Quick Study [kwik stuhd-ee]: The Huffington Post Canada's tips to make your life a little sweeter, five minutes at a time. Think of it as a cheatsheet for your general well-being.
For the next 30 days, we're checking out how to take a break from your busy holiday schedule and relax -- in unexpected ways.
THE EXPERT:
The Huffington Post Canada talked to florist Fiona Liston, owner of Stemz in Toronto, on how flowers can help us relax this holiday season.
Are there any particular flowers you recommend at this time of year that help relieve stress?
For the cold months ahead and stressful holiday time, it's always great to have seasonal foliage at home. The smell of blue spruce pine or Douglas fir can be a soothing and soft fragrance. Create calming natural colour tones by mixing a variety of foliages like soft silvery blue and green tones that blend well with any environment.
Lavender is known as the big stress reliever flower in our industry, and although only available dried at this time, there is such a beautiful array of other varieties to choose from: Rich coloured amaryllis, peonies and big scented garden roses help to bring joy to winter days.
TIP:
Pick a good spot in your home, such as a mantel or a dining room table, where you can easily place winter foliages, pinecones, small potted plants and even baubles to create a mini landscape.
TWITTERVERSE GEM:
HUFFPOST SECRETS:
If you're thinking about planning ahead for 2012, why not focus on your garden? Here's a reason why you should consider a gardening course in the winter.
1. Traditionally winter is a time for planning for gardeners. They get down all their gardening books from the bookshelves, a pour over planting plans and bulb catalogues to get the perfect designs for the following year. If you take your garden design course now, you'll be in a perfect position to have your dream garden by next year. Read the rest of the tips here.
WATCH:
Now, if you have allergies or you're just not a fan of real flowers, check out this project on how to make silk flowers.
What's your favourite flower during the winter? Let us know on Twitter at @HuffPostCaLiv or in the comments below.