Most of us think florigraphy is a florist,one who makes beautiful bouquets, however; this is not the case,florigraphy is the floral meaning of flowers,revealing meanings to sending and receiving flowers. Flowers have their own language and it is believed that this language, florigraphy came from Turkey in the seventeenth century when romantic lovers began exchanging flowers in order to convey their feelings through these flowers.In Victorian times there was a popular rise in flower exchange and suitors carefully studied guidebooks in which were written in order to select the appropriate bouquets for their sweethearts.

A lot of gardens are grown as cut flower gardens,below I have listed the description of popular garden flowers as well as their floral meanings.

Flowers, Descriptions and Meanings

Anemone

 

Description: Anemone is also known as Windflower.Herbaceous,rhizomatous or tuberous perennials coming in many shapes and sizes,all have showy flowers.

Meaning:Forsaken,abandonment, refusal and sincerity.

Aster

Description: Hardy herbaceous, bushy, perennials with showy,daisy-like flowers that range in height from tall,erect plants to low compact plants.

Meaning: Symbol of love,talisman of love and daintiness.

 Begonia

Description: A very large genus of half hardy perennials.All have brightly colored flowers and attractive foliage. Most are grown as house plants and then planted for summer bedding.

Meaning: Deep thoughts, fanciful nature and beware I am fanciful.

Blue bell

Description: The scientific name for bluebell is Endymion. Bulbous hardy perennials with strap-shaped leaves and spikes of bell-shaped flowers in spring.

Meaning: Delicacy,gratitude,humility and constancy.

Campanula

Description: Annuals,biennials and herbaceous perennials. Most have showy bell-shaped flowers, ranging in height from prostate alpines to tall erect plants for the perennial border.

Meaning: Gratitude.

Carnation

Description:D.caryophyllus is a genus of dianthus species. Perennials with handsome grey-green leaves on upright stems. Lovely fragrant flowers with a sweet,clove-like scent coming in colors of white to pink.

Meaning: Pure love, pride, beauty, deep love, fascination and woman love.

Chrysanthemum

Description: Annuals,perennials and shrubs. They are mostly bushy plants with lobed or toothed leaves and showy daisy-like flowers.

Meaning: Rest, a wonderful friend, cheerfulness.

Columbine

Description: The scientific name of the columbine is Aquilegia. Hardy herbaceous perennials. Erect,bushy plants with attractive fern-like leaves and graceful funnel-shaped flowers,carried on thin,wiry stems,usually with a characteristic spur behind each petal.

Meaning: Folly or foolishness.

Crocus

Description:Cormous perennials with grassy leaves and six-petalled, showy, chalice-shaped flowers. Comes in a wide range of colors and some of them are multi-colored. Blooms in spring, autumn and winter.

Meaning: Foresight,cheerfulness and gladness.

Cyclamen

Description: Another name for the cyclamen is Sowbread. A genus of excellent tuberous plants that collectively provide almost all year-round color in the rock garden and peat garden. Some are hardy and others need winter warmth. Both leaves and flowers vary depending on the type of cyclamen. Some have kidney-shaped leaves while others have heart-shaped leaves. All types of cyclamen most often come in colors of white,pink and crimson or red.

Meaning: Resignation or good-bye.

Daffodil

Description: Daffodil is a genus of narcissus species. Bulbous perennials that have strap-shaped or rush-like leaves and six petalled flowers with a central corona shaped like a cup or trumpet. Those with the corona as long or longer than the petals are known as daffodils.

Meaning:  Unrequited love,regard you’re the only one and the sun is always shining when I’m with you.

Delphinium

Description: Annuals and herbaceous perennials. Most have large showy, dense flower-spikes in shades of blue and purple although there are some hybrids available in different colors. Delphiniums range in size from 6 feet to 1 foot.

Meaning: Courage,boldness and presumption.

Forget-me-not

Description: The scientific name for forget-me-not is Myosotis. Annuals and short-lived perennials. Forget-me-nots are popular spring flowering plants with mainly small bright blue flowers,although, hybrids do offers other colors such as pink and white.

Meaning: Remembrance, true love and memories.

Hibiscus

Description: A large genus of annuals and evergreen and deciduous shrubs. In most cases they have funnel shaped flowers and rich green leaves. They come in colors from white to blue.

Meaning:  Delicate beauty.

Hollyhock

Description:The scientific name of the hollyhock is althaea. Hardy annuals,biennials and perennials. Most produce handsome spikes of showy trumpet-shaped flowers. Hollyhocks come in a wide range of colors and the flowers are single,semi-double and double.

Meaning: Ambition and liberality.

Hyacinth

Description: The scientific name of the hyacinth is the hyacinthus. They are bulbous perennials that produce several strap-shaped, channeled leaves and one or more robust stems, bearing showy,six petalled fragrant bell-flowers.

Meaning: Rashness or games and sports.

Iris

Description: Hardy and half hardy herbaceous plants, with creeping tuberous or bulbous rootstock’s,distinctive sword-shaped or grassy leaves and in many cases very showy flowers.

Meaning: My compliments.

Johnny jumps ups

Description:Johnny jump ups are a culitvar of the viola. It is a short-lived perennial that seeds freely. It produces a combination of small dark purple and yellow flowers. Blooms in May -September and is one of the parents of garden pansies.

Meaning: You occupy my thoughts.

Michaelmas daisy

Description:A.novi-belgiiis, Michaelmas daisy is a genus of the aster. Dense, bushy, stiffly erect plant with smooth lance shaped leaves. The flowers grow across in broad,domed clusters and come in many forms ranging from single to completely double.

