There’s a reason you instinctively breathe deeper when walking through a garden. Or why a single vase of peonies can shift the energy of an entire room. Nature doesn’t ask you to be anything but present. And sometimes, that’s exactly what our overwhelmed nervous systems are begging for.
In our latest episode of If You Have Feelings, we sat down with Mary Pappas of Mary Martha’s Floral to talk about the quiet magic of flower therapy.
Not as in crystals and incense kind of therapy (though no shade if that’s your thing), but as in real, tactile, gut-level grounding. The kind that lets you exhale. The kind that lets you feel something again.
Flowers Speak Louder Than Words
Mary’s been in the floral industry for 30+ years, but she’ll be the first to tell you: flowers have always had the last word. Whether it’s grief, celebration, or just surviving Tuesday, there’s something about being around blooms that cuts through the noise.
“Sometimes I don't even realize how much I need to process until I'm arranging,” Mary shared. “And then it just comes out. The peace shows up. The clarity.”
Flower therapy, for her, isn’t about perfect petals or Pinterest-worthy centerpieces. It’s about presence. It's about letting the dirt under your fingernails remind you you're alive.
When Life Pulls You Apart, Go Touch Something Real
Let’s be real: life gets loud. Chaotic. Too much.
And when you’re swirling in grief, stress, overstimulation, or a full-on existential meltdown, grounding yourself can feel impossible. But nature doesn’t need you to have a five-year plan. It just needs you to pause. To water something. To feel your feet in the grass.
“Flowers are meant to remind us of the present,” Mary said. “They don’t last forever—and they’re not supposed to. But they give us joy while they’re here.”
This isn’t some performative self-care flex. This is about pulling yourself back into your body when your brain wants to sprint 100 miles ahead. It’s about touching the petals, trimming the stems, being right here. Especially when everything else feels out of control.
Grounding Doesn’t Always Look Peaceful
Here’s your permission slip: grounding doesn’t have to be aesthetic. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s planting a garden while crying. Sometimes it’s screaming into the void and then handing yourself a flower because you made it through the day.
Mary talked about grief. How it showed up in her work after losing loved ones, how it transformed her connection to floral design. “When I’m designing while I’m grieving,” she said, “it’s like the flowers hold the feelings for me.”
Yeah. Same.
It’s Not About Knowing, It’s About Doing
You don’t have to understand flower therapy to benefit from it. You don’t have to be a plant person or have an eye for design. All you have to do is start. Buy a bouquet. Clip some stems. Stick your hands in the dirt. Arrange something imperfectly.
“Nature isn’t perfect,” Mary reminded us. “So your arrangement doesn’t have to be either.”
Whether you're feeling stuck, scattered, or just soul-tired, try grounding yourself in something real. Let the flowers do what they do best: show up without needing to be understood. Just like you.
Reflect With Us
When was the last time you felt truly grounded? What brought you back to that feeling? Was it a person, a ritual, a patch of sunlight? Text us your answer and we might talk about it in our next Real Feels Hotline episode.
And hey… maybe today’s the day to gift yourself (or someone else) a bouquet. Celebrate life while we’re still living it.
About Mary Pappas
Mary Pappas of Mary Martha's Floral, your trusted neighborhood flower shop in Denver Colorado, specializes in stunning custom designed floral arrangements for every occasion-from birthdays, weddings, seasonal celebrations to sympathy tributes. Mary uses flower therapy to ground herself and others.
Follow @marymarthasfloral on Instagram for more.
