Combine luck, legend, romance, gift-giving, flowers and the beginning of the bird mating season and you have Valentine’s Day covered.
Each February, writers and bloggers delight in offering facts and myths about the day’s origins and traditions. Many stories trace it back to ancient Turkey and Rome, with religious origins and some folk legends tossed in.
Flowers and plants
Cut flowers, roses and all the various types of bouquets and plants surely are the true measure of one’s feelings toward another, aren’t they? In the early 1700s, Charles II of Sweden introduced floriography — the language of flowers — into European culture where entire sentiments, practically whole conversations, could take place based on the type of flowers that were exchanged. Floriography dictionaries written in the 1800s included symbolic meaning assigned to flower colors, scents and medicinal qualities.
Imagine using flowers instead of emojis to represent almost any kind of sentiment you’d like to convey. The red rose takes top billing as the symbol of beauty and love. Pink roses are a close second, signifying appreciation, gratitude and happiness. White roses are associated with marriage, new beginnings and purity. Orange roses are for passion, fascination and enthusiasm, while yellow roses — which once represented greed and jealousy — now offer good health, joy and friendship.
You can’t go wrong sending roses for Valentine’s Day, but other cut flowers, even plants, score meaningful points, too. Primroses say “I can’t live without you,” while orchids communicate delicate beauty, charm and love. Forget-me-nots are synonymous with, well you know. Blue hyacinths suggest constancy of love, while yellow tulips indicate there is sunshine in your smile.
Flowers and plants can evoke negativity, too. Give someone a lavender plant to say you don’t trust them or you’re devoted to them (your choice). Willows indicate sadness, while a narcissus means you’re selfish or your love is unrequited. Be careful with what you bring to a potluck: Basil, the main ingredient in pesto, can mean hatred. (No worries, in other circles basil means well wishes.)
If you’re concerned about sending the wrong message, Forrest Gump might suggest a box of chocolates.
Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com for even more gardening tips.