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Garden Flowers of Victorian Floriography

Tulips, dianthus (pink flower left), and honesty (purple flower right) all have meaning in the Victorian language of flowers.

Since childhood, I have liked the styles and gardens of the Victorian Period (i.e., 1837-1901, the time of Queen Victoria’s reign in England).  While driving around my hometown of South Bend, Indiana, I was inspired by the ornate Victorian houses with simple garden plots filled with brightly colored flowers, and I favored family Victorian heirlooms. My favorite was a decorative Victorian bowl on our mantle covered in delicate pink roses painted from the rose garden by my great-grandmother. The floral bowl was a beautiful reminder of a family garden of the past.

Later in life, I learned about the Victorian language of flowers, otherwise known as floriography. The knowledge has helped me fill my home garden with bountiful Victorian blooms filled with floral meaning, especially when my family bought our own Victorian home (built in 1885). I decorated the interior in the proper style with floral motifs, wallpaper, and decor. My gardens have been equally of the era. Old-fashioned roses, lilacs, bridal wreath spirea (Spirea x vanhouttei), spring daffodils, and other favorite Victorian garden plants dot my beds and landscaping–filling the spaces with meaning.

What is Floriography?

The modest Victorian-era home has sweeps of daylilies and dahlias down the walk.

The popular Victorian language of flowers was formally known as the practice of floriography.  It is the practice of giving meaning or symbolism to a plant, such as ‘warding off evil’ to garlic.  Beyond Victorian England, cultures around the world have had their own floral languages, but the Victorians took it to an unprecedented level, giving social meaning to hundreds of flowers and plants.

From the printing of the first dictionaries of floriography (Le Language des Fleurs by Louise Cortanbert in 1819, to the last, The Language of Flowers by Routledge, illustrated by Kate Greenaway in 1884 (still in print)) people went hog wild, sending increasingly complex messages to each other using plants. More contemporary books, such as The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz, keep the interest alive.

Meanings of Popular Victorian Flowers

Impatiens (red and pink, foreground), called busy Lizzies in Victorian times, mean…

Especially popular with young adults, floral letters were sent in small-handpicked bouquets called tussie mussies or nosegays, which were wrapped in lace doilies and tied with satin ribbons.  If a question was asked, a nosegay presented by the right hand meant “yes”, and by the left hand “no.”  Nosegays given in an upright position represented a positive message, while one upside-down sent a negative one.  Here are some of the more interesting definitions, from among hundreds, given to common plants.  In some cases, such as carnations, hyacinths, and roses, the message varied depending on the flower color.

  • Apple Blossom (Malus spp.) signifies spring, innocence, and good tidings for the future.
  • Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila elegans) represents innocence.
  • Busy Lizzy (Impatiens walleriana) represent tenderness and kindness.
  • European Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) stands for humility.
  • Carnation, Striped (Dianthus spp.): No, I can’t be with you.
  • Cherry Blossom (Prunus spp.) represents education.
  • Daffodil (Narcissus spp.) is the flower for chivalry.
  • Dahlias (Dahlia spp.) inspire inner strength and dignity.
  • Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) is the bloom of happiness (not in our yard, but the bees enjoy them).
  • Daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrids) are given to inspire the recipient to forget their worries.
  • Fourleaf Clover, as anticipated is a sign of good luck but the plant can also suggest “be mine.”
  • Holly (Ilex spp.) branches ask the question, “Am I forgotten?”
  • Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) stand for the following depending on color: yellow=jealousy, pink=playful joy, purple=deep regret, white=love and prayer.
  • Purple lilac (Syringa vulgaris) blooms are a sign of happiness and tranquility.
  • Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis) represent the tears of the Virgin Mary.
  • Mints (Mentha spp.) are virtuous.
  • Oak Leaves (Quercus spp.) suggest bravery.
  • Yellow roses (Rosa spp.) are a sign of friendship and joy.
  • Red roses (Rosa spp.) continue to be a sign of love, which is why a dozen red roses are given to a beloved partner on Valentine’s Day or anniversaries.
  • Dried white rose petals mean death is preferable to loss of virtue.
  • Bridal wreath spirea (Spirea x vanhouttei) has bountiful white spring flowers representing prosperity, wealth, and victory.
  • Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) signify long life, lasting happiness, and pride.
  • Red tulips (Tulipa spp.) are a declaration of love.
  • White violets (Viola odorata)  suggest, “Let’s take a chance on happiness.”
  • Mistletoe (Viscum album) continues to be used for celebratory Christmas kisses.
Peonies

