One of our florists at Botanics Florist Sydney shows how to make a very quick and simple Table centre arrangement.

Sweetpea from our Sydney Florist

Check out this bunch of Sweetpea. Its just one of the bunches of beautiful Sweetpea that we picked up at the flower markets this morning. We will use them in our
Filled With Love arrangements, the Perfect Posy arrangements, Garden In A Vase arrangements and well as various posies and bouquets. Sweetpea is one of the most popular winter flowers Sydney has this time of year.
I just loved the colour of this bunch, so rich and velvety. This bunch sat in the front seat on the way back into our Sydney CBD flower studio. In the horrible traffic it kept a smile on my face with its fragrance and colour. I think this bunch will probably be coming home with me this afternoon.......

The Emotional Benefits Of Flowers

For thousands of years people have been cultivating flowers but for what benefit? Growing flowers is a costly & labour intensive exercise yet there is always a demand for this activity. Everyone loves receiving flowers, but now a scientific study in the United States has proven that flowers have a positive physiological effect on people of both genders emotions, sense of wellbeing and happiness.
In a study of over 400 people (as reported in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 2005:3 104-113) various scenarios were carried out and the presence of flowers measured against other items and nothing at all.

In Study 1 flowers (a bouquet of roses, lillies and stock)were presented to 147 women. It was found that receiving the flowers always elicited the Duchenne or true smile. The response was significantly greater than any of the other stimuli tested, including fruit and sweet baskets and a large, multi-wicked burning candle. Perhaps the most significant finding in this study was that women who received the flowers reported more positive moods 3 days later. None of the other stimuli had this affect. This means that giving flowers to someone will not only give a significantly positive response immediately, positive benefits are still felt 3 days later!

In Study 2, 122 people (both Men & Women) entered an elevator and were given a free Gerbera flower, were given a free pen, or nothing (control). Giving the Gerbera flower had the most significantly positive response in both men and women - causing them to smile more, stand closer to the undercover experimenter and making them more likely to initiate conversation . In fact, people who were not part of the experiment were asking for free flowers too, once word got out that Gerberas were being handed out. This study shows that the positive effects of flowers are not just enjoyed by women but men also.

In Study 3, 91 people with the average age of 73 who had received flowers reported significantly more happiness and interest than those who didn't receive flowers. It appeared that the benefit was additive, with happiness increasing for those who received a second bunch of flowers. In addition, flower receivers reported an increase in episodic memory and were less likely to feel depressed.

It's unknown why exactly flowers have such a beneficial effect on peoples moods but the study offers a suggestion of the possibility that humans are "biologically primed" to associate flowers to happiness as well as flowers perfumes, pollens etc.

One last note from the researchers.... "In many years of studying emotions, we have never received hugs, kisses, thank you notes or photographs, not even for candy, doughnuts, decorated shirts or hats, gift certificates or direct monetary payments: the flowers are different"

This study is great reading not only for those who are looking at online Sydney flower delivery as a surprise for a loved one but also those clients who have corporate flowers delivered to their business place each week, proof that your corporate flowers are providing benefit to your customers and staff.

If you would like to read more of the study you can find it here http://www.human-nature.com/ep/articles/ep03104132.html

Tulips- one of the top selling flowers in Sydney

Tulip season is in full swing and are some of the best flowers sydney has on offer at the moment. Again this year our "vase of Tulips" flower arrangement is one of our top sellers for online Sydney flower delivery. It makes a simple stylish gift perfect for any occasion. Like most of our Sydney flower arrangements, it comes in a glass vase that the recipient gets to keep long after the flowers have passed, a constant reminder of your thoughtful gesture.
Although people associate Tulips with Holland and The Netherlands, Tulips originate from mountainous regions of a large area of Asia, Europe and Africa. They are Spring flowering Bulbs which need cold winter dormancy conditions, modern cultivation methods enable them to be available to us for a large part of the year.
One comment or question we sometimes are asked is "why are my Tulips flopping?". This is natural, unlike other cut flowers, Tulip stems keep growing even after they have been cut. Eventually the stems can get so long that the flower head becomes too heavy and the flower "flops". Don't see this as a fault but rather a part of the beauty of these flowers.
If you creative, you can put this to good use. Take a look at the picture above, we are lucky enough to have a vase that is perfect for taking advantage of the Tulips features. We have used only 10 stems in this example, but imagine how dramatic it would look with 20 or even 30 stems flowing out from the vase mouth!
Enjoy these beautiful long lasting flowers, and if they eventually "flop" then maybe rethink the vase or the way they are displayed and have fun with them.