It seems chrysanthemums are the flower of our time. According to The Language of Flowers, their hidden meaning is ‘cheerfulness under adversity’. Nothing seems more suitable for the world right now.
The use of flowers to convey a message or sentiment has a long history, as Odessa Begay outlines in her new book. Although it was the Victorians who were particularly fascinated by floriography – the use of flowers to send coded messages – the idea of flowers having a meaning or symbolism dates back thousands of years.
I was given a copy of the book in return for a fair review.
Of course, in order for the message to be understood, people needed to know what each flower was saying and dictionaries explaining this were popular during Victorian times. Even so, there can be many different interpretations and the book takes information that “seemed the most universally agreed upon”.
Picking out 50 of the most popular flowers, Odessa gives an overview of their history, uses, and meaning. She explores the mythology behind them and gives literary quotes and other interesting stories.
We learn that Scottish folklore thought that honeysuckle could be used to remove freckles, the oldest records of the opium poppy are fossilised seeds from the Neolithic era, and that the Chinese had a tradition of slicing daffodil bulbs so that the flower grew into a shape, such as a teapot or crane.
When it comes to meaning, flowers can convey a different message according to their colour. Thus, the acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) means friendship if it is rose-coloured, white is elegance and yellow concealed or secret love. The meaning of purple is uncertain.
Surprisingly, a red rose long thought of to mean true love is said to mean deep modesty. Described as “the world’s most popular flower”, it has the most meanings – everything from grace to confession.
It is the tulip that is a “declaration of love”, though the book doesn’t make it clear whether the colour of the flower is important.
What can be important is the way the flowers are presented. Depending on whether the flowers were pointing upwards or down, the pansy could mean “think of me” or “forget me”. Not one to get wrong.
The Language of Flowers is the perfect book for dipping into. Each flower is given its own ‘chapter’ and the information is conveyed in an easy style, while the illustrations add to its charm – Odessa is the author of adult colouring books. Buying a bouquet of flowers will never be the same.
The Language of Flowers by Odessa Begay is published by HarperDesign, with an RRP of £25. You can buy it here for £17.99 (If you buy via this link, I receive a small commission. The price you pay is not affected.)
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