Page 16 - North Haven Magazine Issue 19 Summer 2021

by Sally Brockett
Flo
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Floriography:
Floriography:

Learn the meaning behind the flowers you give and receive!

Most everyone enjoys flowers and the beauty they bring to our lives. They offer a multitude of colors, fragrances, sizes, and shapes.
Throughout history, they have been used in a variety of ways to bring meaning, health, and beauty to the young and old. Roses are well
known to represent love, and lilies are associated with funerals, but there are many more flowers that have special meanings. Even the
colors are important and can confer meaning. We can gain even greater appreciation of flowers by learning more about their meaning,
what they symbolize, and their importance to human cultures. Let’s look at some familiar flowers and some that may not be familiar, to
see how we can use flowers to better express our feelings.

Floriography is the language of flowers, variety of sizes and colors.
and its origin is rooted in 15th century Per-
sia and Turkey. During this period, people Determination is a valued trait and sur-
used flowers to express words that were so- prisingly, is symbolized by the dandelion,
cially unacceptable or forbidden. This cus- and four other flowers. Dandelions do seem
tom developed further during the conser- to be a good choice for determination as
vative Victorian era when secret messages they find a way to survive against all odds!
were shared, and complex feelings could be They can also symbolize power, persever-
expressed through the language of flowers ance, and endurance. If you choose to give a
rather than the spoken word. Gradually, gift of dandelions, just be sure the recipient
the meanings and symbolism became more understands the symbolism!
complex, and dictionaries were published
to help people avoid misunderstandings.
Eventually, the meanings of flowers became
lost and floriography is a foreign language
for most people.

Flowers are wonderful gifts for many occa- Honor courage with the penstemon.
sions but knowing the symbolism behind
the flowers selected can bring even greater and thinks outside the box!
joy and significance. Even the colors of the
flowers you select impart different feelings, Courage is symbolized by five flowers, with Lupine, North Haven’s flower
so be aware and consider this when giving Penstemon probably the best well known. and a symbol of creativity.
a gift of flowers. Penstemon is native to North America
and is an excellent pollinator garden flow- Creativity is associated with four flowers
Love is commonly expressed with roses, er. Their drought tolerance makes them a including the Lupine, which is North Ha-
especially red roses, but there are at least good choice for the xeriscape garden (gar- ven’s flower. There are annual and perenni-
35 other flowers also associated with love. dens that do not require a lot of water). al lupines, and they are great for attracting
Gardenias symbolize secret love, but also The spikes of tubular flowers attract but- bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. All
purity, sweetness, and joy. Gardenias were terflies, bees, hummingbirds, and moths. varieties of lupines are nitrogen fixers. They
among Dr. Sigmund Freud’s favorite flow- Penstemon represents courage and spiritu- take oxygen from the air and “fix” it in the
ers. They are famous for their high fra- al knowledge, so it is a nice plant to share soil, making the soil healthier for other
grance, waxy petals, and dark green leaves. with someone you want to honor for their plants. Lupines are great gifts to share with
courage. those who are creative, imaginative, and
happy.

Innocence can be expressed with a choice
of 14 flowers, including daisy, Gerbera, ba-
by’s breath, lilies, lilac, and violets. It is not
surprising that these flowers are often used
in wedding bouquets and gifts for babies
and young children. Daisy chain garlands
are popular as head decorations among
Protea – symbolizes ingenuity and young girls and even brides. Authors and
inventive thinking. Share a zinnia to show your friendship. poets are inspired to include references to
daisies in their works.
Ingenuity is associated with two flowers,
the clematis and protea. Clematis are very Friendship can be expressed with a choice Good Fortune can be symbolized by a
popular with gardeners, especially when of 13 flowers. Chrysanthemums, Gerani- choice of 13 flowers, including yarrow, al-
a climbing plant is needed to fill vertical ums, Hosta, and Zinnia are the most com- lium, narcissus, and peony. Narcissus is the
space. Proteas are among the oldest flowers mon. These four flowers make nice gifts as botanical name for daffodils. Technically,
on earth. The large, exotic flowers come in either plants for the garden or cut flowers. you can use the common name daffodil for
a diverse array of sizes, shapes, and colors. They are often shared among best friends. any of the flowers that belong in the genus
Choose either of these flowers to share with Chrysanthemums and Zinnias come in a Narcissus. Other than the negative associa-
someone who is clever, inventive, original, tion with the term narcissism, these flowers

16 North Haven Magazine - Summer Issue 2021