Flowers – Sunshine for the soul! How does floral colour influence preference, feelings of relaxation and positive up-lift?

Abstract

The natural environment is increasingly valued for its positive effect in retaining/restoring good mental health. Landscape architects are now challenged to embed therapeutic aspects within certain landscape designs, but what does this mean in practice? Flower colour has been one area that has attracted attention as potentially improving the restorative aspects of a designed landscape. In this research, 670 UK residents were surveyed to examine their preferences and emotional responses to flower colour using computer-generated images of ‘daisy-like’ flowers in 8 separate colours. Results showed that white, blue and orange were the most preferred flower colours. The data suggested, however, two separate phenomena were determining the psychological benefits associated with flower colour. The first is that there are some generic responses associated with key floral colours – flowers in blue play an effective role in relaxation/stress reduction; and warm colours - orange, yellow and red evoke uplifted emotions and deliver better positive affect. Interestingly, white was a colour that could both relax and provide uplifted emotions. The second phenomenon though, suggests that additionally and independently, an individual preference for a particular colour can also elicit positive psychological benefits, irrespective of what that particular colour is. In effect, favoured colours have a separate restorative effect that acts at a personal level. This finding has significance for landscape architects in that certain flower colours can be used to promote ‘generic’ therapeutic responses in appropriate locations, but that components of any designed landscape still need to take some account of personal responses and preferences.