Tag Archive | language of flowers

The Language of Flowers thru the Ages

Jun15

"Language of flowers through the ages"The language of Flowers started in Constantinople in the 1600s, and was brought to England in 1716 by Lady Mary Wortley Montague who had spent time in Turkey with her husband. The interest then moved to France (of course) where the Book Le Langage des Fleurs was printed with over 800 floral signs. Many were toned down in the English translation at the time of Queen Victoria because they were quite lusty and risque!

Flowers are part of our daily life. For virtually every event we have assigned a special flower. Flowers for love, church, church graveyard, marriage, etc. In the 16th century inn’s use to have a branch or flower stalk as signboard which later often changed only into the name of a specific tree or flower.  Many times one finds flower gardens in mythological sceneries.

The use of flowers is uncountable: attributes for the springtime, the youth, the sunrise, the rhetoric, the virtue etc.

Most people are aware that a red rose means love but did you know that almost every flower and sometimes the different colors of a single flower has its own meaning? Why is Stephanotis such a popular flower to use in wedding bouquets? Why put Bells of Ireland or Cattails in a bouquet for someone getting a new house or embarking on a new career?

Check out our Language of Flowers Chart (pdf, no optin) for the many different flowers and their meanings. This includes the more traditional meanings according to the original language of flowers.

Language of Flowers Wordsearch Now LIVE!

Aug21

We just created a Language of Flowers Wordsearch Puzzle at Eden Florist & Gift Baskets!

Click on the image above to Download the pdf copy or download it here:
https://edenflorist.com/wp-content/uploads/Language-of-Flowers-Wordsearch.pdf

NEED FLOWERS?  Be sure to visit Eden Florist online for our selection of everyday, birthday, anniversary, get well, new baby, business and just because flowers and gifts. Proudly serving South Florida for 27+ years!

Women’s History and the Language of Flowers

Mar3





Since March is Women’s History Month, I thought it only fitting to write about some famous women among the flowers.

flowersangelsalphabet.jpg

Charlotte de Latour’s Le Langage des Fleurs in December 1819, was the beginning of the great proliferation of books about the Language of Flowers.

In fact, Latour’s book stimulated the publishing industry especially in France, England, and America, and also in Belgium, Germany and other European countries as well as in South America as Publishers from these countries produced hundreds of editions of language of flowers books during the nineteenth century. During its peak in America, the language of flowers attracted the attention of the most popular women writers and editors of the day, many of which are represented in the American floral dictionary.  

They include: 

Sarah Josepha Hale (best known for her poem, “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” published in 1830 in her book Poems for Our Children.) edited Flora’s Interpreter in 1832 which continued in print through the 1860’s. Hale was also the editor of the Ladies’ Magazine in Boston from 1828 to 1836 and co-editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, the most widely read periodical in the United States from 1837 to 1877.

Catharine H. Waterman Esling wrote a long poem titled, “The Language of Flowers” which first appeared in 1839 in her own language of flowers book, Flora’s Lexicon. Lucy Hooper, an editor, novelist, poet, and playwright, included several of her flower poems in The Lady’s Book of Flowers and Poetry, first published in 1841.

Frances Sargent Osgood, a poet and friend of Edgar Allen Poe, first published The Poetry of Flowers and Flowers of Poetry in 1841. 

Sarah Carter Edgarton Mayo, author of several flower books, was associate editor of the Universalist monthly, The Ladies’ Repository in Boston from 1839 to 1842. Her language of flowers book, The Flower Vase, was first published in 1844.  

Caroline Matilda Kirkland,  wrote Poetry of Flowers , first published in 1848 continued to be in print at least until 1886. One of the more comprehensive books, its 522 pages contained an extensive dictionary and numerous flower poems. 

Source: Flowers, the Angels’ Alphabet : The Language and Poetry of Flowers by Susan Loy