Botanical Therapy: How Flowers Can Transform Your Mind & Mood

Studies highlight how exposure to flowers can lower cortisol levels, boost mood, and even improve cognitive function. Beyond their visual beauty, many flowers also possess therapeutic properties, making floral wellbeing a powerful tool in holistic wellness.

With the Chelsea Flower Show 2025 set to captivate London’s SW3 this May, now is the perfect time to explore the sensory splendour of flower therapy. Whether you find serenity in the structured grandeur of botanical gardens or the meditative practice of flower arranging, there’s a floral escape to suit every preference. PoB Hotels’ Nurture Your Soul campaign embraces this connection between nature and wellbeing, offering expert-led retreats and rejuvenating experiences across its collection. A stay at one of PoB Hotels’ luxury garden hotels will transport you to a world of aromatic bliss, where flower-infused spa treatments and verdant landscapes promise total rejuvenation.

This month, London's SW3 postcode will be in full bloom as the Chelsea Flower Show 2025 transforms the capital into a botanical paradise. From 20–24 May, the world's most prestigious garden show returns with dazzling floral displays, cutting-edge horticultural designs, and a few surprises.

This year, Monty Don makes his long-anticipated debut as a garden designer, while Tom Massey and Je Ahn unveil a climate-resilient garden that harnesses AI to adapt to shifting environmental conditions. The Chelsea Pensioners, a fixture of the show in their distinctive scarlet uniforms, will also have a garden of their own. As always, the Show Gardens remain the crown jewels of RHS Chelsea, where Britain’s finest designers compete for horticultural glory. Houseplant enthusiasts will want to explore the Houseplant Studios, which brim with rare and exotic plants, styled interiors, and expert advice on keeping them thriving. At the heart of it all, the Great Pavilion is a masterclass in floral excellence, where the UK’s top nurseries and growers showcase the finest botanical specimens in breath-taking displays.

For a luxurious stay within easy reach of Chelsea’s floral festivities, The Athenaeum offers a unique botanical connection with its iconic Living Wall, an urban garden stretching from street level to the tenth floor, designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc. Just a stone’s throw from the show, The Capital provides a refined and intimate retreat, while The Hari combines contemporary elegance with a subtle botanical influence, making it the perfect sanctuary after a day immersed in floral splendour.

Time spent among flowers is more than a visual pleasure - it’s an act of restoration. Studies show that simply looking at flowers can boost positive emotions and reduce stress - so whether strolling through a historic rose garden or learning the art of flower arranging for relaxation, engaging with blooms can be profoundly therapeutic.

At Gravetye Manor, floral therapy is woven into the very essence of the guest experience. Surrounded by 35 acres of gardens originally designed in 1885 by horticultural pioneer William Robinson, the hotel is a haven of seasonal beauty. Visitors can lose themselves in the ever-changing flower garden or deepen their botanical knowledge through garden tours with expert talks, and hands-on flower workshops.

The Montagu Arms brings nature even closer, with an elegant 1930s garden designed to blur the lines between indoors and out. Winding pathways lead past lush lawns and flower-filled borders, creating the perfect setting for an alfresco cocktail or an afternoon spent admiring the shifting light over the blooms. Throughout the year, the hotel hosts immersive experiences such as the Winter Flower Arranging workshop with florist Mala Williams, and the Wild New Forest Break, offering an up-close encounter with the flora, butterflies, and birdlife of the surrounding landscape.

In Cornwall, The Nare celebrates its botanical heritage with a private walled cutting garden, tended by head gardener Karl, ensuring that fresh, seasonal flowers adorn the hotel interiors throughout the year. Thanks to Cornwall’s mild, Gulf Stream-influenced climate, gardens in this region flourish with exotic species rarely seen elsewhere in the UK, making it a dream destination for lovers of rare and beautiful plants.