When you send a dozen red roses, you’re probably confident that the recipient understands your message: red roses traditionally symbolize romantic love, after all. But what if you plan to send flowers to your boss or neighbor? What message will that pretty bouquet convey? And what about the perennials flanking your front entrance, or the garden-to-table dinner party arrangement you created from your cutting garden? If you hope to avoid a floral faux pas, consider the language of flowers!
What Is Floriography?
For thousands of years, floriography, also known as the language of flowers, was used to attribute meaning to flowers. Shakespeare used floriography in Hamlet, for instance, as did Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, and Charlotte Bronte in their novels. Floriography’s interest and application peaked in Victorian England and 19th century United States, where floral gifts conveyed hidden messages, allowing the sender to express feelings which couldn’t be spoken aloud to the recipient. Whether it was a tussie-mussie filled with violets (“loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness”) or a single camellia pinned to a lapel (“my destiny is in your hands”), flowers spoke volumes about feelings and relationships that society didn’t allow.
Today, we’re a tad more relaxed about telling others how we feel, but isn’t it more romantic to send a bouquet with a hidden message instead of a text with heart emojis? And, why not employ the language of flowers when creating your patio containers, planting perennials in beds near the front door, or growing a cutting garden for fresh bouquets? The subtle language of flowers can invoke a welcoming atmosphere in your garden and home. If you’d like to try floriography in your garden design, here’s a handy list of beautiful blooms and their meanings, along with a few Rozanne and Friends varieties to use in your garden:
The Language of Flowers…Defined
Perennial
Common Name
Meaning
If you wish to create a welcoming garden or floral arrangement—and hope to avoid insulting the recipient of a pretty bouquet—avoid flowers with a negative connotation, like begonia (beware), candytuft (indifference), or yellow hyacinth (jealousy). Of course, if you love these flowers, add them to your garden—but don’t mention their symbolism to guests! With containers, garden beds, and vases filled with cheerful blooms and hidden messages, you’ll impress friends and family with your knowledge of the language of flowers.
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