My gosh, it looks like the Sequimers are stacking the deck in favor of that short-lived shrub lavender. “Which is the most fragrant” question in my plant forum.

Where are my Dianthus and Carnation voters?

That old ladies Lavender is meant to be buried in soaps, or in sachets to freshen the toilet. Is that romantic? Would you give your date a bouquet of lavender? No you’d give her roses, lilies, carnations or if really creative, poker plants.

I too happen to live in Sequim, which well has frankly gone overboard on the subject of lavender. I can hardly walk by one garden and not see this gratuitous over planting of you guessed it, lavender. Heck, Sequim nurserymen even have sold the plant under false pretenses. One poor lady I know (a great cook by the way) could never get her spaghetti to taste right. Finally I had to tell her, she had been using lavender instead of rosemary. This had gone on for years, and everyone else had been too polite to tell her.

That Sequim SOB sold her lavender for rosemary. Now I know I should have let those wild ostriches loose when the Sequimers gathered in a shut down Main Street, to have their pictures taken. Like lemmings to the sea, they were celebrating the new bypass of our town. Hard to believe isn’t it!

Back to my favorite flower.

Dianthi have been famous since classical times. The Greeks and Romans admired them for their beauty as well as for their scent. Pictographs on cave dwellings bear a great likeness to the Dianthus. Even the word, ‘Dianthi’ doesn’t that sound elevated, whereas ‘lavandula’ sounds like some tool to scour out the toilet. “Honey, would you get the lavandula and … (well you can fill in the rest). PS, not to rig the voting, but did you know that giving a person a bouquet of Lavender is a message of DISTRUST.

It’s high time we learned to speak with flowers again, there’s more to it than knowing a red rose stands for true love, since most Americans see that sent of Valentines day. Other than that they are entirely clueless. If you want to bone up on the meaning of flowers, this is a nice site to visit.

As for my Dianthus – well I have to go to Carnation, the giving of Carnations is a declaration of LOVE and FASCINATION in the other. As for those damned dye jobbies, they mean this: Blue Carnation –“spectacular dye job”, Green – “I am drunk and Irish, but I love you,” Yellow – “my urologist just checked me over, and everything still works.” Dianthus are a declaration of AFFECTION.

My gosh, it looks like the Sequimers are stacking the deck in favor of that short-lived shrub lavender. “Which is the most fragrant” question in my plant forum.

Being the MASTER Come Hitherer that I am. I always managed to produce great bouquets. My greatest accomplishment was a bouquet made of Iris (I burn for you), poker plant (I’m bragging), red anemones (hot-blooded), freesia (allure), tuberous (sensual pleasures) and alstroemeria (long lasting), fennel root (for strength.) Throwing in some fruit completes the message of bounty and generosity. I added a few bananas, and red chili peppers. Em, my grocer’s florist helped me get the ingredients. She was impressed, so were the women at the airport. I had two saucy invitations, “If she doesn’t respond, come back here.”

Alstroemaria

I never did get an “Eat Garlic and Die” Bouquet, she was far too polite to do that. I of course would not have that problem, Alliums or Chives (your breath smells), Basil (Hatred), Ice plant (cold), paper whites (your feet stink), purple anemones (I can’t stand your jealousy), white roses (silence –shut up), garlic (drive a stake in your heart and die), if really evil include some rue (disdain) as well as giving the recipient dermatitis.

“The carrying of flowers by the bride has its roots in ancient times when it was believed that strong smelling herbs and spices would ward off and drive away evil spirits, bad luck and ill health. Garlic and chives were also popular for the same reason. During Roman times, this tradition was extended, with the bride and groom wearing floral garlands signifying new life and hope for fertility. The bouquet in particular symbolized a woman in bloom.

During Victorian times, flowers took on an additional significance as lovers would send messages to each other using different flowers, with each flower having its own meaning. These associations were soon adopted for the bride’s bouquet and are still used today by many brides. The most popular flowers with their traditional meanings are:”

 The  next page gives a few old “meanings” to the gifting of flowers.

 

(C) Herb Senft