Local Business Spreads Smiles and Stress Relief, Two Bouquets at a Time
Roslindale, MA, (October 24, 2018)– Today, Exotic Flowers is joining floral industry businesses in more than 400 cities nationwide to surprise unsuspecting passersby in Roslindale with two free flower bouquets each – one to keep and one to give to a friend, family member, colleague, or even a stranger. The random-acts-of-kindness effort -- called Petal It Forward and organized by the Society of American Florists (SAF), of which Exotic Flowers is a member -- is designed to help people start their day with more smiles and less stress. The effort illustrates new research from the University of North Florida (UNF) that shows living with flowers reduces stress.
“Petal It Forward is the floral industry’s way of giving back,” said Jennifer Sparks, SAF’s Vice President of Marketing, citing the nationwide effort was purposefully planned for a Wednesday to help the mid-week slump. Rick Canale of Exotic Flowers wanted to be a part of the nationwide mood-boosting effort, and make a difference in the community. “We have been in this location for 88 years and we want to help make someone's day in the community,” said Canale. “Through the positive effects of flowers, we hope to make someone’s day brighter, and provide a much-needed moment of calm amidst the hectic pace of life,” he added.
The research findings on flowers and stress relief, and the need for mood-boosting gestures, seem timely: A survey by Wakefield Research in July showed that 68 percent of Americans experience stress weekly, and 32 percent report feeling stressed daily. Women are even more affected, with 25 percent reporting feeling stress multiple times a day.
Canale says the original idea behind Petal It Forward’s ‘keep one, share one’ concept, which started in 2015, came after looking at statistics that showed while 80 percent of people reported receiving flowers makes them happy, even more (88 percent) said that giving flowers makes them happy. “We want to give people the chance to experience both,” said Canale.
In addition to the new research on stress, previous behavioral studies conducted by Rutgers and Harvard scientifically demonstrate the positive impact flowers have on emotional well-being. For information on the effects of flowers on stress research, visit aboutflowers.com/stressless. For research on all of the health benefits of flowers, visit aboutflowers.com/research.