how to choose flowers

[flextone]

I was wondering if any of you could tell me where I can find information about flowers and their meaning, I wasn`t able to find much on the net. do you know any good websites that can help? I`m trying to choose flowers for my new dream home so thanks for any help.








edited by grey for link to advertising website.

[opabinia51]

Maybe try an ethnobotanist at a local college or University. Florests would also be a good information source on that.

From the top of my head, I remember that Red Roses are for love, pink roses are for sensuality, yellow roses are for friendship, I can't remember what Amaryllus (spelling?) is.

Anyway, good luck. Post any stuff that you find as I am also interested in the meaning of flowers.

[grandpasrose]

I think if you Google "Language of Flowers", you will find what you are looking for. In Victorian times, bouquets given had great personal meaning in that each flower was specifically chosen to express a quality of that person. Some of these bouquets were quite intricate, with several different varieties of flowers, all to be read like a story. Really quite interesting!

Val

[opabinia51]

Yah, I think that this custom is really fascinating.

I remember watching Kate and Leopold (a hollywood movie) where Leopold is instructing this guy about the meaning of all the different flowers.

thanks Val,

KEVIN

[grandpasrose]

No problem! I have a book on it called "Forget Me Not" by Pamela Todd. It was one of the last gifts I received from my grandmother. It is very interesting, and if you follow it, you have to be careful about your choices, or you may be misunderstood!

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Believe message bouquets were called mussie-tussies in Victorian England, might try searching that too...

HG

[grandpasrose]

Yep, there were mussy tussy's too, but they were a little less formal in the translation, and could put a flower in just cause it was pretty or smelled nice. They were really cute too!!

Val

[Grey]

Ah, I have a little book somewhere about flowers - which kinds to give in which situations, what color roses they should be, and even the number of flowers given can have a meaning!

Very neat subject.

Here's a small list I found:

Acacia: Friendship
Agapanthus: Secret Love
Alstroemeria: Devotion
Amaryllis: Pride, Timidity, Splendid Beauty
Anemone: Expectations
Aster: Elegance and Love
Azalea: First Love, Temperance

Baby's Breath: Innocence
Bachelor Button: Hope
Begonia: A fanciful nature
Bells of Ireland: Good Luck
Bouvardia: Enthusiasm
Buttercup: Childishness

Calla Lily: Magnificent Beauty
Camellia-red: Unpretending excellence
Camellia-white: Perfected loveliness
Carnation-red: Alas poor heart
Carnation-pink: I'll never forget you
Carnation-purple: Capriciousness
Carnation-stripped: Sorry I can't be with you
Carnation-white: Innocence
Carnation-yellow: Disdain
Chrysanthemum-red: Love
Chrysanthemum-white: Truth
Chrysanthemum-yellow: Slighted love
Crocus: Youthful gladness

Daffodil: Regard, You are the only one
Dahlia: Dignity and Elegance
Daisy: Gentleness, Innocence, Loyalty and Romance
Dandelion: Rustic Oracle
Delphinium: Flights of Fancy, Ardent Attachment

Fern: Fascination
Forget Me Not: Faithful Love, Undying Hope, Memory, Do Not Forget
Freesia: Innocence

Galax: Encouragement
Gardenia: Purity and Sweet Love
Gladiolus: Strength of character

Heather: Admiration and Beauty
Hibiscus: Delicate Beauty
Huckleberry: Faith
Hyacinth: Playful Joy

Iris: Faith, Wisdom, Valor and Promise
Ivy: Wedded Love, Fidelity, Friendship and Affection

Jasmine: Amiability
Jonquil: Affection Returned

Larkspur: An open Heart
Lavender: Loyalty
Lemon Leaves: Everlasting Love
Lilac-purple: First Emotion of Love
Lilac-white: Youthful innocence
Lily-orange: Wealth
Lily-white: Sweetness
Lily-yellow: Gaiety, walking on air
Lily of the Valley: Humility, Sweetness, Return of Happiness
Lotus Flower: Estranged love

Magnolia: Love of Nature
Marigold: Grief
Morning Glory: Affection
Mum: Hope
Myrtle: Home, love

Narcissus: Egotism

Orange Blossom: Innocence, Eternal Love, Marriage and Fruitfulness
Orchid: Love, Beauty and Magnificence

Pansy: Thoughtful Reflection
Peony: Happy Marriage and Prosperity
Primrose: Young Love

Ranunculus: Radiant, Charming
Rose, Pink: Perfect Happiness
Rose, White: Charm and Innocence
Rose, Red: Love and Desire
Rose-single red: I Love You
Rose-Burgundy: Unconscious love
Rose, white and red: Unity
Rose, Orange: Passion
Rose, Yellow: Joy and Gladness
Rosebud: Beauty and youth
Rosemary: Remembrance

Snapdragon: Presumption
Solidago: Success
Star of Bethlehem: Purity
Statice: Remembrance
Stephanotis: Marital Happiness
Stock: Lasting Beauty
Sunflowers: Pride
Sweet Pea: Blissful Pleasure

Tiger Lily: Prosperity
Tuberose: Dangerous Pleasure
Tulip: Love and Passion
Tulip-red: Declaration of love

Violet: Faithfulness

Wax Flower: Riches
Wisteria: Welcome

Yarrow: Healing

[grandpasrose]

I thought you said little!!
Actually, I have a whole book, but I'll just add a few more common ones to your list Grey.......

Alfalfa - Life
Aloe - affliction
Allysum - worth beyond beauty

Bluebell - constancy
Basil - hatred

Cactus - warmth
Campanula - gratitude
Clematis - artifice
Columbine - folly

Daylily -coquetry
Dogwood - Durability

Endive - frugality

Foxglove - youth
Fuchsia - taste

Geranium - comfort
Grapevine - drunkennes

Hollyhock - Fecundity
Hydrangea - Heartlessness

Juniper - unbelief
Jacobs Ladder - descend

Ice Plant - your looks freeze me

Lobelia - malevolence
Lupine - voraciousness

Mallow - humanity
Mistletoe - I surmount difficulties

Nasturtium - splendour
Nightshade - falsehood

Oak - hospitality
Olive - peace

Peony - shame
Phlox - unanimity

Quince - temptation

Rhododendron - danger
Rudbeckia - justice

Salvia - I think of you
Stonecrop - tranquility

Thrift - dauntlessness
Thyme - Activity

Valerian - an accomodating disposition
Verbena - pure and guileless

Weigela - accept a faithful heart
Waterlily - purity

Zinnia - thoughts of absent friends
Yew - sorrow

Actually, that turned out to be quite long too! and neither of us covered even half!!!
It can be very interesting to try and put all of these together to say what you mean.

Val

[opabinia51]

Wow, that is just great! You guys are just great. Isn't that great! I am VERY impressed.

Wow, if I had a million flowers, I'd give you two about 500 000 each. Thanks for the posts.

[Grey]

lol - well, those are small lists!
There are so many flowers with meanings... I need to find the part I had that explained the number. There was something like bringing in a 13 flowers meant "I secretly love you" or something to that effect.
It would be neat to see this custom revived. I may just bring it up to the garden club one day!

[grandpasrose]

Oh yes, Grey, there was so much more than just the type of flower chosen for the meaning. This language of flowers became most popular in the times of Queen Victoria, when sexual repressiveness was very strong, and this was often the only means of communication between two people in love.
The presentation of the flowers meant something too. If you made a mistake in how it was presented, there is the possibility of a huge misunderstanding. For example, if a flower is handed stem first as opposed to flower first could mean the exact opposite - a rose bud with thorns and leaves, says, "I fear but I hope"; presented upside down, it means "You must neither fear nor hope".
They used leaflets for counting - to tell each other times to meet, for example, and different types of leaves meant different days of the week, for example, Monday was a water lily leaf.
They were used to tell the weather, and each month was represented by a specific flower.
It can be very complicated - truly a whole new language to learn!
Very interesting though!

Val