Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel
The Japanese call it Hanakotoba, and King Charles II brought it to Sweden from Persia in the 17th century. Hanakotoba is the Japanese name for associating certain flowers with specific meanings. Floriography – a fancy name for the language of flowers coined in the Victorian era – is an opportunity to express what we want to say (and may not be able to speak out loud).
Or, give a birthday gift of a birth month flower, either as a bouquet or as a packet of seeds. Seeds, a glass vase to grow them in, soil-less growing medium, instructions, and info about what the birth flower symbolizes will make a very special birthday gift for a friend or family member. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive list of birth month flowers – the lists vary based on the source – so pick the blooms that symbolize you or the recipient.
January – Carnation
With a history that dates back more than 2,000 years, it’s not surprising that carnations are rich in symbolism. Today, the fringed and deeply-scented carnation can be found in a wide range of colors. While in general they express love, fascination and distinction, virtually every color carries a unique and rich association. White carnations suggest pure love and good luck. Light red symbolizes admiration, while dark red represents deep love and affection. Purple carnations imply capriciousness. Pink carnations carry the greatest significance, beginning with the belief that they first appeared on earth from the Virgin Mary’s tears – making them the symbol of a mother’s undying love.
February – Violet
According to a legend, St. Valentine favored this flower and used the violet blossoms as ink to write love notes during his exile. In the language of flowers, the violet’s symbolism includes romance, chivalry, and love. The purple-hued violet connotes faithful love while the white color symbolizes candor, simplicity and innocence.
March – Yellow Snapdragon or Daffodil
Snapdragons symbolize graciousness, strength and willpower. Antirrhinum, the snapdragon’s botanical name, is a fitting description of this snout-shaped flower. The name is derived from the Greek words “anti,” meaning like, and “rhin,” meaning nose. It’s said that the common name for this colorful flower comes from the snap it makes when the sides of the “dragon’s mouth” are gently squeezed. Legend has it that concealing a snapdragon makes a person appear fascinating and cordial.
Daffodils symbolize domestic happiness and rebirth. Daffodils can represent creativity and renewal, but can also symbolize inspiration, memory, and forgiveness. In many cases, the daffodil can be used to represent a sense of awareness and inner reflection. The yellow daffodil symbolizes rebirth and the arrival of spring. It blooms just after the harsh winter months, so it can also symbolize strength, overcoming obstacles, and success.
April – Daisy
The daisy family is big! Numerous kinds of daisies exist in a variety of colors. The most common are the Shasta Daisy with white petals and a large yellow center. The Painted Daisy attracts both butterflies and gardeners, with colors ranging from purple to red. My favorite, the Gerbera Daisy, is popular as a cut flower with large blooms in bright pink, red, yellow and orange. The daisy flower has beautiful symbolism. It represents affection and purity. And who hasn’t played “he loves me, he loves me not” to ascertain a lover’s devotion?
May – Sweet Alyssum or Lily of the Valley
Sweet Alyssum and Lily of the Valley both boast a fragrant scent. Alyssum represents a serene, spiritual energy and is said to provide an emotional balance in the home or office. Aside from symbolizing beauty, Sweet Alyssum protects an individual from heated encounters. Appearing in gardens in May, Lily of the Valley symbolizes happiness, humility and sweetness. This elegant bloom is frequently associated with traditional feminine values like chastity, motherhood, sweetness, and purity. Lily of the Valley flowers are thought to bring luck in love but can also symbolize a return of happiness. Some people believe that Lily of the Valley can protect gardens from evil spirits.
June – Rose
The Rose, in general, symbolizes chastity, sweetness and humility. Roses are also symbols of love, passion, beauty, honor and timelessness. The color of the Rose has important symbolic meaning, something to be taken into consideration when gifting the flower.
Red Roses are symbols of romance and love. The color red symbolizes passion, love, power and authority. Pink Roses symbolize grace and admiration towards someone, so They make a perfect gift for a friend. Pink symbolizes sweetness, playfulness, charm and femininity. The Dark Pink Rose symbolizes appreciation and gratitude. This flower is perfect if you want to tell someone “thank you.” White Roses symbolize reverence, purity and friendship. White sends a very strong message of faith, new beginning, possibility, safety and goodness. A white Rose is a good gift for someone if you want to show them how much they mean to you. Yellow Roses symbolize caring and falling in love. The color yellow symbolizes happiness, energy, enlightenment, positivity and loyalty. Orange Roses are symbols of passion. The color orange represents sunshine, enthusiasm, success, freedom, sexuality and passion. Choose the perfect bouquet of orange Roses for your spouse or lover. The Burgundy Rose symbolizes beauty. The color burgundy is a symbol of aristocracy, leadership, ambition, beauty, prosperity and maturity – especially appropriate for someone older or very mature.
