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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Thoughts This Mother's Day

"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

Celebrating mom...AND...mothers who read to their children...anyone who reads to children...the value of reading to children*...the added benefits of snuggling when reading to the little ones...the pure joy of reading to little ones.

Wish we could spread more of it around, don't you?  :-)

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

*Interested in finding out more on the value of reading to children? Here are links on the subject:
Early Moments, "10 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Kids"
Little Ones Reading Resource, "The Read Aloud Difference"
Cecily Markland, KSL.com, "The Importance of Reading with Children"

photo courtesy of sxc.hu/

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Tracing Those Creative Sparks

"And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see--or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read." --Alice Walker

My grandmother wrote poetry. My mom creates beautiful artwork in quilts. I have always appreciated their eye for beauty--and hearts for good words and stories. Can you trace the seeds of your creativity to a special person in your life?

Taking this opportunity to wish all a Happy Mother's Day! And to tweak the design of my blog a bit, plus introduce myself (finally) with a head shot to my profile. Hello, all. Glad to meet you! (And thanks to my creative daughter-in-law Suzan for the photo shoot she did that day. It was such fun! Love you :-)

*photo courtesy of sxc.hu/

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!