ICabch 18, 1920 



The Florists^ Review 



49 



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THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS 



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How can we * ' Say It with Flowers ' ' 

 if we do not know the language of 

 Hcwersf The obvious reply to that ques- 

 t-on is that almost everybody has at 

 li ast a smattering of the language. One 

 oi" the chief advantages of speaking 

 through flowers is that their language 

 i;i a universal one, the only really uni- 

 versal language thus far evolved. 

 Wliatever may be the nationalities of a 

 florist's patrons, they all know that 

 flowers express respect, esteem, affec- 

 tion, sympathy, condolence, congratula- 

 tion, or whatever sentiment the occasion 

 requires. They know that flowers have 

 a wonderful facility for adapting them- 

 selves to all sorts of circumstances and 

 saying just the right words at every 

 juncture — saying them so plainly, too, 

 tliat the dullest intellect cannot misun- 

 derstand." 



Yet it is possible, and frequently de- 

 sirable, to know the more precise mean- 

 ings, the numerous distinct shades of 

 meaning, in the messages conveyed by 

 the different varieties of flowers. It is 

 possible thus to have complete com- 

 mand of the language of flowers, to be 

 both fluent and discriminative in the 

 use of that form of speech. Florists es- 

 pecially, since they undertake to teach 

 and popularize the language of flowers, 

 should themselves have an expert 

 knowledge of the language. As people 

 continue to "Say It with Flowers" 

 they will become increasingly familiar 

 with the flowers' significance, and the 

 florists, being the teachers, should al- 

 ways be in advance of their pupils. 



It might not be wise for a florist to 

 give persistent publicity to so elaborate 



a floral vocabulary, or list of flowers 

 and their meanings, as is printed on 

 this page, since only a few of the va- 

 rieties in such a list would be available 

 in any one season and many of the spe- 

 cies mentioned would not be found in 

 a florist's store at any season. But al- 

 most any florist, besides displaying the 

 sign, "Say It with Flowers," might at 

 least append to that sign, occasionally, 

 a statement as to the import of a few of 

 the most seasonable flowers. 



For instance, this is tulip time. If yon 

 don 't know what the red tulip says, con- 

 sult the following list. Why should you 

 not inform your customers, in some tact- 

 ful way, that this flower utters "a dec- 

 laration of love"? Think of the use — 

 humorous, semi-serious or desperately 

 serious use — that might be made of a 

 flower laden w,ith such a message! 



What Flowers Say 



ALYSSUM, Sweet — Worth beyond 

 beauty. 



AMARYLLIS— Pride, timidity, splen- 

 did beauty. 



ANEMONE (zephyr) — Sickness; ex- 

 pectation. 



APPLE (blossom) — Preference; fame 

 speaks bim great and good. 



ARBOR-VITAE — Unchanging friend- 

 ship ; live for me. 



ASPHODEL — My regrets follow you 

 to the grave. 



ASTEE (china) — Variety; after- 

 thought. 



AZALEA — Temperance. 



BACHELOR'S BUTTONS — Celibacy. 



BEGONIA — Deformity. 



BELLADONNA— Silence ; hush. 



BELLFLOWER — Constancy. 



BITTERSWEET (nightshade)— Truth. 



BLUEBELL — Constancy ; sorrowful 

 regret. 



BRAMBLE — Lowliness ; envy ; re- 

 morse. 



BRIDAL ROSE— Happy love. 



BUD OF WHITE R(5SE — Heart Igno- 

 rance of love. 



BULRUSH — Indiscretion ; docility. 



BURR — Rudeness ; you weary me. 



BUTTERCUP — Ingratitude ; childish- 

 ness. 



BUTTERFLY WEEHD- Let me go. 



CAMELLIA JAPONICA (red)— Un- 

 pretending ; excellence. 



CAMELLIA (white) — Perfected love- 

 liness. 



CANDYTUFT— IndlfTerence. 



CANTERBURY BELL — Acknowledg- 

 ment. 



CARNATION (deep red)— Alas! for 

 my poor heart. 



CARNATION (striped) — Refusal. 



CHERRY TREE (black)— Deception. 



CHERRY TREE (white) — Good educa- 

 tion. 



CHESTNUT TREE — Do me Justice. 

 CHINA ASTER (single)— I will think 

 of it. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM (white) — Truth. 

 CHRYSANTHEMUM (yellow)— Slight- 

 ed love. 



CLEMATIS — Mental beauty. 



CLEMATIS (evergreen) — Poverty. 



CLOVER (four-leaved) — Be mine. 



CLOVER (red)— Industry. 



CLOVER (white) — Think of me. 



COCKSCOMB (amaranth) — Foppery, 

 affectation, singularity. 



COLUMBINE — Folly. 



CONVOLVULUS— Bonds. 



COWSLIP — P enslvenesB, winning 

 grace. 



CRAB (blossom) — 111 nature. 

 CROCUS— Abuse not. 

 CYCLAMEN — Diffidence. 

 DAFFODIL— Regard. 



DAHLIA— Instability. 



DAISY — Innocence. 



DAISY (wild)— I will think of it. 



DAISY (garden) — I share your senti- 

 ments. 



DAISY (partl-colored) — Beauty. 



