Lilies of the valley are the traditional flower for the month of May. This tradition began in the 1560s when King Charles IX of France was given a stem of lily of the valley as a May Day gift. The flower has since been said to bring good luck.
Blooming in May, the lily of the valley has a slender stem of white bell shaped flowers emerging from one or two broad pointed leaves. It is not actually a lily, but rather a member of the asparagus family.
Lilies of the valley have long represented purity and humility. People born in the month of May are also said to exhibit these qualities. This makes lily of the valley a thoughtful birthday gift for those with May birthdays.
Lilies of the valley are popular in bouquets for spring brides thanks to their pure color and resemblance to wedding bells. They are also a traditional May Day gift as they are in bloom in mid spring. Called fete de muguet in France, it became a common practice to present a lady with lilies of the valley on May the first as a sign of affection.
Because this flower is associated with rebirth and renewal, it has been popular in Christian traditions. In 1881 the gospel hymn The Lily of the Valley was written by Charles Fry. Comparing Jesus to the pure white flower, it is still found in many hymnals to this day.
An alternative name for lily of the valley is lady’s tears. The legend was that these pure white flowers sprung up when Mary was crying following the crucifixion of her son. Another story held that the flower sprouted when Eve was crying as she left the Garden of Eden.
Lilies of the valley have a sweet fragrance that scents the home and garden when they are in bloom. In fact, it has been popular in perfumes for nearly two hundred years. You may see the French name, muguet, on labels.
When planted in the garden, lily of the valley pips will naturalize, or spread, if left undisturbed. They provide three seasons of interest as in autumn the stalks may produce vibrant red-orange berries. These are decorative, not edible, and can upset the stomachs of curious pets.
A popular old English children’s song, sung in round, goes:
White coral bells, upon a slender stalk
Lilies of the valley deck my garden walk.
Oh don’t you wish that you could hear them ring?
That will happen only when the fairies sing.
You can hear this lovely melody sung in round here:
“White Coral Bells”
Lilies of the valley have many ancient symbolic associations in addition to being beautiful and fragrant. This makes lily of the valley an especially meaningful choice for many gift giving occasions in spring.
There are two widely-accepted derivations of the name narcissus. The first is from the Greek word narkao, meaning to numb (from which we also get the words narcotic and narcosis, and which relates to the narcotic, and poisonous, properties of the plant (especially the bulb, though the scent can, in a confined space, cause quite a severe headache.) The second derivation is also from the Greeks, but in this case Greek mythology, in which a self-absorbed youth named Narcissus became so enamored of his own reflection that he kneeled by a still pond to gaze at himself, fell in and drowned. The flower sprang from where he died.
The flower symbolism most commonly associated with the narcissus is formality and “stay as sweet as you are”. The narcissus, thanks to the legend of Narcissus, also represents self-esteem, egotism and vanity. Perhaps for this reason, some people have started to replace the narcissus with the poinsettia as December’s flower.
The alternative flower for December is the evergreen holly, signifying friendship and happiness. Holly used to be placed around the house to symbolize hospitality and friendship, in earlier pagan times. With white flowers, glorious red berries and shiny green leaves, it was believed that holly kept the oak – a sacred tree – lost its leaves for the winter. The Romans declared the holly to be the sacred plant of Saturn, and gave each other wreaths during the week-long feast of Saturnalia that was celebrated in December.
The birth month flower for November is the chrysanthemum, a flower with 3500 years of history. Around 1500 BC the chrysanthemum was being cultivated in China, and from here it has become one of the most recognized flowers around the world, carrying many different meanings.
From its first cultivation in China as a flowering herb, the chrysanthemum was introduced to Japan around the 8th Century AD, where a stylized version of the flower is used to this day as the Imperial Seal; the chrysanthemum also gives its name to the throne (the physical throne as well as the virtual throne of the monarchy and the head of state.) After the chrysanthemum was brought to Europe, around the 17th Century, the great botanist Carl Linnaeus named it after the Greek words for golden (the native, natural color) and flower; nowadays, after centuries of cultivation and hybridization, chrysanthemums grow in a variety of shapes, and come in a wide range of colors, from white, through yellow, to red and purple. 
Mums (a common abbreviation) have a long culinary as well as decorative history. In China, white or yellow flowers are boiled to make a sweet tea, often used medicinally as a restorative. The leaves are often used in many Asian cuisines, boiled or steamed, and often added to soups and stews. A favorite dish of this (British, but now US-resident) author is hae-mul-tang, a spicy Korean stew of assorted seafood to which chrysanthemum leaves are added just before serving. Delicious!
