"LET HAPPINESS BLOOM"
GardenSmart by Fran Sorin (USA Weekend – Jan 20-22, 2006 Issue)

We gardeners know that flowers bring happiness, and research confirms that correlation. Evolution Psychology published results of three recent Rutgers University Studies:

• FLOWERS BRING SMILES. Of 147 Women of varying ages, those who received flowers smiled significantly more than those who received fruit and sweets or a candle.
• A SINGLE BLOOM CREATES TALK. Another study took place in an elevator where a single flower was handed to a man or woman. Both women and men who were presented with a flower (rather than a pen or nothing) were more likely to smile. They were more likely to stand at a social distance (rather than an impersonal one) and were more likely to begin conversation.
• BOUQUETS BEAT DEPRESSION. Retirees, whose average age was 73, were asked to keep a diary of daily social interactions. Those who received bouquets were happier and perhaps less depressed than those who did not, and they scored higher on memory tasks.