Picking out a flower bouquet for your spouse, lover or a friend is a different experience for all of us. Some grab a bouquet along with their weekly purchases, whilst others screen and compare several bouquets before they happily decide on just the perfect one. We give away flowers for many different reasons, but very often they are connected to highlight a special occasion. When there is a birthday, anniversary, a need to say sorry or give thanks, people think of flowers as they convey a feeling that extends the underlying message.

A carefully selected flower bouquet transfers an emotion without using a single word, making it a wonderfully powerful gift. During the Victorian age a language of flowers emerged as lovers and friends sought out ways to communicate in secret. Small booklets with detailed illustrations of what each flower indicated were carried around readily available to dissect the hidden message in a flower composition. The preparation of a bouquet from the type and number of flowers, to they way it was presented conveyed layers of meaning, only a few of which carries any real significance for us today.

The rose for instance, being the most celebrated of flowers, has deviated least from its original meaning. Centuries ago sending a lady or gentleman a single red rose meant it was “Love at First Sight”, a truly wonderful declaration of love in need of no words. Today receiving a bouquet of roses gives immediate thought to love and affection, however the intricate language of flowers with its concealed messages has long turned to mystery.

Flowers in their own wondrous existence draw us in by their immense beauty allowing us to be fascinated with their ability to tell stories. We no longer have a booklet of hidden meanings to guide us thus we are free to write our very own secret language and make each bouquet uniquely personal. The gift of flowers creates an opportunity to share a beautiful moment together regardless of where in the world each person might be. It is the perfect way to say what is on your mind and in your heart and there is no reason to wait for occasion. The greatest of gifts are those given freely with the purpose to spread happiness, and what is more joyful than to receive a blooming surprise?