Find Your The Flower Shop Network Newsletter for January goes out next week. Beth Roberts has once again created an inspiring and informative newsletter. If you enjoyed her Power of Red Flowers, you’ll enjoy The Meaning of Roses. Beth takes us on a journey exploring the meaning of roses and their significance in history and in other cultures. Take a sneak peek and enjoy the journey to the world of roses. I knew red roses symbolize love; but, who knew a rose in full bloom symbolized the maturity of love. I’m interested in your opinion of the newsletter, so don’t hesitate to comment.
Overcrowded Garden – World of Flowers
November 23, 2007 by Leave a Comment
An interesting post on Dirt called My Overcrowded Garden caught my eye this morning. In this post Amy ponders the issue of a mature garden. Reminiscing the introduction of particular plants to the garden and the difficult decision of whether to eliminate some of the plants. What struck me were the memories and sentiments attached to those flowers. She planted Shasta Daisies because they were her mother favorite. She described the excitement of purchasing new plants and the way a planted tree can mark the passage of time.
Yesterday, I spent the day with my family enjoying an abundance of food, laughter and conversation. We drug out the family photo albums; viewing pictures of my parent’s home and it’s landscaping (which changed several times over the years). Every pictured was accompanied by a memory of particular plant, flower or shrub. Memories like my sister crashing into the juniper at the end of the driveway or the arborvitae that was so big, we had to use a tractor to remove it. Plants and flowers have come and gone over the years but those memories will always be with us.
My garden is due for an over haul this spring. Of course there are memories galore related to this garden. But I have pictures to remind me. Whether from the garden or in a beautifully arranged in a vase plants and flowers seem to create strong emotions. That is why her post caught my eye. Amy doesn’t just enjoy plants and flowers; she lives for them. Yesterday and today made me think, “What would the world be like with out flowers?” I can’t imagine, nor do I want to, a world without flowers. I may rearrange my flower garden but I will always have a one.
Think about the way flowers have touched your life. Flowers remind me that the world is a good place. Certain flowers remind me of a particular place, person or time. How have flowers played a part in your life?
Language of Flowers Newsletter (Guest Writer Kate Collins)
April 6, 2007 by Leave a Comment
I thought I would let everyone know that Flower Shop Network has a special guest writer (Kate Collins the talented author of the Flower Shop Mystery series) for the April newsletter “The Language of Flowers”. Kate gives us insight to where flower meanings come from. For a sneak preview of “The Language of Flowers”
go to
To learn more about Kate Collins goto www.katecollinsbooks.com and don’t miss the release of her next book Acts of Violets.
What is the Flower Meaning for Daffodils
February 21, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Valentine’s Day has past but that doesn’t mean the need for sending flowers is gone. Birthdays, anniversaries, and other flower giving events are still occurring. When sending flowers it is fun to let the flowers speak for you. You can choose flowers that represent the emotion you want to convey. The flower meanings for daffodils for example are:
- regard
- unrequited love
- you’re the only one
- the sun is always shining when I’m with you
- chivarly
So try this sometime: Send your girlfriend a vase of daffodils to let her know “she’s the one”.
You can Learn more at Flower Meanings
The Symbolic Meaning of Flowers
June 14, 2003 by Leave a Comment
Symbolic meanings have been ascribed to flowers since the earliest history of humankind.
- It has been said that roses first turned red as they blushed with shame at Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
- Laurel wreaths placed around the heads of early Greek Olympians symbolized victory and glory.
- According to Christian legend, carnations sprouted from the ground where Mary’s tears fell as she wept at the foot of the cross upon which Jesus died, and thus are associated with a mother’s undying love.
- The white lily is strongly linked with Mary throughout art history, symbolizing her virginity, purity, and majesty.
- And in Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra scattered roses at Marc Anthony’s feet as a symbol of her love.
Love, in fact, is the dominant message among the symbolic meanings of flowers… as well it might be. Flowers, after all, are the sexual reproductive organs of plants, and as such they are emblematic of all sorts of intimate proceedings. Think about that every time you sniff a rose, that most sensual and voluptuous of flowers.
The Language of Flowers
There was a time in the past when persons of polite and decorous demeanor never spoke publicly of their romantic feelings. Displays of affection or amorous intent where considered vulgar and inappropriate in a society where all sorts of behavior was proscribed by the social mores of the day. Thus, the so-called “Language of Flowers” evolved as a way to communicate ones deepest feelings in a socially acceptable way. Love was never discussed among polite company during the Elizabethan Age in Europe, restricted by etiquette and conformity. So flowers were used to convey feelings.
The Victorian Era
It was during the Victorian Era that simple messages were assigned to individual flowers. Several small books were published in the late 1800’s which detailed the symbolic meanings of flowers, so that a suitor could send an elaborate, often romantic, secret message to his beloved by combining the appropriate flowers into a telling bouquet, and she could respond in kind. The recipients of such flowers could picture an entire love letter among the blossoms.
And so was born the Language of Flowers. Some of the meanings have changed over the years (for example, a yellow rose once meant “jealousy” but today is most often understood to mean “friendship”), and some of the small books actually contradicted each other… a peony symbolizes either “shame” or “happy marriage”. Nonetheless, we’ve assembled a list of the most commonly accepted symbolic meanings of flowers here. Use them at your own risk.
Rose Meanings
Roses in particular carry a veritable lexicon of quaint expressions of emotion. Everything from modesty to jealousy to gratitude to mourning… and of course, every degree of love… may be expressed by the color, size, shape, maturity, or position of the flower (pictures of roses in arrangements). But a perfect red rose always means “I love you”, a message which will never be confused with any other symbolic meaning of a flower. Contact a professional florist to help you expand your flower vocabulary, and send a well-worded message to someone you love, today.
