Flowers Speaking: What Do They Say to You?

By Flora Delboda

Whatever the occasion may be - be it to share our greatest joys or express our deepest sorrows, flowers are most commonly used to represent our feelings. The formation can go as a single stem or a bouquet; these flowers, which are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and fragrances, can be arranged to express almost every sentiment.

History supports the long path flowers have traveled in expressing feelings. The passion for flowers was so high with the French that they even published flower dictionaries in 1800s. This helped them classify and use almost all available flower species. The significance of a single flower such as a marigold was so high that its direction in a bouquet defined jubilation or a mourning.




Today, gifting flowers is not simply considered a kind gesture, but in many cases a hard-and-fast rule. Flowers of various types have become seamlessly integrated necessities in many of our most important life rituals, including birth, marriage, and death. It is a rare maternity ward that is devoid of bright blooms, just as a memorial service would be missing more than the dearly departed if it were not for a subtle adornment of white lilies, lilacs, and roses. Similarly, a bride without a bouquet is almost not recognizable as a bride at all.

One can be most artistic with the formation of bunch of flowers on marriages. In earlier times, it was affirmed that as the bride was to step into her new life, flowers and herbs around her forced the wicked evils away and guarded the bride. Flowers also helped couples express their feelings for each other during the courtship period wherein they sent particular flowers to exchange love notes before their wedding.

Some selections of floral symbolic meanings include:

• Daisies and lilacs: (youthful) innocence
• Tulips and red roses: love
• Irises: affection
• Lemon blossoms: vow of monogamy
• Violets: faithfulness

Flowers can strongly relate to specific personalities and hence can act as personal tributes as well. Even though the irises are more formally accepted as funeral offering, branches and ferns would be more befitting a tribute to someone who has been an avid outdoorsman all his life. Similarly, chrysanthemums though denote the expression of serious love but a girl named Chrissy might just be delighted to have them as her first date gift!

As the old adage goes that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, the expression the bouquet conveys is dependent on the understanding of the recipient. The appeal of Red Roses as a romantic gift is universal and can be understood everywhere. However a grouping of poppies signifying extravagance may find it difficult to penetrate many minds. If a flower or an arrangement speaks to you then perhaps bright colors best establish your happiness on success at professional level or a promotion while a single lily may remind you of someone loved at home even though it is normally considered a funeral flower.

The colors, the varieties, the sizes, the combinations... flowers can combine to create an endless number of expressions and sentiments. The fresh aroma of newly-emerged roses can capture the memories of a childhood summer better than the most vivid journal entries and home movies. Breathe in the fragrance, take in the vivid coloring, and enjoy expressing that which cannot quite be put into words with flowers.

Copyright 2006 Flora Delboda. All rights reserved.
Flora Delboda is the webmaster of DM Flower- a Flower Portal which is a single resource for flower growers, gardeners, florists, wedding planners, and other flower enthusiasts. on the Internet. Be sure to visit her archive of articles at: http://www.dmflower.com/newsletters/