Flowers; The Language of Love and Other Emotions by Ramona K. Cecil

 

       

 

As authors, we know how important it is to have a good grasp of our story’s setting; topography, culture, and local accents. Writing stories with a historical setting requires even deeper research. Many social customs of the 19th Century and earlier have since been lost to history, but could be important to a story set in the mid 1800s. One of these customs was floriography; the language of flowers.

 

During the writing of my book Charity’s Heart, I needed a bouquet for my heroine. I had a general knowledge that during the 1800s certain flowers had meanings. I wanted my heroine’s bouquet to convey certain sentiments, so I researched the subject. I soon learned that floriography was far more extensive and complex than I’d imagined.

 

Recent TV ads encouraging the public to “Give flowers” for Valentine’s Day as an expression of affection, reminded me of what I’d learned about the Victorian custom of floriography.

 

Today the gift of a bouquet made from any lovely combination of flowers would likely be welcomed and appreciated without a second thought. But in the 19th Century, such a floral gift might well have invited closer scrutiny.

           

In the Victorian age, flowers, as well as a vast array of greenery, herbs, and spices conveyed a silent, now long lost language of their own. If you’ve ever received a dozen red roses on Valentines Day or your birthday, you’re probably aware that flower symbolizes love. For most of us, that’s about the extent of our modern knowledge of “flower language.” But what if the roses were pink, yellow, or white? Or what if they weren’t roses at all, but lilies or hyacinths? And what about those sprigs of baby’s breath tucked in among the roses? Are they simply to accent the other flowers’ brighter colors, or are they conveying a silent message of their own?

 

The Victorians would never simply throw together a nice-looking handful of flowers. No ma’am! They had it all down to a science. They could silently convey messages by presenting combinations of carefully chosen blossoms. Even the way the flowers were presented could make a huge difference in the conveyed message. The size and grouping of the flowers and whether the posies were presented in the right or left hand, upright or upside down could all drastically nuance your floral communication.

           

Consider the vast combinations possible and it’s enough to make your head explode! It’s no wonder they had special dictionaries of “floriography” to help keep all this stuff straight.

Even with their pocket references at the ready, it’s easy to imagine myriad miscommuniqués. Why, offer a poorly crafted tussie-mussie (small bouquet wrapped in a lace doily tied with a satin ribbon) or wave a hankie scented with the wrong floral fragrance and calamity could ensue.

                                                                            






I can imagine a dapper young man of the 1850’s, tussie-mussie in hand, smilingly striding up to the
object of his affection. The young lady glimpses the posies in her suitor’s grasp and her expression
registers surprise, confusion, and anger in quick succession. “Buttercups, red geraniums, and basil?” She snatches the bouquet, flings it to the ground, and stomps on it. “So you think I’m ungracious and stupid and you hate me? Well I never!” She tromps off, leaving the hapless young man as crushed as the bouquet at his feet.

 

On the other hand, a young lady could scent herself with honeysuckle or lavender and unintentionally
fan the ardor of any number of gentlemen. Seems to me, maneuvering a Victorian flower garden could be as dicey as traipsing through a mine field. Makes me glad I came of age in the Twentieth Century instead of the Nineteenth.

 

Though the notion of “speaking through flowers” may be a romantic one, it’s probably for the best that the art of floriography is no longer in vogue. The courting crowd today has enough problems with miscommunication in this age of Facebook and Twitter. One would hate to think that their relationship was done in by a rogue geranium.

 

Below is a sampling of flowers and their meanings from A Victorian Flower Dictionary: The Language of Flowers Companion by Mandy Kirkby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~A~                                                                          

acacia. . . . . secret love                                                

agrimony. . . . . gratitude                                                                                                         aloe. . . . . grief                                                          

amaryllis. . . . . pride                                                   

anemone. . . . . forsaken

 

~B~      

baby’s breath. . . . . everlasting love

basil. . . . . hate                                                            

begonia. . . . . caution

blackberry. . . . . envy

buttercup. . . . . ingratitude

 

~C~

calla lily. . . . . modesty

carnations:

(red). . . . . my heart breaks

(pink). . . . . I will never forget you

(white). . . . . sweet and lovely

(yellow). . . . . disdain

chrysanthemum. . . . . truth

 

~D~

daffodil. . . . . new beginnings

dahlia. . . . . dignity

daisy. . . . . innocence

dogwood. . . . . love undiminished by adversity

 

~E~

edelweiss. . . . .noble courage

elder. . . . . compassion

evening primrose. . . . . inconstancy

 

~F~

fern (Polypodiophyta). . . . . sincerity

feverfew. . . . . warmth

forsythia. . . . . anticipation

freesia. . . . . lasting friendship

 

~G~

gardenia. . . . .refinement

geranium (scarlet). . . . . stupidity

gerber daisy. . . . . cheerfulness

gladiolus. . . . . you pierce my heart

 

~H~

hawthorn. . . . . hope

heliotrope. . . . . devoted affection

honeysuckle. . . . . devotion

hyacinth (white). . . . . beauty

hydrangea. . . . . dispassion

 

~I~

ice plant. . . . . your looks freeze me

impatiens. . . . . impatience

iris. . . . . message

ivy. . . . . fidelity

 

~J~

jonquil. . . . . desire

 

~L~

larkspur. . . . . lightness

lavender. . . . . mistrust

lilac. . . . . first emotions of love

lily of the valley. . . . . return of happiness

 

~M~

mistletoe. . . . . I surmount all obstacles

morning glory. . . . . coquetry

moss rose. . . . . confession of love

myrtle. . . . . love

 

~N~

narcissus. . . . . self love

nasturtium. . . . . impetuous love

nettle. . . . . cruelty

 

~O~  

olive. . . . . peace

orange. . . . . generosity

orchid. . . . . refined beauty

 

~P~

pansy. . . . . think of me

peach blossom. . . . . I am your captive

peony. . . . . anger

periwinkle. . . . . tender recollections

pholx. . . . . our souls are united

 

~Q~

Queen Anne’s lace. . . . . fantasy

Quince. . . . . temptation

~R~

redbud. . . . . betrayal

rhododendron. . . . . beware

rose

(pink). . . . . grace

(red). . . . . love

(white). . . . . heart unacquainted with love

(yellow). . . . . infidelity

 

~S~

sage. . . . . good health and long life

scabious. . . . . unfortunate love

snapdragon. . . . . presumption

stephanotis. . . . . happiness in marriage

Sweet William. . . . . gallantry

 

~T~

tansy. . . . . I declare war against you

thistle. . . . . misanthropy

 

~W~

witch hazel. . . . . spell

 

~Y~

yarrow. . . . . cure for a broken heart

 

~Z~

zinnia. . . . . I mourn your absence