Whether we use them as gifts for special occasions or for showing our feelings towards people who matter to us most, flowers are more often than not the first choice. However, due caution and prudence must be exercised during selection of flowers, because they come in numerous varieties and have been associated with certain meanings to suit certain occasions.

Prior awareness of the likes and dislikes of the person receiving the flowers makes the choice easy, but at the same time the propriety according to the occasion has to be kept in mind. For instance, cheerful flowers like roses or daisies go well with a happy occasion such as a wedding ceremony, an engagement or an anniversary. But when it is an occasion of grief, flowers like white carnations that appropriately express sorrow and anguish must be selected.

If you do not know the recipient very well then it is always better to abide by traditional and safe choices rather than being too adventurous. In this case too, the choice must be entirely dependent on the occasion. For instance, seasonal flowers are a great choice for a marriage ceremony and a cluster of lilies of different colours is excellent for someone’s graduation.

You have to be prepared for an assault on your senses before stepping into a flower shop for a bouquet, as the sheer variety of bouquets offered for sale will confuse you to the point of indecision. But as there are meanings and human occasions associated with every flower, the task of picking the correct flower for a particular event becomes simpler. Once you are conscious of this meaning, you would be able to reduce your choices to a small group, from which you can easily take your pick for your bouquet.

The idea of flowers projecting human emotions is thought to have originated long ago, and was widely popular during the Victorian era. While yellow roses symbolize love that has more friendly and platonic overtones, the red ones symbolize love that is true and passionate. Even tulips and carnations in their range of colours, each have a different meaning to communicate.

It is traditional and a prevalent practice to gift bouquets to a couple on their wedding day. Buyers should remember the seasonal and thematic atmosphere of a wedding while purchasing bouquets for the occasion. A nice blend of red and white flowers is perfect for marriages that stick to traditional customs, whereas nothing can be more suitable than a bouquet of spring flowers for a springtime marriage.

Dating back to historical times, flowers have been used as a profession of kindness. We usually present them to those we love and care for. We gift flowers to let them find out how important they are, to show admiration, to celebrate an occasion, or even to sympathize. What we don’t know is that sending certain types of flowers, and even their colors, actually have meanings of their own.

Floriography – the unique language of flowers

During medieval and Renaissance times, flowers were often given moral meanings. This can be widely seen in art where saints are often portrayed with flowers that represent or symbolize their virtues. “Some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn,” says Liana DeGirolami Cheney in an edition of Sixteenth Century Journal.

Back in Victorian times, flowers began to create or add emotion. The language of flowers, often called floriography, began being used as a discreet form of communication. During the 18th century, sending coded messages using flowers became popular. Based on Persian Salaam, a Turkish secret language of flowers, a coded flower arrangement was sent to show feelings of attraction, even love.

Long before the invention of jewellery, women put on flowers to beautify themselves. Through their vivid colours and scent, they have helped people to enhance their attractiveness since time immemorial. Most of the ancient cultures have seen both women and men putting flowers in their hair or as garlands to put around their neck.

No two flowers have the same scent. Colour, appearance and scent are the three factors that have determined the different moods that different flowers evoke in humans, and this in turn has decided which flower would fit which occasion. As many perfumes have been created by perfume manufacturers as there are types of flowers, and the distinctiveness and subtle differences among flowers’ scents have given the industry limitless opportunities for many new products. But these days, artificial perfumes manufactured from synthetic compounds are replacing the traditional perfumes that contained the purest fragrances of real flowers.

The scent of flowers is significant not just because they can be trapped in perfume bottles. Flowers have acted as wonderful presents for people by virtue of their fragrance and beauty. Fragrance of flowers can rouse the drooping spirits of an individual and completely alter the whole ambience of a place. To an experienced florist, the true quality of good bouquets is that they should appeal to both the eyes and the sense of smell of a person. Similarly for any auspicious occasion, people use flowers liberally so that the venue gives a naturally delightful fragrance.

Down the ages, human feelings have found great expressions through the custom of giving flowers or bouquets. Flowers and bouquets have acted as excellent presents for birthdays and anniversaries, and are also helpful in making personal gestures like conveying warmest congratulations, making apologies or cheering someone up.

Some people think that this custom began way back during prehistoric times with archaeologists finding proof of its existence at ancient sites. Flowers have always occupied an important place in ancient Rome and Egypt and in the civilizations of ancient Greece and China whose myths and folklore clearly reflect this tradition. Giving flowers was considered the best way to convey one’s thoughts in these civilizations. The ancient Greeks even believed some flowers to be related to divinity.