Of course, these are just a few of the flowers used in floriography messages.  At the time, people relied on floriography for social fun. Entertainment often consisted of conversing with one another. Sometimes I wish the same social standards applied today. Technology is often considered more important than knowing one’s next-door neighbor. What a pity. Either way, there are still several books available online on the subject of floriography, should you be tempted to delve further into the subject. Then you can fill your garden with meaning.

For me, of all the flowers listed, I am looking most forward to spring Hyacinths. The hyacinth is a fantastic-smelling, brightly colored, spring flowering bulb, and a flower of choice in the 19th Century.  They were planted in sweeps to create patterned floral beds, all the rage at the time, and hyacinths are one of the easiest bulbs to force indoors giving an early taste of spring.  At its height, Holland growers offered almost 2000 varieties of hyacinths. Now there are only about around 30 varieties commonly sold.

A good place to find antique hyacinths is Old House Gardens. Their heirloom Easter Basket sampler is a good place to start or look for them at your local garden center in the spring. They thrive in garden soil amended with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend.

Hyacinths were beloved in Victorian times. Pink hyacinths represent playful love.

Favorite Old & New Salvias For Flower Gardens

The red and white ‘Hot Lips’ is heat-tolerant and beautiful.

It would be difficult to come up with a group of plants that can add as much to the garden, in so many ways, as the flowering sages in the genus Salvia. Their colorful, two-lipped blooms are lovely and the many garden representatives have diverse growth habits, flower colors, fragrance (usually in the leaves), as well as being long-blooming and low-maintenance.

In addition to the above-mentioned attributes, salvias are excellent plants for a pollinator garden–attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds–and most are summer bloomers that love sunny garden spots. In my garden, the flowers are hummingbird magnets. It is delightful watching the territorial antics of these amazing birds.

Of the more than 900 species of these mints (Look for the square stems!) distributed throughout the temperate and tropical zones of the world, only several species are commonly cultivated in the garden. With so many types of salvia across the world, it stands to reason that there is lots of variation among the species and their hardiness. While many are technically perennial and perform exceptionally well in my Pacific Northwest summers, they may not survive a winter. Poor drainage can be a factor for winter survival, so I add additional perlite for increased drainage when planting them. Gran-i-Grit and coarse sand can also improve the drainage of raised gardens to enhance salvia survival.

Great Garden Salvias

‘Amistad’ has glorious purple flowers that hummingbirds love.

For me, salvias were a late addition to the plant palette in my garden, however, once I started growing them, it was as though I could not stop. I re-planted favorites each spring and always add some new varieties that I have not grown before. I discovered they were wonderful container plants, and now we always have salvias in pots on our deck. From my own experience, I have discovered what I would consider outstanding performers. Below is a listing of some of my favorites.

Introduced nearly 20 years ago, Black & Blue sage (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue’, Zones 7-10) was one of the first ones in my garden. It was recommended by the owner of a local garden center, and this salvia has become such a favorite that I plant it every year. The 4-foot plant has deep blue flowers with black calyces, hence the name ‘Black & Blue’.  Amistad salvia (Salvia guaranitica ‘Amistad’, Zones 7-10) is another good performer with deep purple flowers. It has a more compact growth habit than ‘Black & Blue’ with a final height under 3 feet. Both are excellent hummingbird attractants and will bloom all summer. They are also technically hardy to my area but very sensitive to winter moisture.

