Plant Meanings

by Nathan Pollet
(Southern California)

Everyone knows that a red rose means 'love' when you give it to your sweetheart. But did you know that at other times in history giving a red rose meant 'I am jealous of you' and even 'I will get my revenge on you and your family!'?

During the Victorian era, an art form - a way of communicating - was nurtured. It wasn't new by any means, but it came to a unique epox during this time. This art form was called "The Language of Flowers". It involved sending coded messaged in the form of bouquets. Ladies of society would devote as much time to learning this as they would to learning music, painting and sewing. A bouquet, called a tussie-mussie, could occupy young maidens for hours trying to decipher the meaning behind the gift.

The Language of Flowers is rooted in both Eastern and Western traditions. It combines the western traditions of floral symbolism that came down through centuries of mythology, religion, medicine and heraldry with the Turkish Selam - the language of objects - which was the idea of sending encoded messages via symbolic objects such as jewels, silver pieces, coal. It was first brought to England by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu who wrote to her husband, ?There is no color, no flower, no weed, no fruit, herb, pebble, or feather that has not a verse belonging to it; and you may quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or even news, without ever inking your fingers.?

So as you are thinking about the different types of plants you want in your house or garden, keep in mind that sometimes a statement can be made beyond the flower color, leaf form or plant structure. A pot of basil and pansies on your front porch means "Best wishes and we're so glad you're here!". A fern in your living room means "Fascinating stories told here."

Or, as some cheeky housewives in olde England dubbed it, a stonecrop plant at the front door means "Welcome-home-husband-however-drunk-ye-be!"

If you want more ideas and inspiration, or to look up the meanings of different plants, check out this website:

www.meaningfulgardens.com

You might never look at your garden the same way again!