How We Are Affected By The Colour Of Flowers

You might be familiar or perhaps you have heard a little bit about a study done a while ago on how flowers affect our moods and emotions.  If not, it was a study performed on a number of volunteers.  Each one was sent a fresh flower delivery and their reactions and behaviour was monitored and documented.  This study revealed that, if you send flowers to a friend or loved one, it boosts their happiness and they become more hopeful and more likely to reach out to others.  Just like the actual flowers affect our emotions, so too can the colours of these flowers.  A Galveston County horticulturist published an article on his findings in this regard.

As Dr William Johnson strolled through the gardens, he carefully observed the general public’s behaviour and the kinds of flowers they were most attracted to.  He noticed that two main colours of interest are red and yellow because they are bright and bold.  He stated that planting these colours is likely to attract more attention form onlookers to the more attractive parts of your garden.  He also said that they can be used to line the pathways and steps on your property so that guests can easily identify walking areas.

If you are familiar with warm versus cool colours, you will grasp why blue flowers have the effect that they do.  Have you ever come across a room with pale blue walls and another room with pink or orange colour scheme?  You might remember feeling a cool sensation when in the blue room and a more cosy, warm feeling in the orange or pink room.  This is because blue falls on the cool part of the colour spectrum while orange and pink are considered warm colours.  Dr Johnson believes the same to be true for flowers.  He says that blue flowers in your garden will help create a calm, cool environment where you can relax and calm your mind.  He also suggests that lighter shades of blue should be used rather than dark blues.

That’s warm and cool colours but what about white?  There are so many flowers available in white and it’s easy to associate white with clean, neat or even a sterile environment.  White is the kind of basic colour that gives a room a sense of order and it can do the same for your garden.  Dr Johnson suggests planting white flowers around the borders of your flower beds to create a clear line to distinguish the flowers from other parts of your garden.

When it comes to mixing different colours, Dr Johnson warns gardeners not to get too carried away.  You can combine colours but don’t try to plant every colour variety out there.  Carefully select a few colours that work well together.  For example, you can use the colours from your country flag or another important symbol as your inspiration.