Language of Flowers

There are thousands and thousands of languages in the world. Roughly 6500 languages currently spoken to be more exact, though about a third of those languages have less than 1000 speakers.

Language is one of the key defining points of our culture, it’s what shapes communication with friends, family, colleagues and loved ones, how we express our thoughts, feelings and emotions and what brings us closer together.

Have you ever felt the often overwhelming feeling of not being able to communicate your thoughts with someone while on holiday? Or the flood of relief being told ‘it’s okay’ after a bad day? The power that language holds is incredible, the emotions it can evoke, but with so many languages available, is there a common ground?

The answer is yes, the language of flowers. This is a language that has stood the test of time and is understood globally as one of the most recognised languages of love.

It’s easy to understand why sending flowers, a bouquet of the most beautiful red roses or the most extravagant lilies shares emotion, thought and passion.

The most common flower people think of when the language of love is discussed is the red rose, and rightly so. In 2011, 1.59 billion roses were sold. 12% of the roses sold were on Valentine’s Day; to put that into perspective, 3 out of every 25 roses were sold on one day out of 365. Clearly the red rose is the symbol of love in the flower world.

Another flower that you will send plenty of around Valentine’s Day and occasions on which people send flowers and send love is the lily. A traditional favourite, the lily is found in a variety of colours but always translates to purity, innocence and majesty.

While the type of flower can depict a meaning, with many types of flower, such as the carnation, the meaning can be interpreted very differently depending on the colour of the flower sent. Generally, a carnation means fascination and divine love, a red carnation supports this, meaning admiration and longing. Sending a yellow carnation can change the meaning entirely, suggesting disappointment or rejection. Our thoughts are that all flowers, particularly carnations, are beautiful and sending flowers such as yellow carnations wouldn’t be the least bit disappointing.