DAMASK ROSE — Brilliant complex- 

 ion. 



DANDELION — Rustic oracle. 



DOGWOOD — Durability, 



DRAGON PLANT — Snare. 



EGLANTINE (sweet brier)— Poetry, I 

 wound to heal. 



EVERGREEN CLEMATIS — Poverty, 



EVERFLOWERING CANDYTUFT— 

 Indifference. 



EVERGREEN THORN— Solace In ad- 

 versity. 



EVERLASTING — Never-ceasing re- 

 membrance. 



FORGET-ME-NOT — True love. 



FOXGLOVE — Insincerity. 



FRENCH HONEYSUCKLE — Rustic 

 beauty. 



FRENCH MARIGOLD — Jealousy. 



FUCHSIA (scarlet)— Taste, 



GARDEN MARIGOLD — Uneasiness. 



GARDENIA — Refinement. 



GARLAND OF ROSES — Reward of 

 virtue. 



GERANIUM (dark)— Melancholy. 



GERANIUM (scarlet) — Comforting. 



GERANIUM (wild)— Steadfast piety. 



GLADIOLUS— Ready armed. 



GIX)RY FLOWER — Glorious beauty. 



GOLDENROD— Precaution. 



HEARTSEASE or PANSY— Thoughts. 



HELIOTROPE — Devotion, or I turn 

 to thee, 



HEPATICA— Confidence. 



HOLLY— Foresight. 



HOLLYHOCK— Ambition, fecundity. 



HONEYSUCKLE — Generous and de- 

 voted affection. 



HYACINTH — Sport, game, play. 



HYDRANGEA— A boaster. 



HYSSOP — Cleanlinees. 



INDIAN JASMINE— Attachment. 



INDIAN PINK (double) — Always 

 lovely. 



IRIS (German) — Flame. 



IVY — Friendship, fidelity, marriage. 



IVY, SPRIG OF, WITH TENDRILS— 

 Assiduous to please. 



JONQUIL — I desire a return of affec- 

 tion. 



LADY'S SLIPPER — Capricious beauty : 

 win me and wear me. 



LARKSPUR— Lightness, levity. 



LAUREL — Glory. 



LAUREL (mountain) — Ambition. 



LAVENDER — Distrust. 



LILAC (purple) — First emotions of 

 love. 



LILAC (white) — Youthful innocence. 



LILY (white) — Purity, sweetness. 



LILY (yellow) — Falsehood, gayety. 



LILY OP THE VALLEY- Return of 

 happiness, unconscious sweetness. 



LOTUS FLOWER — A strange love. 



MAGNOLIA — Love of nature. 



MARIGOLD — Grief. 



MARJORAM— Blushes. 



MEADOW SWEET — Uselessness. 



MIGNONETTE— Your qualities sur- 

 paciB your charms. 



MISTLETOE— I surmount difficulties. 



MORNING GLORY— Affectation, 



MUSTARD SEED— Indifference. 



NARCISSUS— Egotism. 



NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS— Tran- 

 sient beauty. 



OLEANDER — Beware. 



ORANGE (blossom) — Purity and love- 

 liness. 



PALM— Victory. 



PANSY— Thoughts. 



PASSION FLOWER — Religious faith, 



PEONY — Shame, bashfulness. 



PERIWINKLE — Pleasure of memory. 



PHLOX— Unanimity. 



PIMPERNEL — Change, assignation. 



PINK — Boldness. 



PINK (carnation) — Woman's love. 



POPPY (scarlet) — Extravagance. 



POPPY (white)— Sleep. 



PRIMROSE — Inconstancy and sadness. 



ROSE (bridal) — Happy love. 



ROSE (Carolina) — Dangerous love. 



ROSE (deep red) — Bashful shame. 



ROSE- (full blown)— Secrecy. 



ROSE (musk) — Capricious beauty. 



ROSE (single) — Simplicity. 



ROSE (thornless) — Early attachment. 



ROSE (white) — I am worthy of you. 



ROSE (white and red together) — Unity. 



ROSE (yellow) — Jealousy. 



ROSEBUD (moss) — Confusion of love, 



ROSEBUD (white)— Girlhood, 



ROSEM A RY — Remembrance. 



SHAMROCK— Light-heartedness. 



SNAPDRAGON— Presumption, also no. 



SNOWBALL — Bound. 



SNOWDROP — Hope. 



SU.XFLOWER — Adoration. 



SWEET PEA — Delicate pleasure. 



SWEET WILLIAM — Gallantry. 



SYRINGA — Memory. 



THISTLE — Retaliation. 



TUBEROSE — Dangerous pleasures. 



TULIP (red) — Declaration of love. 



TULIP (variegated) — Beautiful eyes. 



TULIP (yellow) — Hopeless love. 



VERBENA (pink) — Family union. 



VERBENA (white) — Pray for me. 



VIOLET (blue)— Faithfulness, mod- 

 esty. 



VIOLET (yellow) — Rural happiness. 



VIRGINIA CREEPER— I 'cling. 



WATER LILY— Purity of heart. 



WHITE JASMINE — Amiability, 



WISTERIA— Welcome. 



WOODBINE— Fraternal love. 



ZINNIA — Thoughts of absent friends. 



