We know that flowers are a way of expressing our thoughts and emotions on occasions both happy and sad; but most of us have never thought about where this tradition and the meaning of flowers first began. The speaker at our October program, Jessica Roux, opened our eyes and our minds to the world of floriography, a study in the Victorian language of flowers.
After our members gathered to socialize and share in the treats prepared by our hosts Andrea, Dawn and Joy, we found our places, and the meeting began. Our President, Susan, welcomed everyone and shared an invitation from the Marblehead Garden Club to join them for an upcoming lecture on bees — a very nice collaborative gesture. Our Program Chair Cheryl then reminded everyone about our “Horticultural” field trip to the Mt. Auburn cemetery in Cambridge the following Saturday. With business out of the way, Cheryl introduced our speaker, Jessica Roux.
Jessica Roux, a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, is a freelance illustrator and a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. She is also a prolific gardener in her home outside of Nashville, TN. Her passion, she told us, is the Victorian period where flowers began to have specific meanings, and floral bouquets were sent as a way to express feelings in a world where feelings were not expressed openly. And because this was her passion, she decided to pursue it by researching, illustrating, and publishing a book on just that — Floriography: The Victorian Language of Flowers.
In her talk, Jessica took us back to the Victorian period, where “plant hunters” went on expeditions to explore new worlds and bring back unique and exotic plants. With the invention of the Wardian Case (a small glass greenhouse), plants and seeds were able to be transported back to England and grown on a wider scale. It is during this period that the Victorian love of all things botanical grew. There were fern designs on wallpaper, walks outdoors with friends called “fern walking,” and the use of the tussy-mussy, a small hand-held vase of two or three sweet-smelling blooms, which women carried with them. It was at this time period that flowers began to have meanings, and bouquets were made expressly to send an unwritten message.
For example, because Queen Victoria wore a headdress of orange blossoms for her wedding, the orange blossom became the “it” wedding flower, an occasion of love and happiness. The willow tree meant “death” and was used on gravestones and jewelry to signify grief. The rose, of course, meant love, and different colors indicated levels of affection. Jessica held us spellbound while she explained varying flowers and their bouquets. Of course, all of this was complemented by her magnificent illustrations as she talked. The details and coloring of each flower and bouquet in her drawings were so intricate that you could feel Jessica’s passion in each one. It was amazing to see her talent and dedication to her art.
Our meeting had to end, but we all went home with new knowledge about this subject. And for those members who could not make the meeting, I encourage them to look up Jessica Roux, just to see her illustrations and other books she has published. You’ll be happy you did!
