What Do The Flowers Say?

Herself has been reading an engaging little book: A Victorian Flower Dictionary. She has known for a long time that different flowers are intended to convey different messages, and she felt compelled to learn more. It's an entire language, the language of flowers.  It would be ever so useful if people were to speak in flowers more often; a complex set of sentiments could be presented in a single, hand-gathered bouquet.  Herself would love to be able to do so -- sometimes, words are insufficient.

Some of the flowers are quite poignant:

The anemone, symbolizing abandonment and love that is fleeting.

The camellia: "my destiny is in your hands."

The heliotrope, depicting devoted affection.

The snowdrop, for consolation and hope.

The periwinkle, bringing remembrance of former delights as tender recollections.

Right now, Herself has a particular favorite:  the pansy.

Pansy -- from the French, pensée, the past tense of the verb penser, meaning to think -- asks of the receiver, think of me. The Victorian Flower Dictionary indicates that for the Victorians, the pansy embodied "the virtues of tender attachment, concern and compassion." Lovely.