Recorded Books Inc. - Meaningful bouquets: create special messages with flowers - 25 beautiful arrangements

Text copyright 2016 by Leslie Jonath and Lisa McGuinness.
Photographs copyright 2016 by Annabelle Breakey. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-4521-4644-7 (epub, mobi) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Okies, Leigh.
Meaningful bouquets : create special messages with flowers / by Leigh Okies and Lisa McGuinness ; photographs by Annabelle Breakey.
pages cm
Includes index.
1. Flower language. 2.

Flower languagePictorial works. 3. Bouquets. 4. BouquetsPictorial works. I.

McGuinness, Lisa. II. Breakey, Annabelle. III. Title.
GR780.O35 2016
302.222dc23
2015003855 ISBN 978-1-4521-4007-0 (hc) Designed by Allison Weiner
Illustrations by Vikki Chu
Flower styling by Leigh Okies Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

Flowers carry on dialogues through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. AUGUST RODIN In the Victorian era and even long before that, flowers served as beautiful messengers that whispered what often could not be spoken aloud.

They were the equivalent of clandestine text messages or notes of encouragementa way to express friendship, pride, or feelings of love. They asked for reconciliation, requested secret meetings, offered compassion, and expressed desires. Flowers told the tale of hidden emotions during a time of extreme discretion. The key to decoding the meanings was found in oral tradition and flower dictionaries, which sometimes held varying definitions for each flower. Entwined in a bouquet, the meaning of flowers becomes even richer. One can express not just love with a single rose, but specific types of love, such as passionate love , and more.

This book presents twenty-five beautiful arrangements, each imbued with a specific meaning and constructed with common flower varietals. You can easily build these arrangements at home using a few basic tools and tricks. The book includes two floral glossaries to get you oriented: The first is arranged by common flower name, so that as you are selecting flowerswhether in your garden or at a flower marketyou can look up the meanings behind the blooms you admire. The second is arranged by meaning, so you can easily access a list of flowers that represent the sentiment you would like to express. The first glossary features photographs of flowers included in the book, which will allow you to easily identify the flowers in the bouquets. The possible combinations are as abundant and diverse as the flowers in the fields.

And who knows? These arrangements may even serve as inspiration for what to grow in your own garden. The meanings in this book are as true as possible to the historical Victorian meanings. If a flower had conflicting or multiple meanings, we chose the meaning that was consistent through multiple sources. For the occasional flower associated with both a positive and a negative meaning, we chose the positive meaning in the generous spirit of the book. Because the blooming season of flowers is fleeting but important sentiments occur year-round, there will be occasions when the specific flower you want is not available. When that happens, combine blossoms that together express a meaning similar to the one you are trying to achieve.

If, for example, you want to create a bouquet meaning joy in autumn, but the flowers you would immediately think to include (cosmosjoy in love and lifeand cape jasminejoys to come) are spring bloomers, simply put together an ensemble of flowers that, when combined, mean the same thing. In the case of joy, that could be flowers meaning cheerful (gerbera daisy) and happiness (delphinium), both of which bloom into autumn. Entwine them with grapevines (abundance), and your bouquet will be bursting with joy. The arrangements in this book intentionally include flowers that are easily available at flower markets, florists, and local shops. And dont forget to simply look outside your door.

ACACIA chaste love, secret love ACACIA (PINK) elegance ALLIUM prosperity ALMOND BLOSSOM hope ALSTROEMERIA devotion ALYSSUM esteem, worth beyond beauty AMARANTH (GLOBE) unchangeable AMARYLLIS pride AMBROSIA love returned AMETHYST (BROWALLIA HYBRIDS) admiration ANEMONE forsaken, truth ANGELICA inspiration APPLE, APPLE BLOSSOM preference, temptation ASTER patience AZALEA fragility, passion, temperance BABYS BREATH love everlasting BACHELOR BUTTON (CORNFLOWER) blessedness BALM sympathy BEE BALM comfort, sympathy BEECH TREE prosperity BELLS OF IRELAND good luck BIRD-OF-PARADISE magnificence BLACK-EYED SUSAN justice BLACK POPLAR courage BLUEBELL constancy BOUGAINVILLEA passion BROOM humility CABBAGE profit CALLA LILY modesty CAMELLIA my destiny is in your hands CAMPANULA (BELL FLOWER) gratitude, thankfulness CANARY GRASS perseverance CAPE JASMINE joys to come CARNATION admiration, boldness CARNATION (PINK) I will never forget you CARNATION (PINK STRIPED) I cannot be with you, let me go CARNATION (RED) my heart bleeds CARNATION (WHITE) loveliness, sweetness CELANDINE joys to come CHAMOMILE energy in adversity, resilience CHERRY BLOSSOM impermanence CHERVIL (GARDEN) sincerity CHESTNUT justice CHRYSANTHEMUM truth CHRYSANTHEMUM (RED) love at first sight CHRYSANTHEMUM (YELLOW) slighted love CLEMATIS mental beauty CLOVE secret love (I have loved you and you have not known it) CLOVER (WHITE) think of me COCKS COMB affectation COLUMBINE folly COLUMBINE (PURPLE) resolution, resolve to win CONEFLOWER (PURPLE) strength COREOPSIS cheerful COREOPSIS (PLAINS; COREOPSIS TINCTORIA) love at first sight CORIANDER hidden worth CORN riches COSMOS Next page