Flowers create a pleasant atmosphere in the home and office.
There are a couple downsides to cut flowers, though. Several weeks ago I received a call from a California florist who, after years of flowers soaked in water laced with chemical preservatives, suffered from red, chapped hands. The flowers and the intention behind them bring smiles, but the inevitable wilted blooms signal a kind of ending. Few things are more disappointing than a beautiful flower arrangement that doesn't hold up. The cells in the flower's stem work like a bundle of soda straws.