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Greetings, my dear reader. It is with great pleasure that I have been asked to compose this article for you, on the fascinating topic of the language of flowers. In particular, we shall explore how the language of flowers was used to express love and affection, and how one could convey the powerful message of “I love you” through the subtle and beautiful language of blooms. (If you missed my abridged introduction to the Victorian Language of Flowers, you may find it here.) To recap, during the Victorian era, the language of flowers was a popular and widely used means of communication, especially among the upper classes. Flowers were assigned meanings and were used to express a wide range of emotions and sentiments, from love and admiration to jealousy and disdain. Indeed, the very act of giving and receiving flowers carried significant meaning, and was an art in itself.
To express love, the most important flower was, of course, the rose. The rose had a variety of meanings, depending on its color, and was one of the most popular flowers used to express love and affection. A red rose was the ultimate symbol of love, and it was said that the deeper the color, the deeper the love. Pink roses symbolized admiration and gratitude, while white roses were associated with purity and innocence. A yellow rose, on the other hand, was not used to express love, as it was associated with jealousy and infidelity.
But it was not just the rose that could be used to express love. Other flowers also had their own unique meanings. For example, the forget-me-not was a popular choice to express undying love and fidelity, while the lily of the valley was often used to express a return to happiness. The daisy was another popular choice, representing innocence and purity, while the carnation was associated with deep, passionate love.
So how does one say “I love you” using flowers? The answer is simple – with a bouquet of red roses. A dozen red roses, to be precise, was the ultimate expression of love and devotion, and would leave no doubt as to the sender’s intentions. If one wanted to be more subtle, one could add in other flowers with complementary meanings, such as forget-me-nots or lilies of the valley.
In conclusion, the language of flowers was a beautiful and intricate means of communication, especially when it came to expressing love and affection. The Victorian era aristocrats, with their love of all things elegant and refined, embraced this language wholeheartedly, and it remains a fascinating and charming aspect of our cultural heritage to this day. As one would assume from the language of flowers, there are hundreds of plants that represent words of love and devotion, as well as whole phrases. If you wish to curate a unique arrangement that symbolizes your precise feelings, it may very easily be done. It is my intent to share with you more personalized recipes in the coming articles.
