Leonidas Flower

Sweet flowers alone can say what passion fears revealing
Thomas Hood poem, The Language of Flowers

Flowers and bouquets of flowers have a meaning of their own. Most of us know that a dozen red roses means, "Be mine." But did you know, for example, that a primrose means, "I can not live without you", or hyacinth purple means, "Please forgive me," or that a pink carnation means "I will never forget you," or that a gladiolus means, "Give me a break? "

meanings of flowers have been used to convey ideas, feelings and messages for centuries. The word, floriography, was invented for the attribution of meaning to flowers. There is a meaning to colors of flowers, the number of flowers, and groups of flowers. It is a silent language that has been largely lost to us due to lack of use.

In addition to the obvious choices of color and variety, the language of flowers also includes flowers are so worn or presented. Presentation of flowers vertically transmit a positive sense, but if they are presented upside down the meaning is the opposite. If a ribbon is included with the flowers and is tied to the left, then returns the meaning of flowers to the donor, but if the tape is attached to the right, then the meaning refers to the recipient. In addition, the flowers can be used to answer questions. When presented with the right hand, the answer is "yes", but when presented with the left hand, the answer is "no."

History

The Turks in the 17th century seemed to develop flower meanings. In 1718, the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley, wrote a letter explaining the "secret language of flowers she had discovered during his visits to Turkey. Europe quickly picked up the concept.

In 1819, Louise Cortambert under the pen name, Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wrote and published what seems to have been the first dictionary of the flower language entitled, Le Language des Fleurs. It was a small book, but it become a popular reference on the subject.

In the Victorian era, the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, meaning and language of flowers became increasingly popular. Victorian women especially picked up the silent language that allowed them to communicate feelings and meanings that the strict propriety of the time did not permit. Tussie-Mussie, a bouquet of flowers wrapped with a lace doily and tied with a satin ribbon became a popular and valued gift of time.

In 1884, a whole book on the subject and entitled, The Language of Flowers, by Jean Marsh and illustrated by Kate Greenaway, was published in London. It became popular and respected and has been the standard source for Victorian flower meaning ever since.

Some flower meanings

Here are some selected flowers and their meanings, a short dictionary.

Almond flowers - Hope
Anemone - Forsaken
Aster - Symbol of love
Balm - Sympathy
Basil - Best wishes
leaf - "I change but in death"
Bell flower, white - Gratitude
Bergamot - Irresistible
Bluebell - Constance
Borage - Courage
Broom - Humility
Campanula - Gratitude
Carnation, pink - I'll never forget you
Carnation, red - I've got a poor heart for you
Carnation, striped - Refusal
China rose - Beauty always new
Chrysanthemum - Love
Clover, four leaf - "Be Mine"
Coreopsis - Love at First Sight
Cuckoo pint - Ardor
Daffodil - Regard
Daisy - Innocence, new-born, "I share your sentiment"
Fennel - Flattery
Fern - Sincerity
Forget-Me-Not - True l.