And The Winner Is...

sample of flowers from hubby's garden 2014

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." --Hans Christian Andersen

If asked what we might add to Mr. Andersen's list of must-haves, what would be your answer? I suggest "friends"!

And with that lead-in, I announce the **winner** of my recent give-away contest of Jessica Lawson's delightful debut MG novel, The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher (review found here)--blogger friend, and author in her own right, Karen Lange! Karen blogs over at Write Now, "exploring the adventurous writing life."

Congratulations, Karen. The book will be on its way to you here real soon. 

Thanks to all who entered the drawing--may you all have a great rest of the week!

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The Language of Flowers

Mother's Day 2013

Flowers--in all their array of beauty and color--send various kinds of messages, don't they? They welcome spring, celebrate birthdays and special occasions, send get-well wishes, offer condolences. In the case above they simply say, love--as in a gift from hubby for Mother's Day. Aren't they gorgeous?

But, though flowers "send messages," did you know that they have their own language? I always sort of knew this, but explored it a bit more fully after coming across a sweet little book titled, I'll Ask My Grandmother, She's Very Wise, by Kristen Johnson Ingram. "Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had a symbolic vocabulary for expressing their love," Ingram writes. "A vocabulary of flowers that we have lost today. Flowers, a beautiful part of creation, expressed love; they were tributes of affection, honor, valor, and fame."

So if there's a flower vocabulary, what language are they speaking? Why, floriography! And it turns out that 'floriography' once played an interesting part in the communication among people.

Wikipedia: "The language of flowers, sometimes called 'floriography,' was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most commonly communicated through tussie-mussies, small flower bouquets."

Wendy Taylor at Proflowers: "The Victorian era ushered in a time of proper etiquette among the upper class in England during Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901). Among the many rules and customs, there were expected behaviors that prohibited outright flirtations, questions, or conversations between others. Even though the use of flowers to convey messages had been used in Persia and the Middle East, it was during the Victorian Era that the tradition spread in England with the publication of flower dictionaries explaining the meaning of plants, flowers, and herbs. It soon became popular to use flowers to send secretive messages."

A code? Secret messages? Delivered in tussie-mussies? Oooh, sounds like the stuff of novelists, don't you think?

Whoops, turns out authors have already beat us to it. "William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and many others, all used the language of flowers in their writings." (Santa Monica Flowers)

Anyway, in case you might be interested in dipping into the vocabulary, too, here's a sample of meanings, though in no way exhaustive. And bear in mind that meanings vary depending on what list you consult.

Baby's Breath--innocence
Bluebell--gratitude
Carnation--admiration (red), faithfulness (white), a mother's love (pink)
Daisy--cheer
Hyacinth--'I am sorry, please forgive me'
Iris--good news
Lavender--devotion
Lilac--memories; first love
Lily-of-the-valley--sweetness
Marigold--pain and grief, sorrow
Morning glory--affection
Orchid--refined beauty
Pansy--merriment
Peony--bashfulness
Petunia--'your presence soothes me'
Rose--love (red), passion (coral), happiness and excitement (red and yellow together)
Sweet William--gallantry
Tulip--declaration of love
Violet--faithfulness (blue), modesty (white)
Zinnia--absent friends

Happy Mother's Day! If you were to put together a tussie-mussie to send a message to someone, what flowers would go in your bouquet?

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Flowers for Mother's Day

Recharging the batteries and enjoying family this Mother's Day weekend. But first,
I offer a few flowers--and thoughts--to those who happen to drop by. Enjoy!

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever

to have your heart go walking around outside your body." --Elizabeth Stone

"What feeling is so nice as a child's hand in yours? So small, so soft and warm,

like a kitten huddling in the shelter of your clasp." --Marjorie Holmes

"All babies need a lap." --Anonymous

"You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be

I had a mother who read to me." --Strickland Gillilan

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children.

One is roots. The other is wings." --Hodding Carter, Jr.

"The precursor of the mirror is the mother's face." --D.W. Winnicott

"When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll
be a great general. If you become a monk you'll end up as the pope.'

Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso." --Pablo Picasso

"There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it." --Chinese Proverb

Happy Mother's Day!