A Daisy a Day

Southern Living, Jan 2004 by Young, Dianne

Flowers can brighten an entire room.

I am no miracle worker, but I can bring sunshine to the dreariest winter day. It's not hard, really-I do it with the help of a simple flower.

This little bit of magic I learned years ago from my green-thumbed mother, who could always coax something to bloom in our yard. Around this time of year, she would clip deep-red camellia blossoms and group them carefully in a prized vase. Her timely arrangements were able to transform even our seasonally dark dining room.

Nature's Gifts

I didn't inherit my mother's gardening talents, but she instilled in me an abiding appreciation for nature. Although I don't have a yard full of flowers like she did, I still enjoy their benefits. Every week, when I'm shopping at the grocery store, I pick up a single cut bloom, usually a boldcolored gerbera daisy.

These perennials come in almost every shade of the rainbow-from scarlet to purple-but my favorites tend toward yellow and orange. When I take my purchase home, I set it in a bud vase made of cranberry glass, decorated with a lacelike pattern of gold leaf. Its strong color holds its own with even the brightest daisy, and when the white light of the season pours in through my windows, the flower seems to ignite, beaming like a tiny piece of a brilliant autumn sunset, warming the entire room.

An Emotional Lift

Research has documented the facts behind the feelings I've always had about my daisies. The mere presence of flowers can enhance happiness, self-esteem, and a sense of well-being. They reduce stress and have even been linked with a healthy decrease in blood pressure and pulse rates. In few other ways can you reap such a positive return for such a minimal investment. My daisy costs me less than $2, and it yields a week or more of pure pleasure. DIANNE YOUNG