As winter in California brings its mild chill, the landscape still bursts into life with vibrant flowers, leafy trees, and lush green plants of all kinds. Many of us have taken to our home gardens, nurturing peonies, daylilies, sunflowers, and roses. While we cherish our flowers for their beauty and delightful scents, few of us still use them as a form of secret communication.
Today, we send private messages to our friends and lovers via text, but the Victorians sent nosegays to convey hidden thoughts and desires. Floriography, or the language of flowers, required floral dictionaries but allowed couples to express what society deemed inappropriate to say in words.
Are you planning to add any new plants to your garden this year? Why not think about planting flowers to give away as boutiques with a message.
In Shakespeare's time, fennel was a symbol of strength, columbine stood for folly, daisies meant innocence, and violets recognized faithfulness and modesty.
In Japanese culture, Hanakotoba is the language of flowers with its own lexicon. For example, a gift of Havenaria radiata, an orchid native to the region, means “My thoughts will follow you into your dreams.”
Today, we still say “I love you” with roses, “I'm sorry” with a colorful bouquet, or “my condolences” with gladiolas. If you'd like to try to say something more precisely with your blooms this summer, check out the floral glossary below. If I could, I would send each of you basil.
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Symbolic Meanings of Herbs, Flowers and Trees
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Aloe
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Healing, protection, affection
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Amaryllis
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Pride
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Anemone
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Forsaken
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Angelica
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Inspiration
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Apple blossom
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Preference
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Arborvitae
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Unchanging friendship
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Bachelor's button
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Single blessedness
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Basil
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Good wishes
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Bay
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Glory
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Begonia
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Beware
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Bittersweet
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Truth
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Black-eyed Susan
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Justice
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Bluebell
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Humility
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Candytuft
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Indifference
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Carnation
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Women, Love
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– Red carnation
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My Heart Aches, admiration
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– White carnation
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Innocence, pure love, women's good luck gift
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– Pink carnation
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I'll never forget you
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– Yellow carnation
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Disappointment, rejection
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Chamomile
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Patience
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Chives
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Usefulness
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Chrysanthemum
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Cheerfulness
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Clover, white
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Think of me
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Coreopsis
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Always cheerful
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Coriander
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Hidden worth
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Crocus, spring
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Youthful gladness
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Cumin
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Fidelity
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Cyclamen
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Resignation and good-bye
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Daffodil
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Regard
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Daisy
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Innocence, hope
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Dill
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Powerful against evil
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Edelweiss
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Courage, devotion
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Fennel
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Flattery
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Fern
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Sincerity
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Forget-me-not
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True love memories
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Gardenia
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Secret love
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Geranium, oak-leaved
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True friendship
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Goldenrod
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Encouragement
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Heliotrope
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Eternal love
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Holly
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Hope
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Hollyhock
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Ambition
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Honeysuckle
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Bonds of love
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Horehound
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Health
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Hyacinth
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Games and sport, playfulness, rashness
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Hyacinth, blue
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Constancy of love
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Hyacinth, purple
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Sorrow, forgiveness, regret
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Hyacinth, yellow
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Jealousy
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Hyacinth, white
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Loveliness, prayers for someone
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Hyssop
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Sacrifice, cleanliness
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Iris
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A message
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Ivy
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Friendship, continuity
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Jasmine, white
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Sweet love
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Lady's-mantle
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Comforting
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Lavender
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Devotion, virtue
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Lemon balm
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Sympathy
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Lilac
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Joy of youth
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Lily, calla
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Beauty
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Lily, day
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Chinese emblem for mother
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Lily-of-the-valley
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Sweetness
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Lotus Flower
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Purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth
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Magnolia
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Love of nature
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Marjoram
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Joy and happiness
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Mint
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Virtue
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Morning glory
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Affection
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Myrtle
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Good luck and love in a marriage
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Nasturtium
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Patriotism
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Oak
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Strength
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Oregano
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Substance
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Pansy
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Thoughts
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Parsley
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Festivity
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Peony
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Happy life, happy marriage
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Pine
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Humility
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Poppy, red
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Consolation
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Rhododendron
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Danger
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Rose, red
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Love, I love you, desire
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Rose, pink
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Happiness
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Rose, white
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Purity, heavenly, I'm worthy of you
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Rose, yellow
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Jealousy, decrease of love
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Rosemary
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Remembrance
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Rue
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Grace, clear vision
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Sage
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Wisdom, immortality
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Salvia, blue
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I think of you
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Salvia, red
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Forever mine
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Savory
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Spice, interest
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Sorrel
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Affection
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Southernwood
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Constancy, jest
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Sunflower
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Adoration
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Sweet pea
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Pleasures
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Sweet William
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Gallantry
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Sweet woodruff
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Humility
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Tansy
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Hostile thoughts
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Tarragon
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Lasting interest
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Thyme
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Courage, strength
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Tulip, red
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Declaration of love
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Tulip, yellow
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Sunshine in your smile
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Valerian
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Readiness
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Violet
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Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, modesty
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Wallflower
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Faithfulness in adversity
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Willow
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Sadness
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Yarrow
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Everlasting love
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Zinnia
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Thoughts of absent friends
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