Language of Flowers

Mother's Day seemed the perfect occasion for the next Language of Flowers post. While many mothers will receive flowers this Sunday, you can send your mother (or the mother of your children) a specific message, using floriography- the practice of selecting flowers for their meaning.

For Mother's Day, pink carnations are a popular choice as they signify 'motherly love'. Although carnations can be boring, and sometimes downright ugly (dyed blue flowers anyone?), used in the right arrangement, or even in a bouquet all by themselves, carnations can be lovely- plus they last a long time. To add in a little more meaning, peonies mean 'happy life', and some rosemary indicates 'remembrance'. For texture, but not meaning, I rounded the bouquet out with some lambs ear, and a unusual filler that the folks at the flower market called 'dogs eye', though I can't find any information about such a plant.

If my mom lived nearby, I'd bring her this bouquet to say that I love her, am thinking of her, and am thankful for the happy life she gave me. What would you like to say to your mom (or mother-figure) with flowers?

The Language of Flowers

When I was young I found a Hallmark card organizer at a yard sale. Inside was a list of some of the more common flowers and their meanings. While I certainly don't only choose flowers for their meaning, I have been fascinated by the Victorian practice of crafting a bouquet to have a specific meaning ever since finding that Hallmark list.

Now you probably know that a red rose is a symbol of love, but did you know that there's an entire language of flowers? I thought I'd share a few blooms that would make more unique choices for Valentine's Day this year.

Tulips. In a shade of red, a tulip symbolizes perfect love, making it a great choice for your love on Valentine's Day. Tulips are also more affordable than red roses, and bring a welcome touch of spring at this time of the year. I've never been much of a rose person, so I'd take tulips any day over roses.

Ranunculus. In any color, ranunculus symbolize captivation, or being 'dazzled'. One of my favorite flowers, ranunculus come in a huge range of colors, usually cost less than $10 per bunch, and are one of the first blooms of the spring so they're usually easy to find around this time.

 

Yellow roses. Like I said, I've never been much of a rose person, but spray roses, especially once they've opened up, can be really beautiful, and since they have a milder scent than long stemmed or wild roses, they are a good choice for someone who is sensitive to fragrance. A yellow rose, of any variety, symbolizes friendship and joy- a perfect way to show a close friend a little love- after all, Valentine's Day isn't just for couples.

Want to get a little more creative? Try crafting a bouquet to say just what you mean. This arrangement I made would be perfect for revealing to someone that you care about them, since ranunculus say 'you're captivating' and a maiden hair fern expresses secret love.

If you're interested in learning more about what flowers are saying, there are a number of websites with some of the more common flowers listed, like Teleflora's. I also discovered a beautiful book by Mandy Kirby- The Language of Flowers: A Miscellany- a wonderful resource with lovely illustrations on the subject.