"Some flowers spoke with strong
and powerful voices, which proclaimed
in accents trumpet-tongued, 'I am beautiful,
and I rule.' Others murmured in tones
scarcely audible, but exquisitely soft and sweet,
'I am little, and I am beloved.'"

   — George Sand (Armandine A.L. Dupin), (1804 - 1876) French writer

Emotional Messages
Joy and jealousy, desire and dejection, solitude and sadness, loyalty and love — flowers echo each voice of the human heart. While many during Elizabethan times knew the symbolic and legendary meanings of flowers, the Victorians assigned simple messages to individual flowers. Introduced to the Swedish court in 1714 by Charles II, the Victorian mode of flower language soon spread throughout Europe.

During this time of strict protocol and conformity, men and women used the beauty and color of flowers to express emotions, wishes, and thoughts they dared not speak. Every corsage, bouquet, and garland represented a carefully chosen sentiment.

Presentation Symbolism
Presentation was also important. For example, a bouquet with a ribbon tied to the left told about the giver, while a ribbon tied to the right signified the receiver. Upside-down bouquets portrayed the exact opposite of the flowers' typical meanings: To receive an inverted rose was the ultimate form of rejection.

Flower Language became so important that durch die Blume sprechen (speaking through flowers) became a Western proverb, signifying "any flowery or poetic expression hiding a secret message of love."

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