ATLANTA — Roses are red, violets are blue – you get the idea. Valentine's Day is upon us, and we wanted to know whether all those blooms can actually make you feel the love.
"After so many years of working with flowers, I still myself really love receiving flowers and they really do bring a lot of joy," Marie-Laure Coste Dujols said.
Coste Dujols also loves sharing that joy. Her boutique Le Jardin Francais is busy personalizing orders for the holiday.
"You know it's a very long tradition," she said. "Flowers have been gifted for a very long time. It's really an extension of their personality and a strong proof of love."
The National Retail Federation projects nearly $2 billion will be spent on flowers for Valentine's Day this year. But is it just holiday tradition or is there an extra boost you can get from a bouquet?
VERIFY: Can flowers improve your mood?
A study by a Rutgers University team showed that the petals do bring perks.
Researchers found that receiving flowers not only elicited a true smile known as a "Duchenne" from women, those women who got flowers also reported positive moods three days later.
A University of North Florida study last year suggests living with flowers results in less stress. Other studies have shown flowers' positive impact on patient recovery in hospitals, and a 2006 study conducted by Harvard Medical School researcher Nancy Etcoff in conjunction with the Society of American Florists showed keeping flowers at the home can boost one's mood.
“We know that flowers make people happy when they receive them. What we didn’t know is that spending a few days with flowers in the home can affect a wide variety of feelings – from compassion to worry,” said Etcoff in a release. “As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings. In all, our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on well being,” she added.
With this research, we can verify flowers can improve your mood.