FLOWERS!

When you enter a room filled and designed with flowers, you have this feeling of refreshment, satisfaction and contentment. Flower is a symbol of love and care. Flowers are wonderful plants and they represent beautiful gifts. In the western communities, flowers are cherished and adored. In Africa, like Nigeria, flowers are not really recognised, especially when presented as gifts. People don’t really see the meaning and uses of flowers, unlike in the western world where it can be the best gift to partners, friends, and parents, or even to loved ones.

Flowers can be amazing; their present lights up the atmosphere and brings life to people. Every flower has a special meaning and that goes for the colours as well.

Right from time, human beings have depended on the plants around us to provide food, medicine, clothes and oxygen. Researches are increasingly revealing that plants and flowers can also contribute to better physical, emotional and mental health. Medical and scientific communities are daily coming out with surprising research findings on many ways in which plants and flowers can affect our health and happiness. In Nigeria, flowers are usually grown in the garden at home to beautify the environment. In this case, much attention is given to them so as to enable them grow and nourish well. In weddings, a bouquet of flowers conveys joy, romance, love, appreciation in a way that no other gift can match. When a man gives flowers, he does that to express his interest to a woman.

Asian people believe so much in plants and flowers for their physical, mental and emotional health benefits. Most of their teas are made out of flowers and other plants. They collect these plants, process them and make them into what we now have as tea all over the world. Take for example, camomile. Chamomile or camomile is a yellow and white flowering plant that is commonly used to make herb infusions to serve various medical purposes. They are used for treatment of hay fever, inflammation, menstrual disorder, insomnia, ulcer and so on and so forth.

No flowers lift up one’s spirit like the sight of sun flowers. Sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty and longevity. They are very bright and attractive. Much of the meaning of sunflowers stems from its namesake, the sun itself. These flowers are unique in that they have the ability to provide energy in the form of nourishment and vibrancy attributes which mirror the sun and the energy provided by its heat and light.

Sun flower seeds are packed with nutrients and are now being recognised for their healing properties. They have unimaginable health benefits. They are good source of vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamin E.

Rose flowers are the most common and popular in the world. This is the most popular flower that most people are familiar with. Roses are the most deeply ingrained flower in the human history and culture. The colour of the rose represents sentiments and feelings that people wanted to convey to other people. Every colour of a rose stands for something and has a certain meaning attached to it.

If you want to convey a message of love and affection, then a bouquet of red roses would be appropriate. If you want to convey a feeling of friendship, then a bouquet of yellow roses would be appropriate. For a special sentiment, pink roses are the right flowers to present, and the least goes on.

Flowers play important role in our lives, even though so many people are not aware of that. It is important to recognise these facts and appreciate the beauty of these plants. 

Rifkatu Yusuf