A Gift of Meaning

07 Feb A Gift of Meaning

The gift of fresh flowers is an art derived from a long, storied past. Evidence of flower arrangements or plants being gifted can be traced throughout mankind, but it was the Victorian era that first began to publish the true ‘language of flowers’, known as Floriography.

During this time, dictionaries were published containing the hidden meanings behind each variety of fresh flowers and plants, since they were used as a means of communication at the time. To this day, you’ll find that every flower has a meaning and significance behind the bouquet.

Whether it’s a show of love, gratitude, apology, sympathy, thanks, celebration, appreciation, the welcoming of a new life or bidding farewell to another, many find that fresh flowers speak when words fail.

Across all three of our Damselfly brands (Damselfly Designs, Damselfly Flowers and Damselfly Direct), we offer a wide array of gifting options. Whether it’s a custom mixed flower bouquet made from her favorite roses, a gift card to one of our flower shops for a friend to decorate their new home, a farm fresh flower box subscription or the gift of a bridal wedding bouquet, flowers are a timeless gift that hold an even greater significance once you learn their individual meanings.

The symbolic meaning for various flowers, herbs and plants has developed over the years and certain definitions vary a bit depending on the culture, country, or tradition. There are still many that maintain the same allegory as they did when pen was initially put to paper in the Victorian era. Sourced from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the below chart mainly reflects that original Victorian definition.

There are also very specific meanings attributed to colors, but we’ll save that for another day!