Floriography
The language of flowers is a rather fickle concept. There are a lot of different meanings and really they're not all flowers. Its just a bit of fun to me and i love to imagine people collecting branches and blooms to send a message to someone. I find that to be a profoundly beautiful idea. Meaning has been attached to flowers for thousands of years, reaching back to the early Chinese dynasties and spread to different cultures throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It is believed that the Language of Flowers was introduced to Europe first by Lady Mary Wortley Montague in 1717. It gained popularity particularly during the Victorian era of 1820-1880 alongside a blooming interest in botany. Victorian England was not a place where speaking ones feelings was encouraged; so through gifts of flowers and plants, arranged specifically, the sender was able to communicate the sentiments they could not express verbally. The arrangement of the blooms was just as important as the flowers themselves in portraying the right message. During this time people used to carry flower dictionaries with them so they could decode the secret messages sent to them. The meanings attributed to each flower were often derived from the appearance of the plant itself, a good example being the classic red rose. The blood red colour bursts with passion while labyrinthine petals, coupled with a thorny stem, speak volumes of the often tortured complexities of love. Some flowers were more of a direct answer - a plain coloured carnation meant 'yes', while a striped carnation meant 'no' or a refusal. A confusion in translation could have led to some serious heartbreak there! Really though, I imagine the meanings have come from all sorts of backgrounds, from their uses in healing to archaic superstitions, then evolved and changed over the centuries. I say we bring this back! I would love to be fluent in Floriography! Sometimes feelings can be too difficult to voice articulately; at these times a vibrant, thoughtfully composed bouquet could be very helpful indeed. I have an image of a poor stable boy in love with the wealthy owners daughter. He wants to show her his love, so he scours the hedgerows for forget me nots or saves his pitiful salary to afford the perfect red rose from the flower market. He painstakingly arranges his offerings and leaves them at the window, hoping with all his heart that she will understand his message and perhaps leave him one in return. I know that i would rather be given a little piece of nature than anything else. And if there was a secret meaning behind it then even better. Its like a game. A riddle. There are a lot of conflicting meanings of the flowers and plants so i simply choose the one i like best. Its certainly not factual, its just a bit of fun. I did originally think i wanted to write solely about flowers but all of nature is enchanting and has a story to tell so i'm just going with the flow. Plus a lot of flowers have meanings that i don't really like (lavender- mistrust?) Also, the healing properties of the plants add another dimension of meaning and i don't believe that any interpretation can be wrong. Flowers evoke such powerful emotion so let that be your guide. My introduction to this secret language was actually through this novel which i did enjoy but i thought the story got a little contrived. The flowers are woven beautifully into the story though and the backdrop of San Francisco is a lovely touch. Winter weather brings great need for books, thoughts of flowers hastens the arrival of Spring. Alas, I'm being too hard on winter; there's such beauty in these months too, the crisp clear air and sparkling frosts are unique only to this time of year. Nature is never truly devoid of grace & wonder. Pink Rose- Perfect happiness; friendship Purple Pansy- Hearts ease; you occupy my thoughts Corn Poppy- Consolation Garden Daisy- I share your feelings; sentiments returned. |
LittlebirdJenna. Free spirit, flower enthusiast, seeker of truths. Archives
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