what is the language of flowers and where did the meanings come from?
The language of flowers — floriography — was very popular in the Victorian era between 1837 and 1901. Perhaps gentlemen of the era, like Leopold, expressed their unspoken sentiments using the flowers they gave to the women of their day — or maybe they didn’t. But the meanings date back much further to medieval and Renaissance times. The saints in Renaissance art, for example, were often depicted holding flowers to express their saintly virtues. The white rose and the lily, for example, symbolized virtue and virginity. The Japanese also developed their own flower language called hanakotoba. Besides the love of the red and pink roses, and virtue of the white roses, yellow roses also carry a meaning — friendship or devotion. A mixture of red and white roses signifies unity. Sunflowers may mean respect or haughtiness. The daisy means innocence or purity and the iris, named for a Greek messenger of the gods, still means sending a message. Pansies are thoughtful, daffodils express regard and
