The delicate scent of sweet perfumes spiraling around blossoms of vibrant color is bound to make a gray day bright. You can offer this moment of peace and well being to a friend or loved one in Bellevue Hospital or NYU Hospital by presenting a custom bouquet. Flowers can offer far more than beauty. Choosing the right flower arrangement can be healing and offer gracious sentiments. If pollen sensitivities are a concern, have no fear! There are a variety of plant and floral options that keep allergies at bay.

Studies Show flowers heal

A Rutgers University study shows that flowers immediately impact our happiness in a positive way. Receiving flowers from friends and family members make a person feel loved and remembered. Striking flower arrangements can provide a positive emotional response and make a space more comfortable and cozy. The presence of foliage in a hospital room helps to improve air quality and reduce sick-building syndrome, an illness that follows environmental conditions such as poor ventilation. Plants and flowers increase the humidity in a room to an acceptable level for the human body, especially to a healing body.

Enhancing mood and health

The nose is a powerful tool. Many common floral scents can aid in combating normal feelings of anxiety and sleeplessness from a stay in the hospital.

• Lavender: The scent of lavender is proven to promote calmness and aids in peaceful sleep.
• Jasmine and Honeysuckle: According to the Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle boost energy and reduce anxiety.
• Roses: The sweet, floral aroma of roses can reduce depression and calm nerves.
• Citrus: Scented geraniums and orange blossoms are just a few varieties of flowers that will boost energy and make a person feel invigorated.

Flowers send a message

Selecting certain types of flowers can aid in sending a specific message. The popping color of a hydrangea with its abundant, simple blossoms is believed to send a message of perseverance. Yellow roses or daisies, symbolic of joy, are sure to brighten a hospital’s monochromatic background. Peonies, known for their perfectly feathered petals and gigantic blooms send the message of healing. The soft pink variety adds elegance and shows your loved one that you care.

Allergies? There are options for you

Making thoughtful decisions about what type of floral arrangement to give will make it pleasing to your loved one and the staff that has to manage the room. If you’re worried about allergies, there are many alternatives to pesky pollen-laden flowers that offer the same benefits. Favorites such as succulents, cacti, begonias, crocus, daffodils, roses, and carnations are beautifully colorful flowers and plants that have little pollen to irritate allergy sufferers. Most of these flowers hide irksome pollen granules deep inside the bloom. Succulents and cacti can make some of the most beautiful, simple floral landscapes that will offer interesting textures and vibrant greens. A delivery of these desert-loving plants will last longer than your typical flower blooms and endure a journey home. A final thought when deciding on an arrangement is to consider size. Stay away from anything that is too big and cumbersome. Most hospital rooms are small and many have more than one person residing in the room. Equipment important to the healing and monitoring process for a patient can have many wires and tubes. Keep an arrangement simple and elegant.