Some trees and bushes, particularly lilac and those that bear popular fruit like cherries, pears and apples, have gorgeous blooms that make beautiful arrangements that are fantastically unruly. And the best thing about it: you don’t have to spend a dime because it’s all from your garden!

If you’d like to take advantage of flowering trees from your garden, but they haven’t bloomed, yet, just follow these steps as outlined by the designer flower designers at your local Toronto florist.

How to Force Branches to Bloom
Cut branches that are peppered with flower buds – the fatter the better. Use sharp shears and cut the branch at the base, where it meets an adjacent branch. Using a sharp knife, slit the bottom of each branch. The cut should be about 2″ in length. Hammer the slits.

Place the bottoms of the branches into lukewarm water, removing any buds that sit below the waterline. Keep them submerged for a few hours indoors to allow them to adapt to their new environment. After this step, replace the water with fresh lukewarm water and set them in a shaded area of a cool room. Keep changing the water everyday until the you notice the buds changing colour. Once this happens, change the water again and set them out in a brighter spot that’s not in direct sunlight. The flowers should bloom soon after. Don’t forget to change the water every other day.

That’s all there is to it! You can force any trees or bushes that haven’t bloomed outdoors to bloom, so that you can enjoy their beauty a little earlier inside your home.

Need more evidence that flowers can have a positive effect on the mood of a recipient? Three studies conducted by researchers at the departments of psychology and genetics at the State University of New Jersey have shown that giving flowers can have a powerful effect, elevating happiness levels and boosting positive social behaviour in recipients.

Study 1
The first study examined females who received flowers, in particular a bouquet of mixed blooms (considered best seller flower arrangements). The researchers discovered that the immediate reaction upon receipt was a smile, and not just any old smile. The females smiled a Duchenne smile, a true smile that has been determined as an honest expression since particular muscles can only be engaged when accompanied by the actual presence of happiness (named after the French neurologist, Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne). The Duchenne smile is also considered a method of communication, expressing happiness to the person who gave them the flowers.

In addition, a positive effect on mood was reported three days after the flowers were received.

Study 2
The second study involved the positive effect a gift of flowers had on social behaviour in both female and male participants. Other gifts were given as well, but flowers were reported to have the most positive effect.

The participants were given flower on an elevator when traveling alone. Researchers found that subjects were more likely to display an honest smile, stand closer to the experimenter who gave them the flowers and initiate conversation.

Study 3
The final study examined the reactions of participants aged 55 and over. Again, the participants experienced a positive mood when they received flowers, with mood elevated even more when receiving 2 bouquets.

Yet more proof that flowers are more than just “something to give”.