Flowers—whether delivered in a vase for a special occasion or tended with love in a backyard garden—have always held a magical place in the human psyche. Now a research team at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has confirmed the link between flowers and life satisfaction. Women participants in a ten-month-long scientific study reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and agitated after they received flowers, and they demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction. The presence of flowers also led to increased contact with family and friends.

Women tend to place flower arrangements in areas of the home that are open to visitors, such as foyers, living rooms, and dining rooms, the study found. “Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room,” says Rutgers psychology professor Jeannette Haviland-Jones, lead researcher for the study, which examined 147 women. “They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.”