![\"11601988\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/11601988.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo courtesy of GoodReads.com<\/p><\/div>\n
“Daffodils signal new beginnings; <\/i>daisies, innocence<\/i>. Lilacs mean the first emotions of love; <\/i>periwinkles, tender recollection<\/i>. Early Victorians used flowers as a way to express their feelings\u2014love or grief, jealousy or devotion,” writes author Mandy Kirby. “Now, modern-day romantics are enjoying a resurgence of this bygone custom, and this book will share the historical, literary, and cultural significance of flowers with a whole new generation.”<\/p>\n Periwinkle photo by Ulhaspa via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n As I mentioned in my geraniums<\/a> post, 19th-century Victorians were smitten<\/i> with flowers and employed them as a more complex form of expression than any known culture that came before.<\/p>\n A Victorian Flower Dictionary<\/i><\/a> offers the lush, illustrated history of 50 beloved blooms, detailing the characteristics attributed by Victorian enthusiasts. It also contains suggestions for creating expressive arrangements, whatever your intention.<\/p>\n If you have this one in your collection, I’d love to hear your impressions.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here’s a recent find I’m wondering if I should add to my\u00a0already sprouting spring to-read list … “Daffodils signal new beginnings; daisies, innocence. Lilacs mean the first emotions of love; periwinkles, tender recollection. Early Victorians used flowers as a way … Continue reading <\/a>