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Smell the flowers

The magic of flowers lies in the fact that they add spring to one's life, says Harjeet Kaur Allagh

PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR

FLOWER POWER Flowers enchant children and elders alike

You don't have to convince anybody to like flowers. Flowers are God's gift to mankind. Like human emotions, they speak louder than words. A momentous occasion is never complete if one is not greeted with fresh blooms. The spellbindingdivine creations of God are food for the soul and life would perhaps be very dull without the brightness sprinkled by them. Be it a festival, a birthday celebration, a wedding anniversary or a house-warming ceremony; flowers liven up the environment doubling the joy of one and all. . From the welcoming garlands tastefully hung on to the threshold to the colourful rangoli embellished with bright flowers, to the sombre pujas, nothing looks complete without them.

Mood-enhancer

The tropical climate of the city paves way for grooming exotic flowers. Flowers are also the best friend of women in south India who adorn their tresses with them. Veena, a college student, loves jasmines. "They are my favourite and I like their delicate and sweet scent," she says. Deepa, a mother of two, echoes Veena's views: "Jasmine denotes grace and elegance and when worn at night, their fragrance overwhelms the senses," she chuckles. Young Yotika likes to embellish her braid with roses that match with her outfit.

Flowers are also mood enhancers. The next time you feel low, all you need to do is to drive away the blues by smelling the flowers, quite literally at that. Traditional households make liberal use of flowers to sprinkle life and cheer across the home. Toranams of yellow chrysanthemumsmean cheerfulness while an arty rangoli decorated with flowers lightens up the surroundings. Leave them in terracotta urlis or floating candles or simply place roses in a vase on the table top and voila! Your home is transformed into a paradise.

`To keep the blossoms fresh for a longer period in vases, I throw in an aspirin or apply rock salt to the edges of the stems," says Lakshmi.

Flower power

Florists in town are doing a brisk business, as orders for flower decoration pour in for almost every occasion. The most used flowers for decorations are gerberas, gladiolas, roses, asters and lilies.

The affluent are opt for the exotic haleconia, orchids and bird of paradise. Kamala, who got her daughter married recently, isfanatic about flowers. "I wanted the mandapam to be a flowery bower for the most special day in my daughter's life and so I had hired services from Bangalore to do up the wedding," she says with a sense of satisfaction.

Lovers world over rely on these multi-hued creations to woo their ladylove. A pink rose, it is said, denotes teenage love while the one in deep red shade is believed to be the sign of undying emotions of mature love.

Girls are known for their fascination for roses and so it comes in handy for guys to cash in on their weakness. Prachi, a management student, says she would like to be wooed by her dream boy with loads of carnations. "I will preserve each one forever," says the starry-eyed girl.

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