Herb and flowers have been used throughout history to convey sentiments that are much too difficult to put into words. We send flowers at times of celebration and of sadness, as tokens of hope and friendship. The idea that flowers possess a secret language of their own was first brought to England in 1716 by Lady Mary Whortley Montagu, the wife of an English ambassador to Turkey. In Turkey, flowers, fruits and silks were used as a substitute for words to express feelings. During the 1700’s in England, flowers were seen as unnecessary, but in the Far East, flowers were thought of as “the alphabet of the angels.”
The Language of Flowers peaked in popularity during Victorian times in large part because Queen Victoria (1839-1901) loved flowers. Communicating through flowers came out of Victorian interest in gardening, botany and nature. The English were obsessed with growing flowers, wearing them, using them in cosmetics, perfumes and cooking, and for home decorating. Wearing flowers was more popular even than wearing jewelry during this time period.
Women and men of all ages were known to study floral dictionaries in order to be fluent in this beautiful language. Just about all plants came to have a floral meaning. Among them, lavender meant “loyalty,” ferns stood for “sincerity,” and pansies signified “pleasant thoughts.” Floral nosegays, or “Tussie-Mussies, “were used to convey elaborate thoughts of courtship and adoration at a time when expressing personal feelings verbally was taboo. Two excellent books about the Language of Flowers are Flora’s Dictionary by Kathleen Gips and Tussie-Mussies and The Language of Flowers by Geraldine Laufer.
At Everlasting Herb Farm, we specialize in using dried herbs and flowers to create one-of-a-kind gifts based on this elegant form of communication. We enjoy adding the historical sentiments of love and adoration into all of our herbal products. Let us help you tell that someone special in your life exactly how you feel! |
