Flowers have been given to convey messages of love and friendship since the dawn of time. When you buy someone flowers you not only need to keep in mind what the recipient likes, what looks good and what these flowers mean. In past people could convey the same message through a bouquet of flowers as they could through a well written love letter.
The Significance of Flowers
People have been growing flowers for thousands of years, yet they serve very little practical purpose. There are few you can eat, fewer still used in medicines yet we spend millions of dollars growing and producing flowers each year. We still grew flowers even when our survival depended on the amount of food we had to harvest each year. There is no question that the human race loves our flowers.
The Meanings of Popular Flowers
Do you speak the language of flowers? If not, that’s okay here are some of the more common flowers and what they mean when you gift them to someone special in your life.
Roses
Roses are by far one of the most popular type of flowers that are purchased each year. Red roses are symbols of romantic love and passion. Yellow roses are given to friends. White roses are traditionally used in bridal bouquets and they mean innocence. The number of roses that you give someone is also significant, a dozen roses means that you are declaring your love for someone. Two dozen roses are given when you want congratulate someone and 50 roses means unconditional love. 50 roses are an ideal Mother’s Day gift.
Carnations
Carnations are another popular type of flower that is often given as a gift. Carnations carry many of the same meanings as roses, red ones indicate love and admiration. Pink carnations are often given to your mother and white carnations like white roses also indicate innocence. Yellow carnations mean rejection and disappointment and purple carnations mean that someone is capricious.
Daisies
Daisies are happy flowers and they often indicate purity, innocence and pure love. They can also indicate cheerfulness and pure thoughts, if someone gives you daisies then enjoy them.
Orchids
In ancient Greece orchids used to indicate virility, in modern times they still signify strength but more often than not they represent luxury or beauty.
Chrysanthemums
Mums are often featured at weddings and they convey a spirit of optimism, joy and long life. Red chrysanthemums mean love, white indicates truth and loyalty whereas yellow means your love has been slighted.
The next time you buy a bouquet of flowers take the time to consider what they mean, not just whether they are pretty or not.