The Victorian Language of Flowers

History
Floriography, or the language of flowers, has been featured in mythologies, poems, and plays for centuries across Europe and Asia. In the Victorian era, specifically 1837-1901, memorizing the meanings of each flower, and combinations of flowers, became a very popular pastime, as well as a way to send secret messages between people.

Sending Messages with Flowers
With the language of flowers, everything was subtle but intentional, down to the presentation, condition, and hand that delivered the flowers.
If the message applied to the person giving the flowers the ribbon would be tied on the left, and if meant for the recipient the ribbon would be tied on the right.
If you wanted to answer someone “yes” the flowers would be handed over with the right hand and the left when the answer was “no.”

Flower Meanings
Some flowers and their meanings included:
Bluebells – Kindness
Peonies – Bashfulness
Tulips – Passion
Chrysanthemums – I love you
Chrysanthemums – Truth
Hyacinth – Sorrow
And many more!

If you are interested in further exploring the language of flowers, check out one of the several books and guides that have been published!

Sources
https://www.almanac.com/flower-meanings-language-flowers#
https://www.museumselection.co.uk/victorian-language-of-flowers/#:~:text=In%20the%20Victorian%20era%2C%20flowers,gifts%2C%20each%20imbued%20with%20sentiment.