Nancy Holthuysen, Jos Mojet, Rob van Veggel, Ep Köster  

Wageningen University and Research, Centre for Innovative Consumer Studies, The Netherlands

A group of 62 subjects rated the goodness of fit of each of 12 flowers to each of 16 pictures of environmental situations (e.g. church, living room, bar, etc.). Both the order of presentation of the lowers and that of the situational pictures were systematically varied over the subjects. There were large differences in the generality of applicability of the flowers to the different situations. Some (e.g. White Lily) fitted highly to only a few situations, but not good in 10 situations, whereas another (Freesia) fitted almost all situations, but was nowhere very specifically appropriate. Three flowers (Eustoma, Gerbera en Alstroemeria) combined generality and high appropriateness. The responses of the subjects were rather traditional with regard to the situations they judged fit for placing flowers. In four of the situations (train, airport, office and rest room) flowers were considered inadequate. In contrast all types of flowers were considered to be appropriate in the church and in both a modern and a traditional living room. Solemn occasions demand white flowers (e.g. funeral: a white rose).