Your Guide to Spring Flowers

Spring is in full swing, and we're finally starting to see pops of color in nature. In fact, spring's various flowers may be one of the best parts of the season! Whether you're fortunate enough to have an outdoor garden, looking to add some new houseplants or just searching for the perfect fresh bouquet to bring a little nature indoors, spring flowers are the perfect way to welcome the change in weather and spend some time with nature. 

Of course, there are tons of blooms that make their appearances in spring, so how is one to choose which beautiful blossoms to add to a holistic space? These are a few of our favorite options for getting your hands dirty or bringing that perfect cutting to the dining room table. 

Peonies

Peonies are perennials that bloom primarily in spring, last through summer, and are able to survive the winter as well. In Chinese culture, the peony is known as the "King of Flowers" and represents richness and honor. Peonies are hardy flowers that can be found in shades of red, white and yellow, and they can be grown outside in sunlight and well-drained soil or coaxed to grow indoors in clay pots near sunny windows. 

Tulips

Tulips are one of the most popular symbols of spring, as they represent new and eternal life. They made our Mother's Day list too! Tulips are mid-spring blooms, primarily from April to May, and come in a range of different colors and styles. There are over 3,000 registered varieties of tulips, all of which make beautiful fresh flower arrangements! Whether you're planting outdoors or in your apartment with clay pots, tulips do need a "winter" season, so be sure to plant before winter or use a chilling treatment inside.

Lilies of the Valley

This white, bell-shaped flower is a late-spring, highly fragrant bloom that makes a lovely addition to a fresh flower bouquet or a beautiful potted plant. As a note, Lily of the Valley is poisonous, so keep out of reach of children and pets (especially adorable chihuahuas!). Outdoors or inside, lilies of the valley need well-draining soil and light to moderate shade. Or you can bring nature indoors as cuttings and show them off in a beautiful vase! 

Daffodils

Another mid-spring bloom that grows in many colors (yellow, white, orange, pink), daffodils are a spring staple for bringing in the season. These common flowers are often the first sign to many that spring has sprung, and they're beautiful outdoors, potted indoors or cut for bouquets and posies. Plant them outdoors before winter, spaced apart with moist, but well-drained soil, or coax them out indoors in a deep pot with cold treatment. 

Hyacinth

Let's not forget the beautiful hyacinth and grape hyacinth, early-spring blooms that also symbolize the birth of a new season. Greek legend has that hyacinth first grew from the blood of a Greek named Hyakinthos. Jealous that Apollo was teaching Hyakinthos, whom they both admired, to throw a discus, Zephyr blew the discus back at Hyakinthos, killing him. Even with a deadly story, these flowers bloom beautifully in shades of white, peach, salmon, orange, yellow, pink, red, purple, lavender and blue. Plant them outdoors in the fall or bring indoors as coaxed houseplants or gorgeous flower arrangements! 

There are, naturally, almost as many spring flowers as there are regions of the world. If our favorites don't spark joy for you, also try pansies, anemones, hibiscus, hydrangea, birds of paradise, freesias, amaryllis or any other flower that makes an appearance during the spring season. No matter which blossoms you choose, remember to bring a little nature, and a pop of color, into your holistic space this spring!

by Anjie Cho

6 Symbolic Flowers for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is this weekend, and giving Mom flowers is a long tradition on this holiday. In feng shui, many of the adjustments we make are almost as much about intention as they are precise "rules." Of course, using the right cures are important, but the symbolism of making changes in your life and space is paramount. 

In the same way, certain flowers can infuse meaning into the act of giving bouquets or other arrangements for any holiday, especially one as symbolic as Mother's Day. Take a look at the six most meaningful flowers to give Mom for her special day. 

Roses

Although roses are typically considered to represent more romantic feelings of love, they can also be representative of motherly love, depending on the choice of colors. 

Roses were thought to be sacred to the Greek goddess, Isis, often seen as the ideal mother, and in some belief systems, they also symbolize the Virgin Mary. 

Opt for pink roses to symbolize grace, elegance, appreciation, happiness and charity. In varying shades, pink roses represent grace, gratitude and joyful youth, and on a feng shui level, pink is the color associated with the Relationship bagua area, which is also associated with mothers. 

If pink isn't your style, yellow roses also signify friendship and joy, devotion and a caring nature. Opt for white to symbolize virtue, purity, reverence and good will, or go with a multi-colored bouquet to represent a wealth of positive energy. 

Carnations

Carnations are also an extremely popular flower for Mother's Day celebrations, and for good reason. Carnations were first made popular by the original founder of Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, who distributed white carnations as her mother's favorite flower in honor of the holiday. They have long been known as representative of love, purity, faith, fascination, beauty and distinction. 

In the Christian faith, carnations were also believed to have first appeared from the ground where Mary cried over the death of Jesus, and for this reason they are symbolic of a mother's eternal love. 

Carnations are a traditional Mother's Day flower and are symbolic in white, as good luck, loyalty and charity; in pink, as gratitude and love; and in red as admiration, love and heartfelt affection. 

Tulips

Tulips, too, are fantastic flowers to give to your mother this May. Typically associated with Spring and Easter, tulips represent new and eternal life, comfort, coziness and happiness, and their general message is one of love. 

