  Most of the language of flowers is forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love. |
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let's go back to the Victorian era and the language of flowers, sometimes called floriography.
At that time, messages were popularly conveyed using flowers, with secret lovers sending seemingly innocent bouquets to each other to convey their feelings.
Particularly during the Elizabethan period, strict rules of moral conduct gave rise to subtle ways of getting around them.
Liaisons were conducted with the help of flowers, which evolved into a language to convey romantic gestures and true love. One of the most commonly used conveyances was tussie-mussies, or small hand-held bouquets – an art which still has a following today.
Victorian flower dictionaries help shed light on this secret flower language. Poetic symbolism was assigned to the shapes and colours of flowers, and just about any message could be passed on in floral form.
This language is mostly forgotten now, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love; pink roses, a lesser affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity; and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion.
View the gallery of roses and their meanings.
Gerbera (daisy) means innocence or purity. Iris, named for the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, represents the sending of a message. A pansy signifies thought; a daffodil, regard; and a strand of ivy, fidelity.
A combination and arrangement of flowers could be altered to convey specific messages. A red rose combined with white rose buds, for instance, meant something different than a single blooming red rose.
The scents and sizes of flowers and even the position of the giver in delivering the bouquet would affect the message.
Using the right hand to accept the flowers, for example, generally conveyed a “yes,” while using the left hand indicated “no.” Inverting a flower conveyed the opposite meaning. An inverted red rose was a strong rejection.
So if you’re think of sending your loved one flowers this weekend, why not include a special message with them?
A rose by any other colour
Most of us understand what a rose means, but different types and colours carry different meanings. View the gallery of roses and their meanings.
How many roses?
1 blooming red rose: Love at first sight, or I still love you
1 rose, any colour: gratitude or simplicity
2 roses: mutual feelings
3 roses: I love you
7 roses: I’m infatuated with you
9 roses: We’ll be together forever
10 roses: You are perfect
11 roses: You are my treasured one
12 roses: Be mine
13 roses: Friends forever
15 roses: I’m truly sorry
24 roses: Forever yours
25 roses: Congratulations
50 roses: unconditional love
99 roses: I will love you all the days of my life
108 roses: Will you marry me?
999 roses: I love you till the end of time
Growing Concerns is produced by London, Ont.-area garden centres. E-mail us your gardening questions and we’ll try to respond in future columns.
