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| 'The Language of Flowers,' 'The Cottage Garden', 'The Language of Flowers' |
When you see roses, do you think of love? Did you know that in Australia we use rosemary on ANZAC day because it symbolises remembrance for those who fell in the war? Have you seen a display a cempasuchil, a bright orange marigold, during Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, and known that they represent the way home for souls who have crossed over? Flowers and plants have long held significance in the daily lives of people all around the world. It is one of those ubiquitous traditions that all cultures seem to revere. In traditional western culture we use flowers to say 'I love you', 'I'm sorry', 'Happy Birthday' and 'I do.'
In a city, and a country, that has been besieged by drought for so long, it is wonderful to have so much rain this winter and spring. With these rains bringing such lush and verdant flora to our home and our region I thought it would be the perfect time to discuss the joy of floriography, or the study of the language of flowers. Most of what we know about floriography comes to us from the Turks, via Mrs Mary Wortley Montagu, wife to the British Ambassador to Turkey and travel writer in the 18th century. She chronicled the way in which the Turks would send messages to each other by using flowers - no words necessary! This idea became very popular in the Victorian era, bringing the Language of Flowers to its full popularity through high European society. The good thing is, though, all nations and cultures have flowers or plants (usually local to particular regions) with significant meanings. This Victorian trend even reached our shores and in 1876 a book entitled 'The Language of Australian Flowers' was printed by George Robertson and company. You can access the pdf format of this book, here. I love the author's sense of accomplishment in the introduction, as he achieves exactly what the Turks aimed to do:
'No more shall Western Nymphs complain of the bashfulness of attendant swains ; no more shall ardent youths ransack musty tomes for prim words to express the burning sentiments of affection and love which seem too deep for utterance. They shall speak the Language of Nature.'
Many of the plants and gardens in Australia are exotic and imported, but there is real push for native flora and they do make such stunning displays, especially during times of drought. I must admit, though, that I am partial to an English cottage garden and have roses, (love), tulips (declaration of love), red camellias (unpretending excellence), dahlias (dignity), hydrangeas (dispassion), jonquils (desire), azaleas (fragile and ephemeral passion), oranges (generosity), sage (good health and long life), crab-apples (ill-temper), oregano (joy), freesias (lasting friendship), dogwood (love undiminished by adversity), lilies (majesty), irises (message), lavender (mistrust), daisies (innocence) and many others. I had no idea I was growing such emotions before I began researching this topic! These meanings are not so well known today (perhaps that's a good thing, considering all that mistrust and ill temper I'm harbouring in our garden!) but during the Victorian era proper young ladies and gentlemen would memorise these meanings. I suppose all that Victorian passion had to be expressed somehow. I also discovered that authors have given different meanings to certain flowers. For the list above, I have used 'The Language of Flowers' by Mandy Kirkby, but Kate Greenaway is a Victorian-era authority on the subject.
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| While all our rose bushes have buds, these tiny banksia rose are the only ones in bloom at the moment |
Here is one of my favourite A.B. Paterson, also known as Banjo Paterson, poems. It is such a beautiful, evocative poem with simple rhyme but such a sweet and nostalgic feel.
Roses ruddy and roses white,
What are the joys that my heart discloses?
Sitting alone in the fading light
Memories come to me here tonight
With the wonderful scent of the big red roses.
Memories come as the daylight fades
Down on the hearth where the firelight dozes;
Flicker and flutter the lights and shades,
And I see the face of a queen of maids
Whose memory comes with the scent of roses.
Visions arise of a scent of mirth,
And a ball-room belle that superbly poses -
A queenly woman of queenly worth,
And I am the happiest man on earth
With a single flower from a bunch of roses.
Only her memory lives tonight -
God in his wisdom her young life closes;
Over her grave may the turf be light,
Cover her coffin with roses white -
She was always fond of the big white roses.
Such are the visions that fade away -
Man proposes and God disposes;
Look in the glass and I see today
Only an old man, worn and grey,
Bending his head to a bunch of roses.
Although rosemary is the flower for remembrance, I think that Paterson does a beautiful job re-creating memories from the smell of a simple rose. Memories are funny things and sometimes it takes just the slightest smell to take us back to a particular time, place or person. For me, the smell of pink jasmine will always remind me of our house during my teenage years because it was planted outside our kitchen window. I am so glad to have it growing here and love the wafts of fragrance carried on the evening breeze.
Do you have a particular floral fragrance which evokes memories for you? Do certain flowers hold meaning for you or your culture? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.
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