Flowers speak to us in different ways. They dazzle us with their beauty and colour, decorate our gardens and homes and have a beneficial effect just by their presence. Some are flamboyant, others abound in modesty, and quite a few of them smell lovely. Sometimes we attribute human qualities to them, they are often symbols for us, they appeal to poets and painters, they appear in fairy tales and legends, and they also have their own stories and secrets.
Flower talk is said to originate from ancient harems and experienced an unprecedented flourishing during the reign of the British Queen Victoria, when the direct expression of mutual feelings, especially between persons of the opposite sex, was almost impossible and considered at least indecent. Discreet communication using flowers was thus developed, expressing feelings and opinions that could not be put into words.