Announcing “Boost Bouquets” Through Our New Flower Club
Who’s feeling stressed and anxious these days? “Everyone,” would be my guess. I know that I am as a small business owner whose ability to sustain the livelihood of myself and my staff is becoming harder with each passing day. Our spring wedding and event season has been virtually wiped out until further notice by COVID-19 restrictions. It’s never been easy to be a farmer who relies on Mother Nature’s good graces to make a living. So many times the farm has waded through serious challenges – hurricanes, rampages in the tulips by a herd of deer, late or early frosts that nip much-needed blooms, a cooler breaking down in 90 degree heat while it’s packed to the brim with our fresh harvest, too little rain, too much rain…the list is looooong.
But this time is different. In all those other scenarios, if I was quick on my feet, I could figure out how to keep the ship upright. I had an end game. Our amazing customers/friends never even felt so much as a hiccup and always had amazing flowers when they wanted them. This time feels way more uncertain. Stress and anxiety rise with each new headline and CDC proclamation. I feel very out of control. I know I’m not alone.
I doubt there’s anyone out there who is not feeling anxious and stressed in one way or another at this point. And that’s not good. Sudden and unpredictable stress and anxiety have been shown to really throw off the human immune system. Cortisol, a hormone our bodies release when under extreme stress, can decrease white blood cell counts which in turn can increase the rate of infection if a person’s immune system comes under attack (say, for instance, from this year’s trendy virus). The common mantra “Keep Calm and Carry On” isn’t just a glib meme. It’s in the best interest of our well-being to do our darnedest to remain calm even if the world feels like it’s going off the rails.
The one thing that has been my personal lifeline through the fog of confusion and concern caused by COVID-19 has been the farm itself. I count myself among the very lucky to be able to come each day to this beautiful place; to soak up the spring sun and to bury my hands in rich soil. Even pulling weeds right now feels like such a grounding gift! Each moment I spend surrounded by Nature does wonders for my spirit and my immune system.
And I’m not alone in this either. Flowers have been scientifically proven on numerous occasions to improve mental health and heighten one’s sense of well-being. In particular, a study done by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey found that flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. All study participants expressed “true” or “excited” smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating instant delight and gratitude. And, perhaps even more importantly, in this study, flowers were found to have a long-term positive effect on moods. Specifically, study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction. This reaction occurred across all age groups too.
“Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones. “Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well-being.”
I’ve been thinking about how I might share this sense of floral-induced well-being with others in the midst of this chaos and mandates to restrict gatherings. Normally we’d be ramping up for our workshop season in April and I’d be looking forward to hosting everyone among the blooms. Alas, the fate of our spring workshop series is looking less than stellar. So, instead, I’ve decided to try something new at Love ‘n Fresh Flowers: a members-only flower market at the farm during the month of April where you can pick up pre-ordered “Boost Bouquets” each Thursday afternoon to keep your home feeling a bit more calm and fresh.
Boost Bouquets are intended to boost your well-being, boost the local community and boost our flower farm as we all work together to find our way in this new paradigm. Purchase a membership in our members-only flower club for the month of April and come pick up your Boost Bouquet each Thursday from 2PM to 6PM.
We will have the garage doors to the barn wide open for plenty of fresh air and we’ll be very mindful of keeping club members moving through in a nice orderly fashion so there’s never more than a few folks around at any given moment. While the bouquets will be a quick “grab and go” affair, you’ll be welcome to stroll our fields (keeping at least 6 feet between yourself and anyone else) while you’re here and take some deep breaths of clean fresh air. Being in nature is amazing medicine!
Or, if you’re feeling concerned about mingling even at a distance, we will gladly run your bouquet over to your car window when you pull up and you can drive home without ever stepping foot out of your vehicle. Our flowers are grown in sunshine, which is proven to kill viruses, so the flowers themselves pose no threat of contamination.
In addition to providing Boost Bouquets to club members, for every club membership sold, Love ‘n Fresh Flowers will donate a big beautiful Boost Bouquet to a local nursing home or hospice that they can display in their common areas for residents to enjoy. We really want to share as many flowers as possible with the world in this unsettling time! So, go grab your flower club membership today and get ready to grab a Boost Bouquet each week in April!
And please feel free to share this with anyone in the Philadelphia area that you know who might be sorely in need of the restorative powers of nature and beautiful spring blooms.
* At this time, we are only hosting the Flower Club at the farm for the month of April and will resume with our normal Flower CSA model in May. If the paradigm should shift again, we’ll be sure to let you know.
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