Language of flowers

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Jan 04, 2002

I have an old book - Pear's Shilling Cyclopaedia which my g-g-father had bought in 1898. It has a gardening section. While going through it, I came across "Language of Flowers". There must be a couple of hundreds of listings in alphabetical order such as these:

Amaranth - Immortality, unfading love
Ambrosia - Love returned
Apple - Temptation
Clematis - Mental beauty
Daffodil - Regard
Gloxinia - A proud spirit
Maple - Reserve
Sweet Violet - Modesty
Zephyr Flower - Expectation

Does anyone know anything about this? I have no clue about its significance. It appears interesting.

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GrannyLois Elizabethton (Stoney, TN(Zone 6b) Jan 04, 2002

No, haven't heard of it. But I like it!

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crestedchik Cedar Key, FL(Zone 9a) Jan 04, 2002

I had heard that long ago,people would give and receive "nosegays" of flowers.Each type of flower had a meaning,therefor letting the person receiving them know what the senders thought were.

Post #187419
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motts1 south central, WI(Zone 5a) Jan 05, 2002

I looked up meanings for a wedding flower request on another garden site, people find it fascinating on how you could send a whole message, with just flowers, some had double meanings. I think it would be a facinating project to have a garden of "talking" flowers!!

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arrianna Carbondale, IL(Zone 6a) Jan 05, 2002

I used to study the language of flowers so that on Valentines Day I could give flowers that were more meaningful than roses. In ancient Japan, people would have entire clandestine affairs just by sending each other chrysanthemums. I would be very interested in what the other listings in your g-g-father's book are. The language of flowers really took off in Victorian times, when just to show an ankle was considered naughty. People would really get in depth with the flowers they sent, since to say how they really felt was a faux pas. Your g-g-father's book is a rare find indeed.

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weeds Panhandle, FL(Zone 8a) Jan 05, 2002

Check out this website for information on the Language of Flowers. Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to meanings.

http://www.cybercom.net/~klb/flowers.html

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crestedchik Cedar Key, FL(Zone 9a) Jan 05, 2002

Isen't it funny how from time to time the meanings changed

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Jan 07, 2002

Arrianna, I'll try to list them out. But Weeds' hyperlink gives a lot of it. thanks Weeds.

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