Meaning: Farewell.

Monkhood

Description:Monkshood scientific name is Aconitum. Hardy herbaceous perennials producing spikes with distinctively hooded flowers. Comes in colors of white to blue. All parts of this plant is poisonous.

Meaning: Beware or a deadly foe is near.

Nasturtium  

Description: The scientific name of the Nasturtium is Tropaeolum. Hardy annuals and tuberous perennials,mostly climbing. The popular garden species have showy spurred flowers and attractive foliage.

Meaning: Victory in battle, patriotism,conquest and patriotism.

Nigella

Description: Hardy annuals with delicate,dissected foliage on erect stems, with showy cornflower-like flowers followed by attractive seed pods.Seeds most often self seed freely.

Meaning: Perplexity and delicacy.

Paeonia  

Description: The scientific name of the Peony is Paeonia. They are tuberous-rooted,clump forming,hardy herbaceous perennials with handsome lobed or dissected foliage and saucer or bowl-shaped flowers,very often large and colorful. They are favorites for herbaceous and mixed borders.

Meaning: Happy marriage, bashfulness, healing and happy life.

Pansy

Description: The scientific name for the pansy is viola. Most are short lived perennials. They often have large flowers,although there is a miniature cultivar. They are usually blotched with blackish purple and the leaves are fresh green and indented. There are countless cultivars both in single and double coming in colors of red,yellow,blue,white and violet in assorted combinations.

Meaning: Thinking of you and thoughtful recollection.

Primula

Description: The scientific name of the primrose is primula. Hardy and half hardy annuals,biennials and perennials. Leaves,colors and sizes vary depending on the species, however;they often have very showy, spring flowers. They are often popular in rock gardens,borders and and containers because of their showy flowers.

Meaning: I can’t live without you and young love.

Prunus-cherry blossom

Description: A large genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs coming in a wide range of forms from single to double flowers. All have showy flowers in the spring and usually range from white to pink in color.

Meaning: Sexuality, feminine beauty and principle & love.

Rose-pink

Description: Hardy and some slightly tender deciduous and evergreen shrubs including bushy, trailing and climbing forms;most have prickly stems and shoots. The flowers forms singly or in clusters;there are some that are small but most roses are medium sized to large. The flowers are very showy and come in a wide range of colors and are single,semi-double or double.

Meaning: Grace, gentility and perfect happiness.

Rose-red

Description: Hardy and some slightly tender deciduous and evergreen shrubs including bushy, trailing and climbing forms;most have prickly stems and shoots. The flowers forms singly or in clusters;there are some that are small but most roses are medium sized to large. The flowers are very showy and come in a wide range of colors and are single,semi-double or double.

Meaning: Love or I love you

Rose-white

Description: Hardy and some slightly tender deciduous and evergreen shrubs including bushy, trailing and climbing forms;most have prickly stems and shoots. The flowers forms singly or in clusters;there are some that are small but most roses are medium sized to large. The flowers are very showy and come in a wide range of colors and are single,semi-double or double.

Meaning: Purity, humility, secrecy, reverence and I am worthy of you.

Sage

Description: Sage otherwise known as S.officinalis is a genus of the Salvia species. Shrubby perennial, used as a culinary herb. It has lanceolate grey,woolly,aromatic leaves, with attractive purple flowers spikes that bloom in early-mid summer.

Meaning: Esteem.

Snowdrop

Description:The scientific name of snowdrop is Galanthus. Bulbous perennials. Each bulb produces two,sometimes three narrow grey-green leaves and an erect stem bearing one pendant flower,composed of three long and three short petals. Lovely late winter-early spring flowers that are most often white.

Meaning: Consolation of hope.

Tulip

Description: There are so many different tulips they are divided into 15 seperate groups called divisions. Bulbous perennials with large cup-shaped flowers, most often very brightly colored and held well above their leaves. Tulips have a wide range of sizes and colors.

Meaning: Declaration of love, passion,love and symbol of the perfect love.

Tulip-red

Description: There are so many different tulips they are divided into 15 seperate groups called divisions. Bulbous perennials with large cup-shaped flowers, most often very brightly colored and held well above their leaves. Tulips have a wide range of sizes and colors.

Meaning: Undying love, declaration of love and believe me.

Tulip-yellow

Description: There are so many different tulips they are divided into 15 seperate groups called divisions. Bulbous perennials with large cup-shaped flowers, most often very brightly colored and held well above their leaves. Tulips have a wide range of sizes and colors.

Meaning: Hopeless love.

Violet

Description: The scientific name for the violet is viola. Perennial that produces blue,violet,purple,pink or white flowers in the spring and occasionally autumn. Spreads by runners.

Meaning: Modesty, faithfulness and simplicity.

Water lily

Description:The scientific name of the water lily is nymphaea. Hardy and tender aquatics. Most have very showy flowers and handsome floating leaves,some are scented.

Meaning: Purity of heart.

Wisteria

Description: Hardy deciduous climbing shrubs. The popular garden species produces very showy fragrant mauve,blue,white or pink pea-flowers that hang in clusters in late spring.The leaves are mid to dark green and are composed of 9-19 leaflets.

Meaning: Steadfast,youth,welcome and poetry.

Links

Most of the plants mentioned  above are perennials,for growing information visit:  How To Grow And Care For Perennials

For information about how to start seeds visit:  How To Start Seeds

For information about how to utilize the space you have visit: How To Utilize Space For A small Garden

 

Copyright © 2009 Tanya Kime-Wallace