White chrysanthemums have a meaning which changes as you change culture and country. In the US, white mums mean truth or loyalty. This is not the case in several European countries, where they are symbols of bereavement and will only be found at funerals and grave sites (this is true in France, Italy, some Balkan states, and Poland, for example.) Similarly, many East Asian cultures (for example, China, Japan and Korea) these flowers symbolize grief and sorrow.
The birth month flower for October is the calendula, also known as the pot marigold (so called because traditionally it was used to add flavor and color to meals in the cooking pot, as well as in salads.) The name calendula comes from Latin, for the word meaning ‘first day of the month’, and came about because the calendula can be found flowering almost the whole year round where they are natively grown. Just like the sunflower, the face of the calendula blossom follows the sun; as a result, some gave it the name “Sun’s Bride.” The name marigold refers to “Mary’s Gold” and early Christians often grew marigolds near statues of the Virgin Mother. Their use in religious services far pre-date Christianity, though, with Indians placing garlands of marigolds around sacred statues, and Mayan priests washing their face and hands with calendula-infused water before calling on the spirits. The flower heads can reach almost three inches across, and come in a variety of colors, from yellow, through orange and gold, to red, giving them other nicknames, such as goldbloom and holligold (for holy gold.)
Calendula has many meanings, some contradictory. The Romans found great happiness in its near-constant blooming, and planted it to spread joy and good cheer. Today, though, the flower is commonly to be found in graveyards, and the more usual flower meaning is one of sympathy, sorrow, sadness and grief, and the message that is sent with marigolds is “my thoughts are with you.” You might not want to be too forthcoming with this message if you’re giving them to someone who’s a little sensitive about their age; stick with the Roman message of happiness and joy.
The alternative birth month flower for October is the cosmos, a delightfully fragrant flower that comes in a variety of colors, and give the meaning of peacefulness, wholeness and modesty. 
There is a variety of cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus, more commonly known as “Chocolate Cosmos” that smells very much like chocolate.
Asters are also known as Michaelmas daisies, as they blooms from late summer through to October (with the Feast of Michaelmas being September 29th). The flower predates Christian traditions, though, with the name aster coming from the Ancient Greek word for star. One look at the bold shape, and typically bright color (usually with a yellow center, the petals can be white, pink, lavender, blue and purple), and you can immediately see how appropriate the name is.
It was said, in ancient times, that burning aster leaves was a great way to keep away snakes. You can use this little snippet of flower meaning trivia when you gift a bouquet or arrangement, but be sure to let the recipient know that the reason you’re giving them is because they are are a symbol of love, patience and daintiness or elegance. Some varieties of aster grow to be over 3 ft tall, with bold blossoms reaching a foot in diameter. And yet despite the size to which they can grow, asters remain elegant and dainty, strong and gorgeous to look at. A very worthy symbol of love and high regard.
The morning glory is well-named; new funnel-shaped or trumpet-shaped blossoms flower every morning, to be pollinated by early-rising birds and industrious insects. Then, by the afternoon, the morning glory fades and dies, with new flowers appearing the next day.
The Victorians, for whom every flower had a specific meaning, thought the morning glory meant “love in vain”, but in modern times the meaning is one of genuine affection. You’ll most often see morning glory as blue, pink or purple, often with white markings. It’s another hard-working flower, the morning glory, as it’s also the flower associated with the 11th wedding anniversary.
The larkspur is also known as lark’s heel (by Shakespeare, no less), lark’s claw and knight’s spur. The genus name, delphinium, comes from the Latin word delphis, meaning dolphin, which shape the opening flower makes. The larkspur symbolizes an open heart and an ardent attachment, while also conveying feelings of lightness and levity. A word or two about your color selection.
Don’t let your pets snack on these flowers – the larkspur is poisonous, to animals and humans alike. Even today, North American ranchers delay letting cattle range on upper slopes until the late summer, when the flower is less toxic. Tiny quantities are sometimes used for medicinal purposes; in ancient times, drinking the seeds was thought to protect against the sting of scorpions. Too risky for this author!
