The Language of Flowers and Valentine's Day

"The Pink Rose symbolizes lesser affection than the Red Rose"      

The spring and summer weather over the weekend and into the week has allowed the gardener time to do some much-needed watering. It is always amazing that the slightest moisture immediately brings green to life and the misty rain last week woke the wheat. The tiny tips of the optimistic early bulbs are emerging in a such brave and stalwart manner as though spring is here to stay, which we all know is untrue. However since they have anti-freeze within their internal makeup, even though a winter cold snap will nip them, they will be the first to bloom.

Filling the void between the holidays and spring, Valentine's Day is a delightful interlude for on this one day the enchantment with flowers reigns supreme. February fourteenth was originally a celebration by the Church honoring several early saints named Valentinus, however in the Middle Ages the date became associated with Love.

As new flora was discovered in far away places flowers took on special meanings so a trend of the day included writing of the 'Language of Flowers'... flowers spoke to the public in an ever-popular symbolism. Flower symbolism had been used by the Japanese, Chinese, Arabs, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, the Bronte sisters, and many, many more, however Joseph Hammer-Pugstall's 'Dictionnaire du language des fleurs' , written in 1809, took the trend to a new level and appears to be the first published list assigning flowers with symbolic definitions. The first dictionary of floriography appeared in 1819 when Louise Cortambert wrote 'La langage des Fleurs'. 

In her dictionary flowers were assigned symbolic and emotional characteristics, such as the one assigned the Rose. *The deep red rose and its thorns symbolize the intensity of romantic love or the trials of Christ, pink roses imply lesser affection, white roses suggest virtue and yellow roses deep friendship. The black rose is associated with death or dark magic. It also characterized he folding foliage of the Mimosa as a symbol of chastity, the Lily of the Valley was representative of a chaste nature, and so forth. With a meaning for every flower, often one suiting its nature, it is quite a fascinating study.

Armed with floral dictionaries, the Victorians exchanged small bouquets or floral arrangements which sent a coded message to the recipients. This allowed them to express feelings which were discouraged in a society that feigned public displays of affection. These arrangements secretly spoke volumes and those familiar with the code readily, and joyfully, read the messages. By the mid-eighteen  hundreds, there was no better day to declare love than Valentine's Day, which became the occasion when family, friends, and lovers express affection through flowers, confections, and cards.

Happy Valentines Day... remember to tell someone you love them.