A bouquet of flowers has been a traditional gift since time
immemorial but over the years individual flowers have acquired
meanings of their own. It is important that you should have at
least a nodding acquaintance with the language of flowers to
ensure that your gift does not convey an unintended message. To
complicate matters it is not just the variety of flower but its
color and the number of blooms in the bouquet which affect the meaning.
Perhaps on of the best examples is the rose. A red
rose signifies love, "I love you", but a white rose
indicates the opposite "I love you not". Again a yellow
rose shows misplaced affection "I love another".
Bachelor's Buttons point to devotion, hope, love. These flowers
were carried around by young bachelors who were in love. If the
flower faded quickly, it was a sign that their sweethearts did not
love them. If the flower did not fade, everything would go well
with their love affairs.
With the Camellia colors only shade the meaning. Pink - I'm
longing for you. Red - You're a Flame in My Heart. White - You're
Adorable. However with Carnations it is a different matter. Pink -
I'll Never Forget You. Red - My Heart Aches For You. Purple -
Capriciousness. Solid color - Yes. Striped - No, Refusal, Sorry I
Can't Be With You, Wish I Could Be With You. White - Sweet and
Lovely, Innocence, Pure Love. Yellow - You Have Disappointed Me,
Rejection.
A Pink Geranium shows doubt,"Please explain
yourself", but scarlet is uncompromising "I do not trust
you". Color is not always significant. A Gloxinia of any
shade declares love at first sight.
A purple Hyacinth says "Sorry" but yellow indicates
jealousy. The same sentiment is expressed by the yellow French
Marigold.
The message of the Petunia is "I like you near me"
and the Sweet Pea says "Goodbye. Thank you for a lovely
time." The Spider Flower tells you "I am not so bad as I
seem".
You may be thinking by now that this is all fairly
straightforward and that you will soon get the hang of it. But
beware! The language of flowers has evolved over many centuries
and not everyone agrees as to the true meaning. For instance the
Petunia also signifies resentment and anger. Take care when you
include a Spider Flower in your bouquet since it can also mean
"Elope with me!".
About the Author
Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The
Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles,
gardening tips and product reviews.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
