I am in LOVE with flowers. If I could, I'd live in a garden. But unfortunately, I'm not a gnome, or a fairy, or a groundhog... so I have to resort to bringing them inside; and you should too!

If you've ever been to a table-top show, a wedding, or a formal dinner - more than likely flowers were displayed somewhere in the vicinity. It's no surprise! After all, flowers have the most lovely colors and interesting shapes. They're breathing, living, decorations that bring a sense of life to your table. Some people don't see an importance in having a decoration that just dies in a couple of days, but the next time someone gives you a hard time about buying flowers, just whip out this piece of factual knowledge.

They did a study at Rutgers University to determine how flowers affected the moods of individuals. What they learned was that flowers are not only beautiful, but they have an immediate impact on happiness, a long term positive affect on moods, and they create intimate connections. Because flowers are often displayed in common/shared areas they help create a sense of welcoming and acceptance.

"Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study, “They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.”

If not only for emotions sake, flower are worth having around. But it doesn't mean we have to spend an arm and a leg to add them to our dining environment. Here are a few ways to incorporate them into our table settings.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

  • Keep flowers low enough so that guests can see each other over the flowers. An hour of playing the dodging game around a large vase of flowers can get exhausting and eliminates the ability to make strong eye-contact with one another. Keep flowers low enough to see over them, or if doing a large arrangement, raise them up high enough so that guests can see each other below the buds. Our Divina Vases do a good job at raising them high, but depending on the height of guest, you could also add a flipped glass vase with a flower underneath to give them even more height.
  • Choose colors that compliment your dinnerware. This doesn't mean that they have to be the same colors, but a variety of colors! Complementary colors are color opposites on the color wheel. They compliment each other and bring out the different hues. Light green is complementary to pink, as is blue to orange, green to red, and yellow to violet. But when it comes to flowers, almost any arrangement will do. Below we used pinks and oranges to offset the Apple Lace Service Plates on the table.
  • Arrange in odd numbers. Flowers generally grow in odd-numbers. On a stem there will be one, three, maybe five buds. When I make flower arrangements I generally try to arrange the same flower in odd numbers to give the whole arrangements a natural feel. This isn't a cardinal rule, but one that I find helpful.

If you have a small table, a single vase can be placed in the middle. For longer tables we like to place multiple small arrangements so that everyone can experience the beauty. Another option is to place individual small arrangements at each place setting; it can be as simple as a single stem for each person in a small vial of water, or a little rose planted in a pot de creme or demi cup.

To save money, use flowers from your own garden. Any glass or vase can be used to make small, cute arrangements. The act of pruning your garden and snipping flowers back will help them grow more full. I love using empty Starbucks' Frappe glass bottles with a ribbon tied around the neck for casual dining vases.
In short, there's a truth to the term "flower power". They are worth having around, and a simple way to dress up any dinner table. So the next time you have guests over, make sure to include flowers. Whether they know it or not, it'll influence their mood and make for a better experience.