July – Lavender or Larkspur
Lavender flowers are known to represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness. Purple color also comes with great symbolism. Purple is the color of royalty and speaks of elegance, refinement and luxury. This shade is highly associated with elegance and grace and has a close relation to the symbol of beauty and femininity, as well. Lavender universally sends out a sense of delicacy, nostalgia, and a romantic atmosphere.
Larkspur represents the strong bond of love. It signifies an open heart, ardent attachment to someone and the celebration of positivity. It can also symbolize a desire to be humorous and represents lightness. The plant earned the name of larkspur because the elongated petals on each bloom look like spurs, typically the hind claws of a lark. The symbolism changes with the color of the bloom. Blue larkspur symbolizes dignity and grace. You want to gift the blue larkspur because the pink blooms symbolize a contrary personality, fickleness or indecisiveness. White larkspur is seen as symbolic of happiness.
August – Poppy
This flower is a symbol of imagination, messages delivered in dreams, beauty, success, luxury, extravagance and peace in death. In our Western culture, the red Poppy is used as a way to recognize fallen soldiers – most notably those who died in World War II. However, in Eastern cultures, poppies usually symbolize love and success.
September – Aster
Asters typically symbolize daintiness, elegance, patience, and a love of new things. They can also be used to symbolize a wistfulness for things that almost were. The name aster is derived from the Greek word for “star,” and its star-like flowers can be found in a rainbow of colors – white, red, pink, purple, lavender and blue, with mostly yellow centers. Different colors carry different symbolism. Purple is the most common aster color. Purple asters symbolize loyalty and wisdom. White asters symbolize purity and innocence. Pink asters hold all the meaning of the flower colors mentioned above, as well as symbolizing love and sensitivity toward others.
October – Marigold
Recognized as a symbol of joy, marigolds also represent beauty and warmth, creativity and winning the affections of someone through hard work. The flower also represents a drive to succeed and cheer in a relationship. In the language of flowers, marigolds can be given to encourage somebody in your life to reach for their full potential.
November – Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum flowers share a common Greek naming. The word “Chrysos” means gold, and “Anthemon” means flower. Chrysanthemum flowers are most commonly used to symbolize a truly meaningful friendship. They can also symbolize trust among friends. In general, chrysanthemums are believed to represent happiness, love, longevity and joy, also symbolizing loyalty and devotion toward a friend or a romantic partner, as well as romantic or platonic love. The flower is often used as a general symbol of positive energy — often used to cheer someone up at a time of need. White Chrysanthemum flowers symbolize purity, spirituality and innocence. Red Chrysanthemum flowers can symbolize friendship and devotion, but usually symbolize stronger emotions such as romantic love. Yellow Chrysanthemum flowers usually symbolize joy and happiness.
December – Zinnia
Gifting someone a Zinnia flower means you are doing it from the heart. It signifies that you are honest and truthful about your emotions. Zinnias can be gifted for special occasions, such as to a friend going away for a period of time. You are saying farewell to someone who is important to you and an important part of your life. Zinnia flowers symbolize affection, as well. These flowers are a perfect way to tell someone you love them and that you care about them.
Did you relate to your birth month flower? Check the resources below – you may have alternative options. But, you can’t go wrong by gifting flowers — or seeds — that are representative of your recipient’s birth month. Something a little different! Don’t forget to include a note that explains the significance of the flowers you have chosen. And if seeds, include how-to-grow information and/or the materials like a container and soil that will assure they will get planted and provide the perfect birthday month blooms.
These resources provided the information included above.
Teleflora.com/meaning-of-flowers/
Florgeous.com/birth-month-flowers/ (An excellent source of information)
Flowermeanings.org
http://www.daleharvey.com/Directory/articles-of-interest/LANGUAGE+OF+FLOWERS/Meaning+of+Flowers.html#S (A comprehensive listing of flowers and symbolism)
Search Birth Month Flowers and take your pick from multiple websites.
Images courtesy pexels.com
