The Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and the season of Spring is Flora. The Greek goddess of spring, flowers and nature is Chloris.

Through the ages, people have given flowers symbolic meanings. From these meanings, a language of flowers has evolved. Ancient Greeks dedicated flowers to the gods and crowned people of notoriety with wreaths of blossoms and leaves.

In Colonial times, nosegays or tussie mussies as they were called, were given as gifts. Here too, the different herbs and flowers symbolized different things. Imagine receiving a small bouquet of violets and knowing that the person giving them to you was pledging their loyalty without uttering a word.

It was common practise at the beginning of a courtship in the Victorian era for suitors to give their intended a tussie mussie. The types of flowers often changed as the relationship grew allowing the gentleman to say volumes without speaking a word! Today's society is no different than those of a few hundred years ago. Flowers still hold significant a meaning.

Flowers create a special language of their own. The meaning of flowers, has been written about for centuries. Each book written may proclaim a different meaning, but the meaning of flowers are, after all, whatever you want them to be. The bloom of a dandelion given by a small child holds as much love as a rose given by a admirer.

Many flowers have important symbolic meanings, the more common examples include:

* Red roses are given as a symbol of love, beauty, and passion.
* Poppies are a symbol of consolation in time of death.
* Irises/Lily are used in burials as a symbol referring to "resurrection/life".
* Daisies are a symbol of innocence.

The great variety of delicate and beautiful flowers has inspired the works of numerous poets, especially from the 18th-19th century Romantic era. Famous examples include William Wordsworth's I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and William Blake's Ah! Sun-Flower.

Because of their varied and colorful appearance, flowers have long been a favorite subject of visual artists as well. Some of the most celebrated paintings from well-known painters are of flowers, such as Van Gogh's sunflowers series or Monet's water lilies.

In modern times, people have sought ways to wear, or otherwise be around flowers and blooming plants, partly because of their agreeable appearance and smell. Around the world, people use flowers for a wide range of events and functions that, cumulatively, encompass one's lifetime:

* For new births or Christenings
* As a corsage or boutonniere to be worn at social functions or for holidays
* As tokens of love or esteem
* For wedding flowers for the bridal party, and decorations for the hall
* As brightening decorations within the home
* As a gift of remembrance for bon voyage parties, welcome home parties, and "thinking of you" gifts
* For funeral flowers and expressions of sympathy for the grieving

Recent studies have shown that flowers have a positive effect on people, and seem to brighten a persons attitude. Having flowers on the breakfast table tends to help wake up and brighten attitudes. Flowers around the house or work place tend to give a soothing effect on those around them.

Serving - Breezy Point, MD - Chaneyville, MD - Chesapeake Beach, MD - Fairhaven, MD - Friendship, MD - Herrington Harobour, MD - Huntingtown, MD - Mt Harmony, MD - North Beach, MD - Owings, MD - Paris, MD - Plume Point, MD - Poplars, MD - Rose Haven, MD - Sunderland, MD - Willows, MD - Wilson, MD

Richard's Bayside Florist
         Gifts and Gallery
410-257-0207    301-855-7505

Serving the community for over 30 years

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