Flowers, when you think about it, are not a very useful present. A bag is useful. A set of bowls can certainly be considered to have a practical function. A bunch of flowers, au contraire, will spend a few days sitting in a vase of increasingly stale water, before their inevitable migration to the bin.
Yet despite this apparent shortcoming, flowers are a gift very commonly exchanged between us humans. People give other people flowers all the time; dinner parties, hospital visits, Valentine’s Day – you name it, and flowers are an appropriate, and appreciated, offering. You would certainly be hard put to find many (or any) of these bouquet-receivers feeling anything but nice and happy things as a result.
So, what is it about flowers? Why are we doling out floral arrangements left, right, and centre, and why do we like doing it?
Here are a few answers to those questions – and possibly even incentives for buying more of these universally adored objects.
- Previous humans did it
Flower giving, and more broadly, the human use and arrangement of flowers, can be traced back thousands of years. Think giving flowers to your sweetheart is old fashioned? You’re right – it’s at least 4,000 years old.
There is plenty of documented evidence that the people of ancient civilisations such as Egypt, Greece and China loved arranging flowers, and not only used them for decorative purposes, but assigned symbolic meanings to particular flowers, offering them as gifts to lovers and gods. People from different cultures around the world have continued to do this right up to the present day, and many current flower meanings have their origins in societies long past.
- They help us communicate our emotions
We give someone a bunch of flowers because we want to say something to that person. Not only is the act of giving someone flowers in itself a way of telling them they were on our minds, but the specific type of flower you send can be used to convey a particular meaning.
During the Victorian era in England, this idea of assigning meanings to flowers soared in popularity, with numerous books being written on the “language of flowers”. Since people were prevented by social convention from openly expressing their feelings (especially towards lovers), they would use “flower dictionaries” to create bouquets that sent a particular message based on the combination of flower varieties it contained.
This language of flowers, or “floriography,” is still sometimes used today. Just think of Valentine’s Day; the exchanging of red roses has been a symbol of love for many years.
- They look nice
It’s a no-brainer, really. People use flowers to decorate their homes, workplaces, special events, and even themselves (search ‘floral headpiece’ on Pinterest – I dare you).
Researchers have found that humans are attracted to the symmetry, bright colours, and even the specific odours of particular flowers. Furthermore, as a result of humans breeding flowers that they liked over thousands of years, the ones that remain today are the most attractive and pleasing to the eye.
But while any bunch of fresh flowers is, of course, sure to be lovely, going to the effort of visiting a professional florist, rather than the local IGA, can really pay off. Flower arrangement is truly an art form, and the arrangements that florists are creating today, including right here in Perth, are truly spectacular.
- They’re good for us
Numerous studies have been done on why humans like flowers so much, and many have come to the same conclusion: flowers make us feel good. Having plants and flowers around your house, workspace, or any other place that you occupy improves your mental wellbeing, as well as your cognitive performance. So, if you’re feeling a bit uninspired at work, get some flowers in there to brighten the place up. It is very likely your mood, and your creativity, will experience a boost as a result.
- We don’t buy them for ourselves
While some people may do it, it is hardly a common occurrence for a person to walk into a florist and order a stunning arrangement of flowers all for themselves (though it is a marvellous idea, I have to say). Therefore, we naturally tend to receive flowers in the form of gifts bestowed by others.
Considering that in addition to this people are not only instinctively attracted to flowers, but their mental health improves from being around them, it does seem only logical that we keep buying them for each other. Perhaps flowers are useful gifts, after all.
To order your own stunning and unique flower arrangement, head to Hannah Etherington Flowers, located at Shop 6/339, Times Square, Avion Way, Claremont.
Phone: (08) 9286 1120
Website: hannahetheringtonflowers.com.au
Story: Madeleine March-Anthony – Feature Writer, Times Square Claremont