How your next bouquet can keep you—and your home—healthyUpdated 3 months ago

Flowers are a sweet gesture, but did you know they can also have measurable benefits on your overall wellness? Read on to see how science backs up the bouquet, plus a few tips on how to keep your flowers looking fresh for longer.

• A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that placing flowers or plants in your workspace could improve your cognitive performance, and that the view of flowers in your home helped reduce overall stress and anxiety.
• Like plants, freshly cut flowers “exhale” oxygen, giving you a little boost of fresh air. There used to be a belief that cut flowers suck up surrounding oxygen—which they do—but they breathe out 10 times more than they absorb.
• A 2006 Harvard study found that flowers measurably increased mood: not only did participants who kept flowers within sight feel happier, they also experienced an increase in compassion towards other people.

Tips for keeping your flowers fresh

• Gerber daisies are gorgeous, but their necks can droop after a couple days. Place a penny in your vase to keep them upright.
• Trim your stems every three or so days. Flower stems swell as they drink water, eventually preventing them from absorbing any more, so they wilt soon after. Cutting off the waterlogged ends keeps the pipes clear, keeping flowers fresh longer.
• If one flower wilts, remove it promptly and switch the water. Dying flowers give off ethylene, which can cause other flowers in the bouquet to wilt more quickly. Ethylene is the same gas that’s given off by ripening (or rotting) fruit, causing surrounding fruit to ripen or rot more quickly.