Black & Blue sage looks the part with its bicolored flowers.

Proven Winners has recently released a series of salvias in the Rockin series. I have grown several in this series, and they are excellent. My favorite is Rockin® Fuchsia (Zones 9-11) and as the name implies, the flowers are brilliant fuchsia. It is an excellent salvia for a container in a location where bright color is desired. It is also a heavy bloomer and hummingbirds love it. Another in this series that I have grown and liked is Blue Suede Shoes (Zones 9-11), which has light blue flowers with black calyces.

Rockin® Fuchsia is a very heavy summer bloomer.

For fragrance, I have not grown any better than Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii, Zones 8-11). This southern California native has the most aromatic leaves of almost any plant that I have grown. It has a mounding growth habit with wrinkly, leather-textured leaves. The flowers are in rounded clusters and may be lavender to purple. Plant this where people can walk by and rub or touch a leaf.

Cleveland sage is a California native with an enticing scent.

Classic garden salvia that has distinct bi-color flowers is Hot Lips littleleaf sage (Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’, Zones 7-10). The flowers are white at the base and bright red on the petals. A grouping of these in bloom makes a very striking summer display that hummingbirds cannot resist.

The flowers of ‘Hot Lips’ appear all summer.

Garden centers are continually increasing their salvia choices for customers. It was not many years ago when the selection was perhaps two to three different kinds, but today that is not the case. If you are new to growing salvias, check with other gardeners to discover what varieties perform best in your particular area. The salvias that I have mentioned are sun-loving, but there are some varieties that require at least partial shade. Others are very reliable hardy perennials.

Try some salvia plants in your garden this season. I think you will become hooked on them just as I am.

Can I Grow Peonies Down South?

‘Coral Charm’ is a peony that grows better down South, and it is one of my favorites!

“I live in south Georgia and I would love to plant peonies, but I was told by a local nursery that they can’t survive here because we don’t have cold enough winters for them to reset, is this true?” Question from Ladonna of Naylor, Georgia

Answer: It is partially true. The most popular peonies in the US are common garden peonies (Paeonia lactiflora). The large, bushy plants produce loads of big, late-spring flowers and are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 3-7 (sometimes 3-8b), so you are on the edge of their hardiness. They do need winter cold for several months to produce blooms and survive in the long term, but Naylor, Georgia (USDA Hardiness Zones 8b) is cold enough to sustain some peonies. If you want to be on the safe side, there are other peonies that can survive with even less winter cold. This includes some tree peonies (Paeonia species and hybrids, varying zones, sometimes down to zone 9), and Intersectional (ITOH Hybrids (Zones 4-9), which are hybrids between common and tree peonies.

Peonies for Southern Gardeners

Here are seven good herbaceous peony varieties for southern gardens.

  1. ‘America’ (Zones 4-8b)- a single, red herbaceous peony that is award-winning and has HUGE blooms
  2. ‘Coral Charm‘ (Zones 3-8b) – a semi-double coral-pink award-winner (one of my favorites!)
  3. ‘Felix Crousse‘ (Zones 3-8b) – an herbaceous heirloom (1881) with fragrant double-red blooms
  4. ‘Festiva Maxima’ – an herbaceous heirloom (1881) with fragrant double-red blooms
  5. ‘Red Charm’ – an herbaceous peony with fragrant, deepest red, double blooms
  6. ‘Scarlet O’Hara’ (Zones 4-9) – Another exceptional single-red peony
  7. ‘Shirley Temple’ (Zones 3-8b) – a beautiful double peony of palest cream-pink

Click here to read more about caring for peonies, and click here for a full list of peony nurseries approved by The American Peony Society! 

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Is the Ideal Flower Bed Size?

“Is there a recommended size of a flower bed, specifically the depth, and how much Black Gold soil should be used for a solid grow?” Question from Rob of Colorado Springs Colorado

Answer: The size of your flower bed depends entirely on the space you have, the flowers that you want to plant, and the time you have to care for them.

