Floriography: The Secret Meaning of Flowers

In the Victorian era a brilliant bouquet of flowers meant so much more than it does today. Loaded with meaning every single flower has its own story to tell. With symbolism in every petal every flower in a brilliant arrangement is loaded with symbolism of a feeling. These feelings can be shared in an even more intimate way through perfume, where a single drop of precious perfume can contain up to 170 flower heads to shower a recipient with the meaning behind the flower.

In the Victorian era, flowers were primarily used to deliver messages that couldn’t be spoken aloud. Allowing questions and sentiments to be uttered without saying a word, in a time when affections and display of emotions was frowned upon. Flowers could be used to answer “yes” or “no” questions. A “yes” answer came in the form of flowers being handed over with the right hand; if the left hand was used, the answer was “no.”

By combining different flowers and herbs into a bouquet you could convey a multitude of different emotions, each new flower adding an additional depth to the message. Everything from “I miss you” to “I love you” or even “be careful” could be conveyed through a clever floral arrangement.

Explore the most elaborate meanings of flowers through a Clive Christian perfume;