How to Make a Winter Wellness Bouquet
Reduce Your Holiday Stress and Create a One-of-a-Kind Centerpiece
A DIY wellness activity to reduce stress
It's the time of year to gather with family, friends, and neighbors and gather ourselves to prepare for the chillier months with longer nights. In nature, winter is a time to rest and wait for the eruption of life and color that comes with spring. For many people, winter can be a time of high stress. The pressure of holidays with travel or family tension, a never-ending parade of germs coming home with your kids from school and feelings of loneliness are all too common experiences. This holiday season, VSU-Virginia Cooperative Extension is introducing a locally-grown idea for a DIY wellness activity to combat holiday stress and take an intentional moment to slow down.
In 2024, Dr. Theresa Nartea, the Extension Specialist for Marketing and Agribusiness at VSU-VCE, began a new agri-therapy program named VSU Floralpy®, inspired by the words "floral" and "therapy." Dr. Nartea launched this fresh approach at VSU's Randolph Farm with the goal of improving the integrated well-being of the community. Participants learned how being immersed in a field of fragrant flowers and herbs enhances well-being. Dr. Nartea said, "I noticed during field days how participants would walk into the blooming flower fields, and instantly their faces lit up. They would touch the leaves and smell the flowers; you could instantly see people relax and smile just being one with nature." During several VSU field days, participants could cut their own flowers and herbs to make a personal bouquet to take home. This Floralpy® process of creating a personal aromatic bouquet straight out of nature instead of a store is a fun way to reduce stress. "I believe making your own wellness bouquet is a form of focused meditation," says Dr. Nartea. Local growers also learned about the possibility of adding this valuable activity to their on-farm offerings.
While most of summer and fall's blooms have faded by now, you might be surprised by Virginia's botanical life that flourishes in winter. With a bit of creativity, you can find aromatic natural elements to assemble a wintry bouquet to help you reduce holiday stress. After reading this blog, you'll be able to embrace this wellness experience for yourself by creating a winter wellness boutique to enhance your emotional well-being and add a one-of-a-kind aromatic decoration to your home.
The Science of Smell and Well-being
Take a moment and imagine the smells of the season that feel familiar to you. What comes to mind? Cinnamon? Pine? Maybe the scents of a beloved family recipe cooking. Smell has an important place in our well-being, and the smells of nature can increase well-being[AC1] . Lavender is famous for helping people feel calm, and seasonal wintry scents can also contribute to your health. The smell of pine and cloves is thought to reduce stress, while citrus and peppermint can lift your mood.
If you have personal memories associated with any of these scents, the effect on your well-being can be even stronger. Studies have found that memories evoked by scent are more emotional[AC2] than other sense-related memories. These emotional responses can affect physical well-being, like reducing stress and improving mood. Furthermore, research suggests that smells associated with personal memories promote deeper breathing[AC3] than pleasant smells not linked to a personal memory and can reduce inflammation markers[AC4] .
As you think about what to include in your winter wellness bouquet, let the season's smells and nature's abundant aromas guide some of your choices. Not only will the mindful activity of creating your winter wellness bouquet positively impact your health, but you can also enjoy the benefit of these scents for as long as you keep your wellness bouquet.
Linkto: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9289359/
Linkto: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb10643.x
Linkto: https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article-abstract/37/4/379/278009?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
Linkto: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0072523
What to include in your wellness bouquet
While you might have envisioned yourself assembling your winter wellness bouquet, have you considered where you will get your bouquet elements? The growing, finding or gathering of your plants and herbs is an essential component of this wellness activity and an opportunity to slow down and be mindful.
Winter Wellness Plants From Your Yard
If you have a yard, that's likely the best place to start looking for your wellness bouquet elements. There are many trees native to Virginia that are aromatic or have interesting visual elements in the winter. Most plants can spare a sprig or two without much risk to the plants' health. Here are a few common plants you might have on your property:
· Evergreen trees or shrubs are aromatic and have a variety of different needle shapes and textures.
· Eastern Red Cedars have reddish bark and a spicy, woody scent.
· The American Holly has clusters of cheerful, bright red berries to add a seasonal burst of color to your bouquet.
· The Witch Hazel is a shrub with yellow flowers that will bloom from September to December. If you don't have a yard large enough for trees, witch hazels can grow in containers in a small space.
· Trumpet honeysuckle is a vine that can boast its long, red blooms into the winter months.
· The Christmas Fern does not flower, but its dark green fronds would contrast nicely with any brightly colored elements in your winter wellness bouquet.
Best Herbs for Your Winter Wellness Bouquet
Not everyone has a yard or plants in their outdoor space that would be good choices for a winter wellness bouquet. Fortunately, some of the best-smelling elements for your bouquet can be grown indoors, no matter where you live! In addition to fragrant evergreen sprigs and colorful berries or blooms, herbs can have an important place in your wellness bouquet. Here are some easy herbs to grow indoors that you can use in cooking and your winter wellness bouquet:
· Basil comes in many varieties, including lemon, Thai and African, to name a few. Basil's complex smells can range from sweet to spicy or citrusy to licorice-like.
· Mint has a classic holiday smell and is a delightful herb to keep around your home, added to salads, dressings, or garnishes for dishes and drinks.
· Rosemary is a member of the mint family and is a classic kitchen herb with a strong aroma and small, needle-like leaves like evergreens. Rosemary is used to season a variety of dishes and in folk medicine for its health benefits.
· Sage is described as having a warm, earthy smell and is used in cooking and aromatherapy. Its light green leaves are slightly soft and can provide a unique texture to your wellness bouquet.
· Lemongrass does not have leaves like basil or sage but grows as a fibrous stalk. It smells light and, true to its name, lemony, and it is used in various food and drink recipes. Some people embrace its use to improve circulation and boost immunity.
Other plants that you can grow in containers indoors as a nutritious food and potential addition to your winter wellness bouquet are kale, swiss chard and colorful lettuce mixes. For tips on growing herbs and vegetables in containers, check out VCE’s guide to indoor container growing[AC1] . In a pinch, just head to a farmers' market or grocery produce aisle and pick out some fresh herbs. Smell each herb bunch and mix and match to your heart's content.
Tips for Assembling Your Wellness Bouquet
Your bouquet can be as large or as small as you like. Once you have your elements, try arranging them in different ways in your container of choice to see how different herbs and plants look or smell next to each other. You can create layers by placing shorter elements at the front and taller fronds at the back or create a more natural or wild look by mixing and matching elements spontaneously. This blog has a helpful tutorial video [AC2] for creating a hand-tied winter bouquet.
Remember to minimize distractions while creating your bouquet. By focusing on the activity in front of you, your mind can be quiet, and you can experience the grounding calm of working with your hands and natural elements. Take time to experience the activity with your different senses. Intentionally noticing how your plants look, smell and feel is essential to caring for your wellness during this activity.
Part of the value of making a winter wellness bouquet is thinking outside the planter box and being creative! Today, we've provided not a prescription that you must strictly follow but ideas to get you started with sourcing elements for your wellness bouquet. Figuring out how to use what you have or considering something you can try growing is part of the wellness activity. We can expand the value of creating a winter wellness bouquet by embracing thoughtfulness and creativity.
If you want the full VSU Floralpy® experience, join our listserv or check out our events page to be the first to learn about new programs and opportunities to see in person how Greater Grows Here at VSU's College of Agriculture.
Linkto: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-336/426-336.html
Dr. Nartea suggested we link to: https://frolic-blog.com/2020/02/a-fragrant-winter-hand-tied-bouquet/
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