Colorado Mountain Gardener: The Language of Flowers, Just in Time for Valentine's

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Language of Flowers, Just in Time for Valentine's

Red Rose – Purity of Love

Imagine the colors and varieties of flowers woven into your garden every summer. Now take those colors and flowers and imagine them as a gift for Valentine’s Day. While it may be winter still, we can all look forward to longer days and the colors of life that spring and summer will provide to us from our garden blossoms.

We have the Victorian age largely to thank for the appreciation and beauty that individual flowers bring to us. Queen Victoria is primarily responsible for introducing this cultural focus to France, Britain and the US. As a result, the term “Language of Flowers” first appears in printed media around 1809. Think in terms of “floriography”, the study of flowers, plant and herbs that bring us pleasure. Add to that the historical symbolism of flowers and plants i.e. the Tudor Rose, including religious meanings for rosemary and myrtle. Even reaching back to the late 1400s there was the “Tussie Mussie”, which hit a height of popularity during the Victorian era. It is a simple small bouquet of flowers chosen to convey a message of like to a person. It has 3 main elements, a small gathering of flowers, a lace like doily backing and stems wrapped in satin ribbon overall. Some consider it to be the precursor to the contemporary bridal bouquet.

Here are some fun notes on floral/plant meanings in the Language of Flowers: