The Messages Behind Flowers
Did you ever have a message you wanted to convey but were not sure how? Then you might want to consider flowers to help you say what you could not put into words. Just what flower is the right one for saying “I love you?” or saying “I’m sorry?” Are there appropriate, “Let’s just be friends!” bouquets?
Flowering plants have a long history with mankind and have been used to convey messages throughout our time on this planet. The ancient Greek people believed a flower to be a connection to the gods. In Victorian times, everything had a meaning when it came to flowers. Whichever hand you presented the flower with, and how each bud was arranged—both could have a significant meaning during those days.
Roses are the most widely thought of flower when one wishes to convey a message. A single red rose is thought to convey the sentiment “I love you” (no wonder your co-worker was so confused!), and dark pink roses usually mean, “Thank you”. Yellow roses might be the ones you give to show a less enamored view, as they are supposed to suggest friendship. Even the number of roses can be significant. Two roses wrapped around one another means “Marry Me”, so be careful who you give that combination to! Thirteen roses are supposed to suggest a secret admirer, while six implies a desire to be loved and needed.
Roses aren’t the only flowers with meanings. A white tulip is a sign of forgiveness, where as a yellow one means hopelessly in love (don’t get the yellow tulip and rose mixed up now). Orange blossoms would be appropriate for a baby shower, as they usually refer to fertility. The Forget-Me-Not means just what its name implies, so that should be easy to remember. Want to send a warning to someone? Rhododendrons mean “Beware!” and lavender means distrust. Snapdragons mean presumptuousness. A striped carnation might be the biggest insult, as it usually refers to a refusal or denial.
You could make a combination of flowers in a bouquet to tie in all your sentiments at once. Red tulips for perfect love, pansies for loving thoughts, and red roses for true love would make a beautiful display and sentiment. For a friendship bouquet, you could combine zinnias for thoughts of friends, yellow carnations for cheerfulness, and yellow roses for friendship.
There is a flower for practically every sentiment you want to convey in this life. All it takes is a little research and time to figure out your expression.