The Secret Language of Flowers
What better way to introduce classic, elegant, Old World flair into your abode than with a bouquet of flowers? Especially if those flowers happen to carry secret messages…!
Originating from harems in the Ottoman Empire, written about in feminist poet Mary Wortley Montagu’s letters to the English embassy while in Turkey, the language of flowers was one of covert, often enticing messages. In the Victorian era, almost one hundred years after its introduction, secret messaging through floral arrangements gained sudden popularity, as botany became a hobby among women of higher classes. All of a sudden, secret flower codes were the topic of coffee table books, parlor games, and fanciful lovers’ flings. This “language” gained popularity in the Victorian era, but died out after World War I.
In this modern age, who’s to say that we can’t bring it back?
ROSE
daffodil
LILAC
RHODODENDRON
BLUEBELL
IVY
BASIL
for those of us who like a bit of Old World Magic in our modern lives...here are some bouquet ideas for varying moods in which you might find yourself:
Q: How does one subtly convey the first sparks of love?
a: Try some purple lilacs and sweet basil for a fragrant and poignant message!
Q: Impressed by an individual’s wit and intelligence?
A: Send a bunch of Clematis and Kennedia which represent mental beauty!
Q: Wishing to savagely destroy someone with your secret knowledge?
a: Give them a bunch of striped and yellow carnations + lavender (Use this bouquet with discretion…you’ll be rejecting them, wishing to exact vengeance, and letting them know you think they’re dishonest!)
And of course, let us not forget the meaning of the singular red rose, the most poignant of all floral symbols: true love ♥️
Find yourself wishing you could go beyond the floral realm of Old World Magic? Reserve the Autumn Potion Box and enjoy the season to the fullest!