Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and a frenzy of flower-giving is about to begin. Flowers can be a perfect romantic gift, but we are no longer particularly conversant with the language of flowers, or floriography, which became a passion in Victorian England. In a society where courtship was highly circumscribed by draconian rules of etiquette, presenting a love object with a carefully-chosen bouquet was an eloquent way of declaring passionate, and possibly clandestine, feelings. The recipient could pore over any number of interpretative books, such as Elizabeth Wirt’s Flora Dictionary (1829) and draw her own conclusions.
Today, our gifts of flowers will no longer be subject to such forensic scrutiny. However, flowers do have symbolic meanings, and a well-prepared suitor may do well to bear these in mind. A safe default is roses, and there is a general agreement that no recipient will misinterpret a large bouquet of blood-red roses, but some more adventurous romantics will resist the cliché and stray further afield.
When selecting your Valentine’s bouquet, consider the following options:
Roses are the most popular Valentine’s Day gift, but the colour of the blooms is also significant.
In general, red flowers tend to denote love and passion, while pink is a tribute to femininity, and white/cream signifies purity and innocence. It is considered that the yellow/orange end of the colour spectrum expresses enthusiasm, energy, joy and new beginnings. Whatever you choose, observe the following etiquette.
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