GUILFORD, Vt. (AP) - Flowers have been scientifically shown to bring a lasting smile while also helping to relieve anxiety.
“Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones, a professor of psychology at Rutgers. “Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.”
Hanna Jenkins, of Tapalou Guilds, a flower farm in Guilford, agrees.
“I don’t know if we really understand the healing power of flowers,” she said.
Jenkins said she learned for herself this lesson while she provided end-of-life care for her mother.
“One of the things I learned is people at the end of their lives have an increase in both dreams and experiences where people who have already died are visiting them,” said Jenkins. “We have considered them confused or said the medications were causing hallucinations, but we’ve actually found when people are experiencing this they are very lucid.”
Jenkins opened Tapalou Guilds five years ago as a CSA, but after a few years she realized she cared more about the flowers than the vegetables. She still has a flower CSA, and she also sells to co-ops in Brattleboro and Greenfield, at the Brattleboro Area Farmers Market, and for events such as weddings, funerals and other events.
But, she has realized, flowers are truly a luxury item.
“Unless your CSA has a pick-your-own flower plot, flowers are reserved for people who are able to pay for them,” said Jenkins. “I want to get more flowers out into the world, especially for people facing difficult challenges.”
This year, with the help of volunteers, she hopes to start Blooms for Beings to bring flowers to those people.
She has four community partners when the program is set to roll out - the Women’s Freedom Center, Turning Point, Brattleboro Area Hospice and Just Roots, in Greenfield, Mass.
“The one organization we will probably work closest with is hospice,” said Jenkins, who sees flowers as a reminder for some people of people and days past.
“At the farmers market, I engage with a lot of people,” she said. “It’s really intriguing to see this theme running through the discussions. When people see flowers, there is an almost immediate response that connects them, by and large, to their grandmothers and their grandmothers’ gardens. It’s very visceral.”
She realized bringing flowers to people in hospice “could solidify their connections to their ancestors and provide comfort during a time of stress, unknown and fear.”
Jenkins also hopes to deliver flowers and bouquets to local nursing homes, assisted living facilities and support groups.
“I have worked in a shelter for women and families fleeing violence,” said Jenkins. “It’s a time of crisis when women are really feeling overwhelmed. The idea of having something considered ’luxurious’ when you’re thinking about survival and meeting your basic needs … I also see this as for people in recovery. These are people who could benefit from an elevated mood and a desire to connect with others. It’s not rocket science.”
Tapalou Guilds produces flowers from April through October.
“I also have a program called Labor of Love, where we make floral arrangements for women in labor,” said Jenkins.
About one acre of the land on Sweet Pond Road is devoted to growing flowers. A larger portion is dedicated to hemp. Andy Loughney, Jenkins’ partner, and Ben James, started Bravo Botanicals, producing certified organic cannabidiol (CBD) products.
Before she started the farm, Jenkins was in the non-profit world, working on food access and with victims of domestic violence.
“Something in flowers awakened me. They really make me feel more connected to the world around me.”
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