On Wednesday October 18th Booker Flowers and Gifts is joining forces with other florists across the world to surprise unsuspecting passers-by in South Liverpool with two free flower bouquets each — one to keep and one to give to a friend, family member, colleague, or – perhaps even more powerfully – a total stranger.

The random-acts-of-kindness initiative – called Petal It Forward – is designed to help people start their day with more smiles and less tension and works in tandem with scientific research that shows living with flowers actively reduces stress.

Purposely held on a Wednesday to help the mid-week slump. Gemma Wakerley of Booker Flowers and Gifts wanted to be a part of the mood-boosting effort and make a difference in the community.

“Through the positive effects of flowers, we hope to make someone’s day brighter, and provide a much-needed moment of calm amidst the hectic pace of life,”.

The research findings on flowers and stress relief have been carried out by both Rutgers and Harvard and prove that both giving and receiving flowers can do wonders for a person … something that seems timely given so many are finding life stressful now and the world seems such an unhappy place.

Explaining the idea behind Petal it Forward Gemma Wakerley says the original idea of ‘keep one, share one’, started in 2015, after statistics showed that while 80 percent of people reported receiving flowers makes them happy, even more (88 percent) said that giving flowers makes them happy.

“As florists we see this all the time … on Petal it Forward day we want to give even more people the chance to experience both,” said Gemma. “Plus, we love the opportunity to spread a little happiness in our local community”.

To be part of Petal it Forward look out for the Booker Flowers and Gifts team who will be on the parade by their shop on Booker Avenue in Mossley Hill, South Liverpool.