(For instance, in one dictionary, daffodils could mean “unrequited love.” In another, it could mean “regard.” It was important that both the giver and receiver of flowers used the same dictionary!) At one point, there were nearly 100 different flower dictionaries available in the United States and, to complicate matters, not all of those dictionaries agreed on the specific flower’s meaning. Dictionaries detailing the meaning of plants and flowers were abundant during the Victorian era to help interpret the secret messages. Typically, flowers were sent to communicate taboo messages of love and longing - but they could also communicate insults and rejection. Enter the complex world of floriography - the silent language of flowers. Especially for the upper class, the time period had “dos and don’ts” for every aspect of daily life - including what could and couldn’t be said during conversations. The Victorian era (1837-1901) was a time filled with rules and regulations for proper etiquette.
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