  1. Space: If you have a front porch that you want to decorate with a front floral border, then it needs to enhance the porch while being wide enough to enable a good mix of flowers of various sizes to be grown. If you have a very small yard, start with a small bed placed in a showy spot, maybe surrounding a mailbox or along a short walkway.
  2. Flowers: Often, gardeners plant flowers at least three rows deep for high impact. If you want roses, you will need to provide enough space for them. If purple coneflowers, flowering sage, and ornamental grasses interest you, then you need to measure and plan for the beds to determine how many plants you will need.
  3. Time: Don’t over-commit. Flower beds need to be weeded, watered, fertilized, and the plants themselves need to be trimmed and deadheaded through the season. Start small if you have never grown flowers before and be sure to research plants before you grow them to make sure you know and can supply their needs.
  4. Planting Bed Height and Depth: When creating flower beds, many gardeners berm the beds a few inches high with added soil and garden amendments, such as Black Gold Garden Soil, and cover with a layer of mulch. (To determine how much amendment or soil to add, please click on our Black Gold Amendment Guide. There is a formula to calculate how much to add to a given bed size.) Berming provides flower beds with a little height and adds distinction. A nicely shaped and planned bed is like creating a beautiful stage for your flowers. It also looks good to edge your beds for a clean look (see the video below).

There are also some excellent free garden-design tools out there for new flower-bed designers. Proven Winners Perfect Pairings is a great one that allows you to choose suites of garden flowers sure to bloom at the same time and look great together.  Their Premium Continuous-Release Fertilizer is also specially designed for flowering plants.

I hope that these tips help.

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Getting Phalaenopsis and Oncidium to Rebloom

Moth orchids, or Phalaenopsis, are the most commonly sold orchids and easiest to grow.

I think that most of us have walked into a grocery store or the houseplant section of a garden center and seen colorful displays of colorful blooming orchid plants. With their unique and beautiful flowers, it can be difficult not to buy one. Once purchased, it is easy to get hooked on these them because they are easy-care and their flowers can last for weeks, sometimes even months. But, getting them to bloom year after year can take a little more know-how. And, if you are not willing to try on your own, offer your plants to orchid-growing friends.

The Story of Nancy, the ‘Orchid Lady’

If you have lots of plant friends, you can always find someone willing to take an unwanted orchid.

Some indoor gardeners are ‘buy and toss’ types when it comes to orchids. My wife was one of these gardeners. She would buy an orchid plant for our entryway, nurture its blooms, and then throw it out when the flower stems stopped. Each year, I was amazed at the length of time the plant stayed in bloom. When one flower faded, another would soon appear and bloom for many weeks. After a plant had performed so well, it seems a shame to just throw it away because the flowers were gone.

Luckily for us, one day our friend Nancy Klein was visiting, and she noticed one of our flowerless orchid plants headed for the compost pile. I mentioned to Nancy how sad I felt throwing them out, and she offered to take it to see if she could get it to re-bloom. “Yes!” I replied, “of course, you can take it, and let me know if you have success.”

Well, Nancy had success with that plant and many more over the years. She has become our orchid recycle person, and her home is rarely without at least one orchid blooming. We are not the only household that she rescues orchids from, and she has gained a reputation as the ‘orchid lady.’

Nancy’s Five Growing Tips for Phalaenopsis and Oncidium

Smaller-flowered Oncidium is the second most commonly sold orchid available.

The two most commonly sold orchids are moth orchids (Phalaenopsis hybrids) and dancing lady orchids (Oncidium hybrids). Of the two, Phalaenopsis is the easiest to grow and rebloom.  I recently talked with Nancy about her orchid success, and here are some of her tips for getting orchids to thrive and rebloom. She has had much better success with getting Phaelenopsis to rebloom as compared to Oncidium, but she still has some success with Oncidium. It can just take a little more work.

