The Significance of Giving Flowers

Be careful not to send the wrong message!

In Victorian times, if a picture was worth a thousand words, the correctly chosen flower could say it without words at all. Like the wink of a lover from behind a fan, the beauty and grace of a single bloom could speak volumes.

Roses

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet ... " Even William Shakespeare knew the value of a well-placed rosebud to show love and passion.

Daisies

Daisies are a cheerful flower, and what girl hasn't played "he loves me, he loves me not," plucking petals to get the answer. A symbol of innocence and modesty, it was always appropriate to send daisies to a young woman.

Tulips

Send a striped tulip, the strong stemmed flower from Holland, to tell your lady she has lovely eyes. A yellow tulip will whisper your hopeless love for her.

Carnations

A red carnation signals pure love, but a striped carnation says that you're still making up your mind. A bouquet of yellow carnations, however, sends the clear message, "absolutely not!"

Hydrangeas

Not all flowers were sent to praise or signal love. A gift of hydrangea from a woman would let a gentleman know without words that she found him cold and heartless.

References

• Language of Flowers

Resources

• Flower Language