The Middle Ages saw a continuation of this custom, and France and England were mainly responsible for carrying this legacy down the ages. The modern tradition of giving a meaning to each flower is thought to have been brought to Europe after the French and the British experienced it in Turkey.

Flowers are really popular to send to loved ones on special occasions such as Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, weddings, and anniversaries. Places such as homes and offices are more comfortable and lively when flowers are used as decorations. What makes these gifts of nature so great is that they smell and look amazing. They have unique shapes, bright colours, and they have the most wonderful scents only nature can provide.

The only problem? Fresh flowers don’t stay fresh for long especially if you don’t take care of them properly. Not all of us are florists and gardeners, here are some ways to extend the life of your arrangements:

- If you receive flowers that are in a box, act as fast as possible. Drench them in water, or preferably in floral foam or flower food solution. These can be bought from your florist.

- If the floral foam solution turns cloudy, replace it entirely. Same goes for those who are using only water; replacing it daily with fresh water is a must.

Flowers are quite popular as gift options. People of all ages and backgrounds have a fascination for beautiful flowers and like to offer them as gifts at various occasions like birthdays, marriages and anniversaries, or just for expressing how much they care for their near and dear ones.

You can gift people with seasonal blooms that are both affordable and elegant. Flowers can make people happy, whether it is your partner whom you gift a single flower or your ailing relative whom you send an arrangement of flowers to convey good health wishes, and they are also good for interior decoration, especially in the living room.

However, before gifting flowers to someone, you should think about a few important aspects. The first thing that you should remember is what kind of flowers to gift on what type of occasions. A florist can aid you here, and you can discuss with him what relationship you have with the recipient, what the occasion is, and what message you would like to convey.

Dating back to ancient times, flowers have been a profession of kindness. We usually present them to those we care for. We send flowers to show them how important they are, to show appreciation, to celebrate occasions, or even to sympathize. What we don’t know is that sending certain types of flowers, and even their colors, actually have significances of their own.

The Language Of Flowers

During Renaissance & medieval times, flowers were often given moral meanings. This can be widely seen in art where saints are often presented with flowers that represent or symbolize their virtues. “Some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn,” says Liana DeGirolami Cheney in an edition of Sixteenth Century Journal.

Back in Victorian times, flowers were used initially to create or add emotion. The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, began being used as a discreet form of communication. During the 18th century, sending messages in code using flowers became popular. Based on Persian Salaam, a Turkish secret language of flowers, a coded flower arrangement was sent to announce feelings of attraction, even love.

Canadian Flowers are found on the sides of country roads and in meadows as well. They are all very beautiful and are definite things to snap a picture of in its natural environment.

The lovely West Red Lily can be searched for and found within Saskatchewan. Meadows and littler forest lands hold these lovelies in their grasp for your joy of seeing and touching. They are red and have yellow striped centers.

You can find Wild Roses in the territories of Quebec on to British Columbia meadows and gardens. These are dainty and truly worth any garden addition you may be thinking of.

Did you know that instead of a country flower the Canadians use the brilliance of the Maple Leaf to signify their country and it adorns everything from flags, hats, shirts and even tags for cars.

On the quaint island of Prince Edwards Lady’s Slippers are in no small supply as they flourish all over especially in the shades of trees and forests. These look like little slippers a elegant doll or lady would wear for a night out on the town in all thier fancy dress.

Long before the use of metal ornaments, women wore flowers to beautify themselves. Since ancient times people have used flowers with vibrant colours and scents to improve their beauty. Most of the civilizations have witnessed both women and men using flowers in their hair or as garlands to wear around their neck.

Every flower has its own exclusive scent. Because of these differences in scents, and of course the significant differences in their looks, all major flowers have been associated with particular moods or occasions. Perfume makers have extracted different floral fragrances and have trapped them in vials down the ages, and the sheer diversity of these scents found in nature has helped them to create an endless variety of perfumes. However, now the demand for flowers in perfume manufacturing is somewhat diminishing as artificial ingredients have started replacing them.

A flower’s scent has its appeal not just to perfume makers. In fact the whole charm of giving flowers to people rests on their scent along with how they look. A room made fragrant by flowers can generate a positive atmosphere and can enliven a person. To an experienced florist, the true quality of good bouquets is that they should appeal to both the eyes and the sense of smell of a person. Flowers are extensively used in ritual ceremonies as well to make the entire venue fragrant.