Is There Anything as Enchanting as the Meaning of Flowers?
I’ve always had a fascination with the meaning of flowers. Back in the Victorian days each flower had a meaning attached as a form of expressive comunication. Flowers were offered in dainty, informal, often hand-picked arrangements called a tussie-mussie, that of a small floral bouquet with symbolic messages intended for any type of occasion. Fashionable during Queen Victoria’s reign, tussie-mussie, or what’s also referred to as a nosegay (appealing to the nose), is back in fashion. A nosegay can be a single flower, or multiple flowers, with many meanings.I first became interested in flowers that have obvious, enchanting names such as loves-lies-bleeding or bleeding heart, which are more or less wonderfully self-descriptive. Love-lies-bleeding, also called amaranthus caudatus, a popular Victorian garden plant, represents hopelessness or hopeless love. It has religious significance too, suggesting the compassion and sacrifice of Jesus. Bleeding hearts have an endearing child’s story attached, where the flower is clipped apart and arranged to correspond with the steps in a fairytale, ending with love lost. Read the story here. Neither flower is typically used as a sympathy flower, but why not? Such literal flower arrangements carry extreme meaning, and they have charming names to match.
Today people have begun to rethink traditional funeral arrangements in lieu of something less stiff and expected, in lieu of a more personal approach to sympathy or memorial flowers. A fragrant nosegay or tussie-mussie becomes a contemporary means to convey a hidden message to a grieving friend or relative. There are a number of possibilities, and below I list each flower or plant, together with its special meaning. If you’d like to make your own nosegay memorial flowers, this article will walk you through a most easy and simple heartfelt gift. Hopefully this will inspire you to create your own handemade tussie-mussie, or come up with a special request from your local florist.
Flowers that hold meaning to those who have experienced a death:Dark crimson rose = Mourning
Marigold = Grief
Aloe = Grief
Love-lie-bleeding = Immortal love
Asphodel = My regrets follow you to the grave
Tea rose = I’ll remember always
Acorn = Nordic symbol of life and immortality
Dead leaves = Sadness
Bellflower = Thinking of you
Clove = Undying love
Yellow zinnia = Daily remembrance
Fir = Time
Cypress = Death, mourning, despair, sorrow
Delphinium = The ability to transcend space and time
Rosemary = Remembrance
Black rose = Death, farewell or rebirth
Primrose = Eternal love
Marigold = Grief
Aloe = Grief
Love-lie-bleeding = Immortal love
Asphodel = My regrets follow you to the grave
Tea rose = I’ll remember always
Acorn = Nordic symbol of life and immortality
Dead leaves = Sadness
Bellflower = Thinking of you
Clove = Undying love
Yellow zinnia = Daily remembrance
Fir = Time
Cypress = Death, mourning, despair, sorrow
Delphinium = The ability to transcend space and time
Rosemary = Remembrance
Black rose = Death, farewell or rebirth
Primrose = Eternal love
Read a list with the meaning of a wide range of flowers here.
Our Annual Seven Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving, 2024 Edition
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