Thousands of Petals Set to Brighten Wednesday in Menomonie

Research Shows Emotional Benefits of Flowers, Lakeview Floral and Gifts Encourages Culver’s Patrons to ‘Petal It Forward’

Menomonie, Wisconsin, October 15, 2025 

Lakeview Floral and Gifts will be at Culver’s in Menomonie on October 15, handing out hundreds of bouquets to Culver’s patrons to help brighten up their week, as part of the ‘Petal it Forward’ program, in partnership with the Society of American Florists (SAF), of which Lakeview Floral and Gifts is a member. Lakeview Floral and Gifts is joining dozens of florists across the country in Petal It Forward. This random-acts-of-kindness effort is in response to the release of data by SAF showing the positive emotional benefits of flowers. University research reveals that flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. Now, a survey has found that, when it comes to flowers, it’s just as good to give as it is to receive. With this data in mind, the Petal It Forward team is not only spreading happiness to lucky Menomonie residents who receive the flowers, but arming these recipients with the tools they need to Petal it Forward and spread happiness to others: An extra flower bouquet to share with a loved one, coworker or even a stranger. “We see the positive impact day in and day out when we make our flower deliveries,” said Julie Oesau of Lakeview Floral and Gifts. “People love to get flowers ‘just because’ so we wanted to create random smiles today and give people a chance to do the same for someone else.” A survey by SAF illustrates the impact of flowers. The results reveal the many benefits of flowers, including their positive effects on one’s emotions and happiness, and back up previous research studies on flowers conducted by Rutgers, Harvard and Texas A&M. (See www.aboutflowers.com/research more information on the university studies.) The following are highlights from SAF’s survey results: 

• When it comes to happiness, it’s just as good to give flowers as it is to receive: 88 percent of Americans report that giving flowers makes them feel happy, while 80 percent reported that receiving flowers makes them feel happy. 
• Just being around flowers improves your mood: 76 percent of Americans agree that having flowers in their home or office improves their mood. 
• The best reason to receive flowers is “just because”: Women (92 percent) are more likely to agree with this, but the majority of men (three in four) also share this sentiment.
• Florists to the rescue! Nearly four in 10 Americans indicate florists have helped them in a past or current relationship; most frequently to say, “I love you,” or schedule a surprise delivery. “The impact of giving or receiving flowers is powerful and memorable,” said Oesau. “It can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.” Oesau and the Petal It Forward Team will give away hundreds of bouquets to people at Culver’s in Menomonie.

After receiving their flowers, recipients are asked to spread the happiness by gifting their extra flower bouquet, and sharing their happiness on social media using #petalitforward. For more information on the benefits of flowers, visit http://www.aboutflowers.com and www.aboutflowersblog.com.