Flowers bring out the best in people, plain and simple. Research shows that blooms improve our moods and help us manage stress. Happy and calm, we become just that little bit nicer to be around. Guess we want to share the beauty and tranquility of the blossoms.
That probably sounds corny, I know. But if you don't believe me, consider the following examples and I'll bet you a bouquet that you'll change your mind.
• In London, Underground transport system workers are proving that green thumbs aren't confined to country cottages. Nope, staffers of 45 stations and depots created gardens(!) amid the tunnels and platforms and trains that make up the Tube network. (The world's first underground railway, the system started in 1863.)
They're taking part in the Underground in Bloom competition, which awards a top prize of about $600. Categories include Best Overall Station, Best Hanging Baskets and Best Cultivated Garden; winners will be announced Sept. 9. To read more, visit: enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/localnews/3606904.Flower_power_
rules_on_the_Tube.
• A fellow blogger wrote about seeing Honor Flower Stands while on vacation in Long Island, dominomag.com/daily/blogs/germinatrix/2008/08/honor-flower-st.html. Here's the concept: flower growers fill stands with charming flowers, leave a jar or cashbox and trust that people will pay for what they take. Simple, huh?
• Not long after reading that, I learned from another blog twisstedswisster.com that Honor Flower Stands are common in Switzerland. As SwissMerica puts it: "The Swiss like flowers. Flowers are everywhere. The weekend market, the kiosk ... vending machines."
• Meanwhile, The Open Rose Florist in Santa Rosa, Fla., is giving away bouquets of roses for free! IF, that is, you keep one rose for yourself, and give the other 11 away in honor of Good Neighbor Day, Sept. 3. Get the full story at: srpressgazette.com/news/free_4679___article.html/
shop_nothing.html.
Flower Fact of the Day: Like late bloomers? Then you'll love the bright purple Karvy flower of Mumbai (Bombay), which blossoms only once every 8-10 years. Read more at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7580725.stm.
