Language of Flowers
Choosing your Bouquet with our help, explains the distinctive fragrances and symbolic colours which is behind the hidden meaning of flowers - a must read guide.
Flowers call to us, they speak a language we almost hear. Each flower's colour seems an announcement. The single wildflower by the path murmurs its particular name. In a vase, they sing in chorus. Our poetic relationship with flowers may arise from the function of blossoms in nature. Flowers are beautiful and odorous for a reason; to spread pollen and engender their kind. Maybe this basic association has always reminded our species of it own engendering.
We have always worn flowers in our hair. In our literature of love-east and west, north and south-we have woven flowers into myths and stories and given them meanings. We have presented them to one another, found beauty in their blooms. We have taken flowers as emblems and composed of them a language of our own. Since ancient times, we also have invested these floral organs with magical powers, especially in the matter of love. The periwinkle's spell engendered love; the myrtle kept it alive. In a fragrant midsummer night's dream, pansies placed on the eyes of a sleeper induced passion for the one who woke him. A distant lover, blowing on a forget-me-not, could perceive the loved one's very thoughts.
So, in way specific and poetic, sensual and implicit, the urge to name the flowers, to know them and to give them stories, has long possessed us. Even the odour of flowers seems to promise us something. "A flower's scent-invisible yet real has long been the emblem of the human soul. The book explores some of he mythic and personal significance of flowers, drawing upon the botany, the literature, and the lore of blooms to describe each one's acquired significance. This brief compendium looks to both the East and West for its inspiration, gathering the meanings we have given to flowers as we might gather the blooms themselves.
- Amaryllis - Taller than other flowers, suggested Pride to the Victorians in England
- Anemone - Flourishes in high, blustery terrain suggests Abandonment
- Anthurium - A gift of Anthurium confesses a man's intense Attraction
- Camellia - Stands for Honest Excellence. It told a Victorian lover "My destiny is in your hands"
- Chrysanthemum - Blooms in November it stands for the light of Hope in Dark
- Delphinium - Swiftness and Light, derived from the Greek word for "dolphin"
- Freesia - Reminds a loved one that love may be careful and Calm, as well as rushed and passionate
- Gardenia - Represents feminine Grace, subtletly and artistry
- Gerbera - Pretty and strong, suggests enduring Purity
- Gladioli - "Lilies of the field" they represent Natural Grace
- Gypsophila - Commonly known as baby's breath represents Pure of Heart and Innocence
- Heather - Red heather promised Passion, white heather promised Protection from rash, passionate acts
- Hibiscus - A symbol of delicate beauty and is the state flower of Hawaii meaning Sieze the Opportunity
- Honeysuckle - Because it winds its long wild stems around the branch it represents The Bonds of Love
- Hyacinth - Young Love, so transcendent, so self-obsessed, so often fatal, manifests itself in the hyacinth's blooms
- Hydrangea - In Victorian England, to send someone hydrangeas was to suggest that he or she has been Boasting
- Jasmine - Emblem of Good Luck and increase
- Lavender - In Victorian times, a gift of lavender meant I Don't Trust You,
- Lily - The pure white lily in Victorian flower language translated as youthful Innocence
- Mimosa - The feathery, furry mimosa is known for its exquisitie touch and stands for Sensitivity
- Narcissi - To the Chinese, the narcissus is the sacred lily, symbol of purity and promise and suggests Egotism
- Orange Rose - With their warm vibrant tones they symbolise Desire & Enthusiasm
- Orchid - Their intense scent almost too much for daylight, stands for Ecstasy
- Pansy - Representing the thoughts of Lovers, shared before a word is spoken
- Peach Rose - Mixed with orange and yellow, peach confirms gratitude and tender feeling. Friendship is the true meaning.
- Pink Rose - The rose of sweet thoughts, femininity, elegance and refinement meaning Perfect Happiness
- Poppy - Suggests the consolation of rest, the wonder of Dreams, and the sleep of death
- Ranuculus - Small charming flower was said in Victorian times to tell a lover that he or she was rich in Charm and attraction
- Red Rose - The identification of the red rose with beauty and with deep and passionate Love
- Rosemary - Anne of Cleves, marrying King Henry VIII, wore a crown a rosemary as it symbolises Rememberance
- Sunflower - The sunflower promises Power, warmth, nourishment - the attributes of the sun itself
- Sweet Pea - Beacuse Sweet Pea blooms constantly, the flower for Lasting Pleasure in the Victorian language of flowers
- Tulip - In Persia, to give red tulip was To Declare You Love.
- Violet - A dream of violets was said to fortell an advancement in life, representing a pledge of Faithfulness
- White Rose - Lve beyond the body, love of the soul. Suggesting purity and Silence
- Yellow Rose - A popular cowboy song "The yellow rose of Texas is the only girl for me" a yellow rose spoke of Jealousy
- Zinnia - In 1920, the botanist Luther Burbank produced the most beautiful variety, Zinnia elegans. Meaning Absence