The Language and Meaning of Flowers

Sweet flowers abandoned can say what affection fears revealing
Thomas Hood poem, The Accent of Flowers
Flowers and bouquets of flowers accept a acceptation of their own. Best of us apperceive that a dozen red roses means, "Be mine." But did you know, for example, that a primrose means, "I can't alive after you," or that a amethyst hyacinth means, "Please absolve me," or that a blush carnation means, "I'll never balloon you," or that a gladiolus means, "Give me a break?"
Flower meanings accept been acclimated to back ideas, animosity and letters for centuries. The word, floriography, has been coined for the appointment of acceptation to flowers. There is a acceptation to colors of flowers, to numbers of flowers, and to groups of flowers. It is a bashful accent that has been abundantly absent to us through abridgement of use.
In accession to the accessible choices of blush and variety, the accent of flowers additionally includes the way flowers are beat or presented. Presenting flowers cocked conveys a absolute meaning, but if they are presented upside bottomward the acceptation is the opposite. If a award is included with the flowers and is angry to the larboard again the acceptation of the flowers refers to the giver, but if the award is angry to the appropriate again the acceptation refers to the recipient. Also, flowers can be acclimated to acknowledgment questions. Back they are presented with the appropriate duke the acknowledgment is "yes," but back presented with the larboard duke the acknowledgment is "no."
History
The Turks in the 17th aeon seemed to advance annual meanings. In 1718 the wife of the British agent to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley, wrote a letter analogue on the "Secret Accent of Flowers" that she had apparent during her visits to Turkey. Europe bound best up on the concept.
In 1819 Louise Cortambert, beneath the pen name, Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wrote and appear what seems to accept been the aboriginal concordance of the annual accent entitled, Le Accent des Fleurs. It was a baby book, but it became a accepted advertence on the subject.
During the Victorian era, the administration of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, the acceptation and accent of flowers became more popular. Victorian women abnormally best up the bashful accent that accustomed them to acquaint animosity and meanings that the austere accordance of the times would not allow. Tussie-mussies, a boutonniere of flowers captivated with a applique doily and angry with a glassy award became a accepted and admired allowance of the times.
In 1884 a accomplished book on the accountable and entitled, The Accent of Flowers, by Jean Marsh and illustrated by Kate Greenaway, was appear in London. It became accepted and admired and has been the accepted antecedent for Victorian annual acceptation anytime since.
Selected Annual Meanings
Here are some called flowers and their meanings, a abbreviate dictionary.
Almond flowers -- Hope
Anemone -- Forsaken
Aster -- Symbol of love
Balm -- Sympathy
Basil -- Best wishes
Bay blade -- "I change but in death"
Bell flower, white -- Gratitude
Bergamot -- Irresistible
Bluebell -- Constancy
Borage -- Courage
Broom -- Humility
Campanula -- Gratitude
Carnation, blush -- I'll never balloon you
Carnation, red -- My poor affection aches for you
Carnation, striped -- Refusal
China rose -- Adorableness consistently new
Chrysanthemum -- Love
Clover, four abounding -- "Be mine"
Coreopsis -- Adulation at aboriginal sight
Cuckoo pint -- Ardor
Daffodil -- Regard
Daisy -- Innocence, new-born, "I allotment your sentiment"
Fennel -- Flattery
Fern -- Sincerity
Forget-Me-Not -- True love
Furze or Gorse -- Enduring affection
French Marigold -- Jealousy
Gardenia -- Ecstasy
Gentian -- Loveliness
Geranium -- "You are childish"
Hare alarm -- Grief
Heartsease -- "I am consistently cerebration of you"
Honeysuckle -- Bonds of love
Heather -- Admiration
Hyacinth -- I am sorry, Please absolve me
Ice Plant -- "Your actualization freezes me"
Ivy -- Fidelity, friendship, marriage
Jasmine -- Grace
Jonquil -- "I achievement for acknowledgment of affection"
Lavender -- Luck, devotion
Lemon Balm -- Sympathy
Lilac -- Aboriginal love
Lily -- Purity, modesty
Lily of the Valley -- Purity, the acknowledgment of happiness
Lily, Calla -- Beauty
Marigold -- Health, affliction or despair
Marjoram -- Kindness, courtesy
Myrtle -- Fidelity
Oregano -- Joy
Orchid -- Love, beauty, refinement
Pansy -- Loving thoughts
Periwinkle -- Happy memory
Phlox -- Agreement
Poppy, red -- Consolation
Primrose -- I can't alive after you
Rose, banknote -- Agent of love
Rose, red -- Love
Rose, blush -- Grace, beauty
Rose, chicken -- Friendship
Rosemary -- Remembrance, constancy
Rue -- Contrition
Sage -- Gratitude, calm virtue
Snowdrop -- Hope
Star of Bethlehem -- Purity
Sweet Pea -- Departure, breakable memory
Sweet William -- Gallantry
Tuberose -- Voluptuousness
Tulip, red -- My absolute lover, Reclamation of love
Violet -- Loyalty, modesty, humility
Violet, dejected -- Faithfulness
Wormwood -- Grief
Wheat -- Riches of the assiduity of life
Willow, complaining -- Mourning
Wallflower -- Fidelity
Yew -- Sorrow
The Rose
The Rose is the annual whose acceptation we best understand, but actuality are some capacity of the acceptation of the Rose that may be of added interest.
Rose, Black - You are my obsession
Rose, Champagne - You are breakable and loving
Rose, Leonidas - Sweet love
Rose, Nicole - You are adroit and elegant, aristocratic
Rose, Orange - You are my abstruse love
Rose, Blush - Brilliant complexion; the afterglow of your smile; absolute happiness
Rose, Red - Passionate love; I adulation you
Rose, Single Stems - Simplicity
Rose, White - I am aces of you; airy love; Innocence and Purity; Secrecy and Silence
Rose, White and Red - We are inseparable
Rose, White and Red Mixed - Unity; Annual adumbration of England
Rose, White, Dried - Death is bigger to accident of virtue
Rose, Chicken - Friendship; Jealousy; I am not worthy
Rose, Bridal - Happy Love
Rose, Dark Crimson - Mourning
Rose, Hibiscus - Delicate beauty
Rose, Tea - I'll bethink always
Rose, Thornless - Adulation at aboriginal sight
Roses, Boutonniere of Mature Blooms - Gratitude
Multiple Roses
Single blossom red Rose - Adulation at aboriginal afterimage or I still adulation you
Single Rose, any blush - Gratitude or simplicity
2 Roses - Mutual feelings
3 Roses - I adulation you
7 Roses - I'm beguiled with you
9 Roses - We'll be calm forever
10 Roses - You are perfect
11 Roses - You are my admired one
12 Roses - Be mine
13 Roses - Friends forever
15 Roses - I'm absolutely sorry
20 Roses - I'm absolutely aboveboard appear you
21 Roses - I'm committed to you
24 Roses - Forever yours
25 Roses - Congratulations
50 Roses - Unconditional love
99 Roses - I will adulation you all the canicule of my life
108 Roses - Will you ally me?
999 Roses - I adulation you till the end of time
What To Do
With the lists aloft you should be able to accumulate a allusive allowance of flowers or a boutonniere that conveys a circuitous thought. Wrap the flowers appropriately and present them in a cogent manner. Then, aloof to be assertive that your efforts are not misinterpreted, accommodate a agenda that absolutely explains the acceptation of your flowers.
After a few annual presentations you should be able to bead the allegorical addendum and activate adequate and administration the bashful accent of flowers.