1. Provide Bright, Indirect Light: Nancy does have a sunroom in her house, which has proven to be ideal for growing orchids. She said that she notices that people often put a blooming orchid in a dark corner and orchids need plenty of light to survive and bloom.

2. Trim Off Old Blooms: When someone brings her a Phalaenopsis that is through blooming, Nancy trims off the flower stem to the lowest node or bud below where the last flower was. A new flower stem will appear from this node and a new blooming stem will often appear in about three months.

Each time Nancy waters her orchids, she includes diluted fertilizer formulated for orchids.

3. Plant Orchids in the Right Mix: Nancy uses medium-sized orchid bark as a growing medium, which is best suited for growing moth and dancing lady orchids. (If you grow ground, or terrestrial, orchids, plant them in finer Black Gold Orchid Mix). She repots her orchids every 3-4 years with new orchid bark. She keeps her potted plants in a tray with pea gravel and a small amount of water over the pea gravel to give the plants added humidity.

4. Water Properly. Nancy is lucky. She has low-mineral tap water for irrigating orchids, but most homeowners have hard, mineral-rich tap water which can damage and even kill sensitive orchids. If you have hard water, then watering orchids with distilled water is a better option. Water plants about once a week. She cautions that many people water too often, so once-weekly water is sufficient if you can maintain the humidity around your orchids. Each time she waters, she adds diluted orchid fertilizer.

4. Read About New Orchids and Their Care: Getting the Oncidium to bloom on a regular basis has been a challenge and they have not been nearly as reliable as the annual-blooming Phaelenopsis. This is partly due to the Oncidium genus being very diverse in nature as its habitat can be found from the tropics to areas of high elevation with growing conditions being obviously quite different. Nancy recommends checking the label for specific information. (Click here for The American Orchid Society’s helpful page on Oncidium care, and click here for their definitive page on Phalaenopsis care.)

You will know that it’s time to upgrade an orchid when the fleshy roots fill the pot. Provide it with a slightly larger, well-drained pot, gently release the roots and place them in new bark. Then water thoroughly.

5. Give Orchid Care a Try: After your orchid plant has finished blooming, instead of throwing it away, try holding it over and see if you can get a rebloom. For starters, I would suggest the Phalaenopsis. It can be a bit of a challenge, but the reward is great when you have new blooms coming from your plant and knowing that you were successful.

Marvelous Miniature Flower Arranging

Small is sweet, especially when it comes to flowers and gardens. Miniature and fairy gardens have gained huge popularity, but miniature flower arrangements are just gaining attention. These tiny floral gems give crafty gardeners reason to collect the sweetest miniature vases (second-hand shops are a great source) and create small works of art that look best when presented in sets. Children are also thrilled to devise their own delicate mini flower creations.

Vases

We have gathered cute, tiny vases that are made of crystal, colored glass, and ceramic.

Rule one: your vases must be very little. Vase size, color, and personality can set the stage for your floral creation. Rounded vases are designed for radial views—or table centers. Square or rectangular vessels can hold front-facing floral arrangements to be placed against walls, or not. Brightly or wildly colored vases lend themselves to simpler floral color schemes for contrast, while simple, neutral vases can hold anything.

Basic Design Tenets

This simple arrangement maintains a monochrome color scheme of pink and balances two textures–an airy, mounded base of Joe-pye blooms and spiky celosia.

Formal floral design embodies many design tenets for good arranging. Here I will define six.

  1. Line: This is the arrangement’s path that draws the eye. The overall direction of an arrangement’s focal point—whether primarily vertical, horizontal, symmetrical, asymmetrical or angled—defines the line.
  2. Form: Flower placement defines form with respect to flower height, arrangement width, and depth.
  3. Space: Flower spacing is what enables each flower to be visually appreciated.
  4. Texture: This refers to the coarseness or fineness of arrangement components. A textural theme can be dominant (all fine or bold flowers and foliage) or mixed/balanced.
  5. Flower size: Central, dominating flowers are the biggest and boldest while smaller flowers and foliage accentuate the showpiece blooms like ladies in waiting.
  6. Color (scent can also be considered): For easy arranging, choose flowers with complementary contrasting colors, a beautiful bright or pastel hodgepodge, or flowers of all one type or color.