Tulips range in color from white to orange, and the symbolism of each color is slightly different. To communicate feelings of caring, warmth and affection and loving concern, choose a shade of pink. To symbolize true, deep love and admiration, opt for red. White symbolizes purity and heaven itself, while cream tulips send a message of eternal love. At the brighter end of the spectrum, yellow tulips represent cheerful, fond thoughts and orange is a color symbolic of enthusiasm, excitement and energetic love. 

As with roses, you can stick to one meaningful color, or send your mom many messages with a multi-colored bouquet!

Daisies

As a long-standing traditional symbol of beauty and purity, daisies make a powerful addition to any Mother's Day bouquet, or a beautiful selection in themselves. White daisies symbolize the innocence of a mother's love, the purity of her patience and never-ending compassion. 

For a more cheerful, playful message, choose gerbera daisies! 

Orchids

Orchids are another excellent choice for Mother's Day. Orchids represent love, luxury, refinement, beauty and strength, qualities your mom most likely possesses! In Chinese culture, the orchid is also a symbol for "many children."

Orchids are also a powerful feng shui gift, as they are traditionally given as plants, which add the wood element, the energy of new life and natural beauty to your space. If Mom is single, orchids can also be placed strategically on her bedroom nightstand to attract an upright partner! 

Lilies

Finally, lilies are a popular choice for Mother's Day gifts as well and are rich in meaning. White lilies signify purity and majesty, while cala lilies represent beauty. The day lily even symbolizes motherhood in Chinese culture. 

Of course, these are far from the only choices for Mother's Day gifts. Other flowers with great symbolism for this holiday include lilacs, irises, sunflowers, violets, azaleas, bluebells and camellias. Fresh flowers are a great feng shui addition to any home. They attract joy and transformation in addition to being pretty! If possible, consider also choosing a plant with these flowers as a Mother's Day gift. As I mentioned earlier, plants are very symbolic in feng shui, bringing in the wood element and representing new beginnings, kind-heartedness and fresh energy. 

I hope you're able to find the perfect gift for your mom this Mother's Day, and if you're looking to bring flowers into Mom's home, keep these meanings in mind! Happy Mother's Day!

by Anjie Cho

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in Honor of Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is one of my favorite holidays, because it aligns so perfectly with what Holistic Spaces stands for. As a feng shui practitioner and green design architect, it's so important to me that we take nature into account when designing our spaces. After all, we need to be in harmony with nature to flourish and survive!

We've shared many tips over the years on how to make small changes in your life to save energy, from adding more Earth element to your space to propagating plant life to adjusting your toilet to save water, using real cutlery for takeout and much more. Each of these small changes can make an incredible impact on the energy you use every day to reduce your carbon footprint, or the amount of greenhouse gases you emit on a regular basis through activities, consumption, energy usage, etc. 

This year, we're focusing on knowing where you use your energy so that you can reduce it wherever possible. Take a look below at our favorite places to calculate and monitor your carbon footprint. 

EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator

The United States Environmental Protection Agency provides a relatively simple way to determine your carbon emission impact. This option isn't super detailed, but it does provide a rough estimate of how much carbon (and other greenhouse gases) a household puts off, based on electricity and gas usage, vehicles and waste production. The EPA then offers suggestions for ways to reduce your footprint, including cost savings, at each step. 

Energy We Need

Energy We Need was created by my old colleague, Alexander Frantzen, to make carbon footprint calculation easier. The website offers simple or custom calculations and is very detailed, including scientific considerations like average groundwater temperature for your area. It takes into account each person's use of technology, diet, emissions at places besides the home (school and work), laundry habits, and more. Energy We Need also makes certain steps easier, like figuring out your average water usage in the bathroom. Once you've got a good idea of your impact, the site provides an overview of the reductions necessary to meet national benchmarks, so that you know what to work toward, and suggested options for making changes. Plus, you can compare your first footprint with your new one as you make those changes!

CoolClimate Network

CoolClimate Network, operated by the University of California, Berkeley, is another great option if you're looking for suggestions to improve your carbon footprint. Plus, Berkeley is my alma mater! The CoolClimate system calculates by household, not individual, but it does provide a pretty detailed breakdown of how we produce greenhouse gases, taking things like diet, clothing purchases, services used, public transportation and more into consideration to ensure an accurate footprint. As you enter information and your output is adjusted, CoolClimate shows your energy consumption in comparison to the local average and provides a detailed list of ways to reduce your footprint, including an option to "Pledge" each change as well as calculated dollars saved and the cost to make each adjustment.

Carbon Footprint

At Carbonfootprint.com, you can calculate your energy usage by year (default) or set specific times to show your emission by month, quarter, etc. Carbon Footprint is configured in 14 different languages and uses the metric or standard system of measurement. This website takes diet, recycling habits, activity level and other smaller details into account as well and includes an option to donate as a way to offset your footprint. You can choose from varying causes, like Global Portfolio and Reforestation in Kenya, and the site provides a breakdown of where your donation goes. 

There are countless resources online, including a few phone apps, to measure and reduce your carbon footprint. Now that climate change and sustainability are at the forefront of current issues (finally!), doing your part to reduce greenhouse emissions and contribute to restoring nature has never been easier!

How big is your carbon footprint? What kinds of changes can you make to your space and habits to help restore the balance between us and nature? Check out a calculator, and sign up for the Holistic Spaces newsletter for even more tips on how to use green design and feng shui to reduce your footprint! 

by Anjie Cho