Roses, as some might say, are part of the inviolate triumvirate of stereotypical gifts men give women, along with chocolate and wine. Lotuses tend to be associated with narcotics and opium dens by some, likely due to the lotus being a popular motif in depictions of organized crime in early 19th century China. Chrysanthemums and peach blossoms once had cultural connotations and links to the Japanese and Chinese imperial thrones, respectively. Cherry blossoms, sakura to the Japanese, are treated as nature’s subtle and beautiful way of reminding mortals of the short, evanescent nature of life as believed by Japanese who practice their Zen and Shinto religions. Flowers can have many meanings and many implications, varying from culture to culture, but there is one that (apparently) even science is not disputing: stress management.
Studies conducted by various organizations and groups in Japan and South Korea have found data that appears to indicate that growing flowers or simply viewing a flower garden is a viable form of stress management. This was quite observable during hanami, the three days of spring in Japan where most Japanese traditionally spend a day viewing...