With Valentines Day just around the corner we ask; how much do we really know about the meaning of flowers?
Everyone knows that red roses are for love right? Well there was a time when young ladies and gentlemen of a romantic persuasion would have known much more. In the days of the nineteenth century, when love was generally forbidden and passion was most definitely taboo, gifts of flowers took on the role of a lovers code.
Men and women could exchange complex messages by selecting groups of flowers with specific meanings. Even the way the gift was given could mean something. Given with the left hand a bouquet could actually be a rejection, not a message of love. Dictionaries were published so that lovers could decipher the secret meanings of each bouquet!
Why not spice up your Valentines Day with a coded message for the one you love? Say it with flowers, but make sure you know what you’re saying! It’s a particularly useful way to communicate if the object of your desire is under the watchful eye of a matronly chaperone. Not likely these days but you never know.
- Red Roses – Passionate Love
- Red & White Mixed – Unity
- White Roses – Innocence & Purity
- Pink Roses – Friendship, Happiness & Grace
- Hibiscus / Orchid - delicate beauty
- Lilac - first love
- Jasmine - grace and elegance
- Peony - healing
- Pansy – loving thoughts
- Yellow Chrysanthemum – Secret Admirer!
- Tulips – The Perfect Lover
This peculiar etiquette of love originated in Victorian England. Flowers were not the only secret coding systems available. Ladies also had a system of semaphore expressed by the way they used a fan. The way a gentleman gestured with his handkerchief conveyed secret messages too.
With all this secrecy involved it’s a wonder anyone ever managed to get it together! Especially as different sources often had different translations! Of course modern dating has its own pitfalls too. The bizarre language of text messages causes more than a few love problems. So perhaps flowers are the better option after all. They’re easier than writing poetry and much more poetic than saying ‘Erm, I think you’re really nice.’
If all this code cracking sounds like too much work then relax, some of the best flower services online can help you out. Whatever you want to say, you can compare flower delivery services from the comfort of your computer and find the right one for your message. Just be careful with the secret meanings of flowers!
Kelly Kita of Star Reviews, a leading review company that searches and compares the top products and services so that you can save. Star Reviews has carefully selected the best flower services, by determining who has the best selection, best price, and provides an easy to use website. At 6StarReviews, you can learn more about our online flower reviews http://www.starreviews.com/.