Symbolic meanings of flowers

"Romance and flowers have been linked together since the beginning of time," says Susan Fogwell, owner of Blue Thistle Floral (bluethistlefloral.com), a high-end floral boutique in Princeton, New Jersey. She says that as early as the 16th century, history records that flowers were given as messengers of love to celebrate romantic occasions.

It was during the Victorian era, named after Queen Victoria, when the language of flowers was thoughtfully and carefully studied. A young man who admired a lady would offer her a bouquet of flowers with a romantic note. He would choose particular flowers alluding to a symbolic message with a sentimental meaning. For instance, reds, blues and purples conveyed love and passion; red roses, then and today, have always expressed ardent love. White symbolized innocence and purity.

Janice Cutler, president and owner of North Raleigh Florist (northraleighfloristinc.com), located in Raleigh, North Carolina, agrees that the type of flower you give should be closely related to the degree of relationship you are celebrating. Her advice:

• Red roses traditionally a symbol of romantic love, so you want to make sure that's the message you intend.
• If yours is a new relationship that not quite at that "romantic love" stage yet, or if it's simply a close fondness and not like that, there are many alternatives...
• Yellow and pink roses are acceptable to convey a warm friendship.
• Red and white roses in an arrangement together symbolize unity, while white roses alone is a sign of purity. A few red roses in a mixed arrangement might be a sweet way to say you look forward to a new relationship progressing.
• For a more elegant look, use white hydrangeas, anthurium or an orchid.
• Hydrangeas symbolize perseverance, while orchids symbolize delicate beauty
• For more casual friendships, a fresh spring-like arrangement is appropriate -- think yellows, purples and whites. Yellow carnations are a great choice here -- they are a sign of cheerfulness; pink carnations can also work well as they symbolize gratitude. Violets, a sign of faithfulness, can work as well.
• If a friend is a plant lover, there's no shame in going that route. It shows that you're listening to your friends' interests.

So what do women want? The answer may surprise you. "Our research shows that 76 percent of women prefer something other than red roses for Valentine's Day, but 66 percent of men think women want red roses for Valentine's Day," says Kate Law, a floral design expert for 1800Flowers.

Here are soem more floral stats: One out of five women who do not prefer red roses say they are cliché. Eighteen percent of women that don't want red roses say they do not require any thought. Twenty seven percent of women prefer mixed bouquets for Valentine's Day, but only 5 percent of men know that women prefer mixed bouquets. Twenty two percent of women prefer roses, but not red roses. After roses, tulips, lilies and orchids are the most preferred flowers for V-day.

Oh, and by the way -- men deserve a little bit of floral consideration as well. According to Kate, there are some great men-specific choices:

• Potted Antherium or Potted Cymbidium -- both make a statement and both will last without too much care and feeding.
• Flaming Parrots -- new and exploding with color, this bouquet was a hit with our guys!
• White Callas -- simple and elegant, this is a great gift for that special guy in your life.
• Sparks -- fugi moms are hot, tulips are sexy and every other graphic detail in this bouquet will spark up any relationship.

So, have a hot and sexy Valentines Day -- and make sure to stop and smell the roses, or sparks, as they may be.