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Between the busy schedule and bodily fluids, a nurse’s day can be anything but sunny; why not brighten it up a little with a bouquet of sunflowers this May on National Nurse’s Day. There are almost 4 million licensed or registered nurses in America and chances are at least one of them has touched your life with their compassion, patience and comfort. Perhaps you know a nurse who works long hours in tough situations, but is always willing to lend a hand to help you out with a medical question or concern. Reward their often thankless work on this day set aside to honor their efforts at healing the sick and comforting those in need with the bright, bold faces of sunflowers.
As one of the largest plant families on Earth, sunflowers come in a surprising variety of colors and sizes. The traditional black-centered, yellow-petaled sunflower is a symbol of warmth and happiness all around the world with many cultures adopting its image of sun-following, head-held-highness as an emblem of optimism and hope: characteristics needed in spades to make it in the nursing profession. New cultivars are on the market these days, such as the rich reds of the “Moulin Rouge” or the melting golds of the “Autumn Sunset.” The “Chocolate Cherry” or “Italian Wine” cultivars have shades of ripe burgundy and can come in large and more miniature sizes.
Generally, sunflowers look best placed together in a bunch on their own. Cut them tall and put in a narrow vase or trim them short and arrange them in a rounded one for a bright and sunny arrangement. With greens, sunflowers really shine with a background of sky-blue Dutch irises or delphiniums.
Sunflowers last for a surprisingly long time if one takes the time to change the water in their vase. Every few days, dump out the old and fill with fresh, cool water making sure to keep any leaves out of the water. Blooms can still remain fresh even after stems begin to turn and you can simply trim off the lower parts and place in a shorter vase. Just like with people, a little care and attention can really go a long way. Thank a nurse for their care and attention with sunny sunflowers today.
