Flower Therapy

Nature’s role in maintaining wellbeing is reaching new heights. Indeed, alternative treatments such as eco-therapy are on the rise, while major healthcare institutes are investing in green social prescribing. In recent years, it has become evident that regular exposure to nature can have profound effects on an individual’s emotional, mental and physical health. The benefits of this earthly exposure, or flower therapy, range from higher levels of life satisfaction and fewer stress hormones to lower blood pressure and heart rate.

During the pandemic, however, access to open green spaces was limited – arguably at a time when it was needed the most. To salvage a connection with nature, people looked to alternative hobbies that provided a similar sense of calm and satisfaction. Research by GlobalData reveals that in the UK gardening became the second most popular activity during lockdown, while flower arranging and floristry gained status as the new ‘meditation’.

According to a study by the Royal Horticultural Society and the Universities of Sheffield and Virginia published in the journal Cities, frequent gardening – at least two or three times a week – can result in an increased sense of wellbeing comparable to that of daily exercise. Dr Lucy Loveday, a doctor who specialises in nature-based physical activity, sympathises with this idea. ‘I find gardening is very grounding. There’s a seasonal rhythm and in this a certainty to it,’ she says. ‘Gardening provides a space to explore at one’s own pace and to gently heal.’

While it may seem that these industries have experienced a periodic boom, interest is expected to outlast the pandemic as demand for floriculture and ornamental horticulture continues to rise. As discovered by Research and Markets, the global plant factory market is estimated to be valued at £90.4bn ($121.8bn, €105.2bn) in 2021.