The day’s sunsets are coming later at night, the sky is blue, the sun is out, and North Kingstown students are retiring their winter jackets. Spring has arrived, and with it comes one of the most enjoyable parts of the season-flowers!

We don’t think about it every day, but flowers are one of the happiest signifiers of spring, warmth, and new beginnings. As they continue to bloom around us we may look at them with awe or pick them for friends, but there are many uses for flowers that we don’t realize are at our dispense.

Flowers and herbs have been used as medicines for centuries. There are available remedies for anything from preventing serious illnesses to treating a common cold or muscle aches.

The tall poppies and echinacea flowers that may grow in our gardens at home can actually be used as powerful pain relief medicine and as immune system boosters. In addition, flowers, herbs and plants found outside our garden such as aloe vera, ginger, and chamomile all have unique healing properties and can be purchased at farms or grocery stores.

Senior Francesca Bezamat conducted her senior project on this topic of natural healing.“With the substitution of herbs and plants to heal, the body is only manipulating one substance and it gives you a peace of mind because you know where it’s coming from,” she said. “I believe natural medicines should be used for day to day ailments because they do work.”

While the health benefits of flowers and plants are not to be overlooked, their beauty and versatility as decorations and arrangements shouldn’t be forgotten either.

While there are always flower bouquets and arrangements available to purchase, it is surprisingly simple to make your own. General guidelines for creating home flower arrangements encourage you to experiment, make substitutions, use what is seasonal and dispensable, and think outside of the box in terms of vases. Bouquets in vases can range from one single type of flowers bunched together to a variety of flowers that contrast, and may even be accompanied by branches, herbs, fruits, or vegetables. Home arrangements not only make for enchanting decorations, but are naturally fragrant.

The same can be done for prom! Any array of flowers can be used to customize a bouquet by simply gathering the flowers together, cutting the stems even, and using stem tape and ribbon to secure the ends.

There are a variety of other ways to utilize the flowers and plants around us this spring. So, explore outside, and take this time before spring comes to an end to get creative with the ways in which you can use them!