small bunch of something seasonal is always a good choice. My personal favourite is a single sunflower, beautifully wrapped, as it guarantees a smile!”

Trends aren’t just for clothes: Constance Spry is the name to know now

“At the moment, the Constance Spry style of floristry is very popular. Constance was a British floral designer in the 1920s who revolutionised flower arranging in both England and America. She arguably did more to change florals than anyone since. She rejected the stiff, wired arrangements that were popular at the time in favour of loose, fluid arrangements in solid blocks of colour.”

Learn the language of flowers…

“Be sure to do some research! Not all flowers have the same meanings, and often with roses, the colours can alter the overall meaning. For example, a rose would ordinarily mean love and romance, but in some cultures, a yellow rose means jealousy.”

Where to place your bouquet

“Fresh flowers should be kept away from draughts and extreme temperatures, which can quickly dry out the flowers and cause wilting. Avoid placing flower arrangements on windowsills and other areas with full sun where flowers can wilt due to overheating. Most flowers will last longer under cool conditions.”