Do You Speak Flowers?

Red Roses by Biel Morro, Unsplash

With the advent of spring — long- awaited in Toronto — a completely different set of words re-enters our vocabulary, words such as birdsong, gardens, and lawnmowers. After a long, cold winter, it is a relief, once again, to be speaking of warmth, sunshine, buds and blossoms.

One of the chief delights of springtime is the re-emergence of flowers from their winter dormancy. The joy of seeing splashes of colour dotting the ground can’t be denied. They speak to us of pleasures yet to come, such as walks outdoors, barbecues and meeting friends for drinks on patios.

Hydrangeas by Annie Spratt, Unspash

As we gorge ourselves on the myriad hues, we may not realize that flowers can also be symbols. The language of flowers – not florid speech, which is another issue altogether – is also known as floriography and has been popular in various cultures down the centuries. In England and North American, interest in floriography soared during the Victorian era in the 19^th century. The flower experts at the floral delivery service, FTD, suggest that “the rise of flower symbolism during this time makes sense, as it was the height of the Romantic era where nature was seen as beauty, and people were heavily influenced by their emotions. Floriography allowed for a tangible exchange of these emotions.”

An abundance of strong emotion notwithstanding, the Victoria era was also a time when strict rules governed the expression of those emotions among the British upper classes. Flirtation, which had been de rigueur during the Regency period, was forbidden, so people resorted to more covert means of expressing their interest or affection. Each flower in a bouquet represented a particular emotion, and floral dictionaries also bloomed in abundance as both givers and recipients strove to communicate using coded language.

With Mother’s Day approaching in North America, it’s a perfect time to practise your own skill at floriography, or, as Atlas Obscura deems it, the 19^th-century version of emojis. Consider ordering a bouquet for your Mom that includes some of these blooms: pink carnation (I’ll never forget you), lavender (devotion), morning glory (affection) and yarrow (everlasting love), or choose from an existing list to create a mixture that accurately reflects the message you want to convey.

Beware, however! Not all flowers convey positive messages, so stay clear of the yellow carnation (disdain), yellow hyacinth (jealousy) and tansy (hostile thoughts) or you might receive a rhododendron (danger, flee) in return!