The alternative flower for July, is the water lily. Water lilies symbolize all that is good, true and beautiful. Good fortune, truth of action and intention, purity of heart, and enlightenment are all signified by the water lily flower. The water lily flower has strong symbolic ties with many Asian religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. In addition, the white water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh and State flower for Andhra Pradesh, India, while the blue waterlily is the national flower of Sri Lanka. 
The rose is one of the longest cultivated and most immediately recognizable of all flowers, with almost 150 unique species in its genus, varying in color, size and shape. Hybrids and cultivars number in the thousands – many of these hybrids have little or no scent, as they’re bred for size and color. Wild roses, in comparison, have a strong sweet, heady scent. 
Cultivation of the rose began over 5000 years ago, in China, and were introduced to Europe early in the Roman Empire. They were associated with several of the Roman goddesses (notably Venus, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility), and this is thought to be the origin of them becoming symbols of love.
The sweetly-scented bell-shaped flowers of the honeysuckle add much to a bouquet or arrangement. They can be found in many colors, from pink, through purple, to orange. Symbolizing devoted affection or love, as well as fidelity, the honeysuckle releases even more perfumed scent if the stem is broken. 
The delicate white (very rarely pinkish in hue) bell-shaped flowers of the lily of the valley have a sweet and heady scent, and nestle in between the broad green or variegated leaves as if being protected by them. In Christian legends, some believe that lily of the valley sprung from the ground where Eve’s tears fell as she was driven from the Garden of Eden by Adam. Others believe that it was the tears of Mary, weeping at Christ’s cross, from which the flowers came. This latter legend has given lily of the valley an alternate name of Mary’s Tears.
The hawthorn gets its genus name from the Greek word (Kratos) for strong, or powerful. A member of the rose family, it’s also known as the thornapple, thanks to its thorny branches and small berry-like fruit (called a haw). In Old English, a hedge was known as a haw, and hawthorns were often planted for hedges, thanks to the near-impenetrable barrier they created and the wealth of hedgerow life that the hawthorn supported. These hedges often flowered in spring, and became associated with the month of May, and May Day, and the celebrations held to herald the coming of spring. The hawthorn is often used in English poetry to mark the hope and optimism this new spring brings with it. The delicate white flowers are sometimes referred to as mayblossom. You can use the flowers alone, or if you’re feeling adventurous and have access to the branches from which the flowers grow, include them in a larger arrangement.
Some consider the common daisy to be a pest, a difficult to control weed that blights their garden. With its white petals around a central yellow disc, the common daisy grows abundantly in its native Europe as well as being widely naturalized in the Americas too. There are, though, more than 23,000 species of daisy. It’s a rare flower, since it has no negative symbolization. Its name is thought to be a version of “day’s eye”, because the whole flower head closes at night and opens again in the morning sun. The 14th Century English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, called it “eye of the day” and “the empress, and flower of flowers all.”
The traditional meaning of the daisy is innocence, purity and modesty, so you can feel quite secure that you’re not sending any inappropriate meaning with the gift of daisies. To someone for whom you have a romantic love, daisies mean loyalty and affection. There was a time when to give your love a daisy in public meant that you were passing them a secret, and some still believe the daisy stands for “I will never tell.” One common daisy used in bouquets and arrangements is the 
The alternative birth month flower for April is the Sweet Pea. You probably wouldn’t want to send a message symbolizing goodbye, departure, or “thank you for a lovely time”, unless you’d been visiting. Thankfully, the sweet pea also means a blissful pleasure in the language of flowers, so you can with confidence include them in the bouquet for your April-born friend, and it’ll be much appreciated. This enchanting flower is small and delicate, remaining a firm favorite thanks to its heady fragrance.
The daffodil is synonymous with spring, and with the new life coming forth as the world reawakens from its winter slumber. The daffodil symbolizes not only rebirth and new beginnings, but also future prosperity. It’s said, in Wales (the country for which the daffodil is the national flower) that if you see the first brave daffodil of the year, you’ll have a full year of wealth. And in China, a daffodil forced to bloom through the (Chinese, of course) New Year brings luck for the year ahead. The daffodil is, then, a wonderful way to acknowledge someone taking up a new venture and wishing them well for its success.
Don’t let these minor issues stand in the way of you giving daffodils, though. Whatever the color (they come in a wide variety from almost white, to a deep orange or red), daffodils are sure to delight. Whatever you do, though, always give them in a bunch or bouquet, never alone. A sole daffodil sends a message exactly opposite good luck, rebirth and rejunenation; a lone daffodil bloom means you’re sending misfortune. 