Or you can throw away the rules. The carefree gardener need not apply themselves to any rules and still create something beautiful. Wild and free arrangements have their own charm. This approach is often a default for kids unless you have a disciplined child wanting to design within set parameters.

Some Tiny Flowers

There are many mini flowers that are probably already in your garden! Here are some good ones.

All good cut flowers last longer in the vase. Choose small specimens with good longevity. Sometimes these can be smaller side blooms on plants with larger blooms (like purple coneflower, black-eyed-Susan, and Joe-pye-weed) white others are tiny from the getgo. All need to be placed in water just after cutting.

Alyssum (Lobularia maritima): These tiny, sweet-smelling blooms are white, pink, or purple.

Spike Celosia (Celosia spicata): These form papery spikes that last a long time. Choose small side blooms.

Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa): The tiny papery globes come in pretty shades of red, pink, purple, and white.

Small Pinks (Dianthus spp.): The long-stemmed blooms may be white, pink, lavender, red, purple, and burgundy and look like little pincushion flowers.

French and Signet Marigolds (Tagetes patula and Tagetes tenuifolia): Everyone knows and loves these yellow, gold, and/or orange flowers.

Violas and violets (Viola spp.): These flat-faced, fragrant flowers prefer cool weather. Violets are just spring bloomers.

Jeana Tall Phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’): This tall phlox has clusters of teeny weeny lavender-pink flowers.

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba): This airy perennial becomes covered with lots of tiny black-eyed golden blooms in late summer.

Miniature Roses (Rosa spp.): Everyone loves roses and miniature rose flowers are exquisite.

Small Salvias (I like Salvia farinacea and Salvia greggii): Almost all salvias–blue, pink, red, or white–work well.

Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens): The flowers of this creeping annual look like the tiniest black-eyed-Susans. So cute!

Small-flowered Zinnias (Zinna Profusion series and Zinnia angustifolia): Small-flowered zinnias come in many bright shades and last long in the vase.

Complement any of these blooms with attractive foliage from any appealing garden plant. (Click here for a list of additional fast-growing cut flowers for fall.)

All of these flowers grow best in garden beds amendment with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend. The annuals thrive in pots of Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix.

Designs

This suite of tiny arrangements shows the diversity of pretty bouquets you can bring together in the garden.

Each vase of flowers should embody the maker. Go for the style or design scheme that pleases you the most. Here are a few that I created with my girls.

A collection of different miniature arrangements—coordinated or every which way—can make quite a statement. Line them up along a window ledge or as a collective on a shelf or table.

My girls love to create their own intermittently to decorate the dinner table. This idea could also work at a dinner party. A personalized mini floral creation at each table setting would also look impressive.

The tiniest of the tiny arrangements are the cutest!

My Barbados Cherry Flowers are Dropping Prematurely. Help!

“The flower blooms of my Barbados cherry are pink with yellow but they fall off the whole stem while in bloom. What am I doing or I should ask what I am not doing? I water it a little extra, but they seem to keep falling off.” Question from Carol of Joaquin, Texas.

Answer: It sounds like you are hoping for fruits in addition to stopping premature flower drop. It is typical for most of the small pink flowers of Barbados cherry to fall from the tree, but using a product called Blossom Set can help flowers remain for longer to encourage fruiting. It is also important to know that older, more established Barbados cherries flower more because the flowers occur on old wood. Good irrigation and extra care can also help these trees to flower. Try adding compost around the base of the tree and feeding it with a fertilizer formulated for flowering trees and shrubs. (Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding fertilizer quantity and method.)

When it comes to fruiting, planting more than one tree can encourage cross-pollination and fruit set, though some trees are self-fertile. Native bees are the primary pollinators, so avoid using any pesticides on or around your tree.

I hope that this helps answer your question!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist