Language of flowers..............

I really dont know too many people who do not like flowers, or like to be given flowers. Traditionally men give flowers to women but really what could be nicer than to give a man a plant for his garden. If he is a gardener. Or has that like everything else come to an end.
In Victorian and Edwardian times it was an art, the giving of gifts, of giving flowers. It also could have meaning............. A rose, we all know signifies love. I could get more complicated if you break it down by colour but............a red rose is love.

Victorians were all about appearance, about formality and romance. Visitors cards delivered on a silver platter. Or a flower for the lapel, did it have a hidden meaning? They liked intrigue. Forget me nots.........obvious right. OK so these are not real forget-me-nots but they are so pretty can we pretend they are?

Bluebells are for Humility

Violets are for modesty

It seems the simple flowers have the most desirable of attributes, at least to me they are. My favourite flowers I am happy to say have meanings that I like.
The blue violet is for faithfulness.
Sweetpeas are for goodbyes..........I dont like goodbyes.........

Well I could go on but you get the idea. Today, in today's world, we seem to have lost so many of the little niceties of life. No May Day any more where we deliver baskets of flowers to hang upon the door. Or here in America, we don't even celebrate May Day. The May Pole and Apple Blossoms I miss that.

It was a tradition to go A Maying for centuries......again in Victorian days and maybe Edwardian times too, people were more inclined to show in small ways how they felt. They tried to please. to show off their romantic skills for want of a better word without loosing face if the feelings were not reciprocated. They took time for the small things. Probably because it was a more refined and prudish society. Oh just as much hanky panky went on you can be sure of that, but on the surface they were gentile and refined. Besides they didn't have emails and the internet. I don't think I would want to go back, but I can still think its beautiful and that we have lost something.