In my upcoming historical novella, Violets Vow, I use the language of flowers as a main part of the plot. My main character Violet has a superpower; she can match flowers with people. Upon meeting someone she has the sense of their personality as it relates to flowers. She also has a secret admirer who is sending her notes and little gifts using the language of flowers.
Have you ever read a book about the language of flowers? Received or given a floral gift in the language of flowers? If so, leave a comment telling me about it.
A bit of history:
Interest in floriography (matching flowers with meanings) soared in Victorian England and in the United States during the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express feelings which could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society. Armed with floral dictionaries, Victorians often exchanged small “talking bouquets”, called nosegays or tussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.
Floriography was popularized in France during 1810–1850, while in Britain it was popular during the Victorian age (roughly 1820–1880), and in the United States during 1830–1850. La Tour’s book stimulated the publishing industry especially in France, England, and the United States, but also in Belgium, Germany, and other European countries as well as in South America. Publishers from these countries produced hundreds of editions of floriography books during the 19th century.
One of the most familiar books about floriography is Routledge’s edition illustrated by Kate Greenaway, The Language of Flowers. First published in 1884, it continues to be reprinted to this day.
NOTE: Some of the history was gleaned from Wikipedia. Read the page HERE.
Thanks for reading! J
UPCOMING DATES:
May 6th, Violet’s Vow releases on Kindle and KU and in paperback.
May 7th, Violet’s Vow release party in my Facebook group, Journeying with Jenny.