Internet Dictionary of Flowers

The Language of Flowers

Throughout history, people have ascribed various meanings to different flowers. The ancient Greeks crafted wreaths of leaves or flowers to crown athletes and honor others for outstanding achievements. Complex symbolism evolved through religious meanings, such as Mary gardens, dedicated with flowers chosen to symbolize the mother of Jesus, or Shakespearean gardens, where flowers are chosen based on their symbolism in Shakespearean plays. By the mid 1700s, the French and the English adopted the floral language popular in Turkey and Greece and brought it with them back to Europe along the trade routes.

Floral dictionaries became quite popular in Europe, and the Victorians enhanced and added to the already complex language of flowers. Gentlemen gave Victorian damsels small bouquets of flowers to express their feelings. Not only the flower itself had meaning, but its quantity and position in the bouquet was significant as well.

Today, many brides enjoy selecting flowers for weddings or other special events. Some brides select bouquet flowers for color and meaning. An emerging trend in wedding planning is to have guests bring flowers, selected for their meaning, to add to a large bouquet for the bridal table or to affix to a trellis, arbor, or canopy for the bride and groom.

An Internet dictionary of flowers can help anyone choose a special bouquet filled with color, fragrance and meaning. Here are a few dictionaries to help you choose the right blossoms for the occasion:

• The Phoenix Flower Shop provides a comprehensive Internet dictionary of flowers. Users can search by flower name or a dictionary with pictures, choosing flowers that are attractive and meaningful. The idea behind the website is to help purchasers select flowers to convey the right message, but anyone interested in the language of flowers will enjoy this Internet dictionary of flowers. They even provide suggestions for every occasion, from anniversaries to birthday tributes. Should you give your sweetie a bouquet of chrysanthemums? Chrysanthemums represent fidelity. Enjoy browsing the pretty pictures and interesting floral facts.
• A & F Garden Gate Florist also provides a pictorial guide to flowers, with the floral dictionary included online. From alstromeria to tulip, you’ll never be at a loss for choices to convey the precise meaning of your message.
• Comfy Country Creations provides dozens of flower name meanings on their Internet dictionary. You’ll also find tips to make many country crafts from your garden flowers on this fun and cozy website.
• Brides to be may want to check out Perfect Wedding Day. Their online dictionary helps brides select beautiful flowers for bouquets and arrangements to convey messages on their special day. Their dictionary includes annuals, perennials, and shrubs that make excellent cut flowers.

Dictionary of Flowers for the Aspiring Gardener

Aspiring and experienced gardeners also need an Internet dictionary of flowers. Instead of merely floral meanings, however, they need a dictionary that encompasses a much broader range of flowers and provides robust horticultural information.

• Many websites provide information on both annual and perennial flowers. LoveToKnow, an online information site, has a wonderful Garden channel packed with information, including a dictionary-style plant index of flowers. You’ll not only learn about the flowers, you’ll also pick up useful information to help you select the best flowers for your garden.
• Most serious gardeners turn to one Internet dictionary of flowers, shrubs, and trees. Plantfacts, provided by Ohio State University, contains an enormous number of articles on flowers of all types. There are 200 gardening how-to videos, as well as a searchable plant index. The Plant Dictionary provides pictures of flowers, turf, trees, insects and more. For anyone serious about gardening, this is an excellent resource provided by one of the most respected university systems in the nation.
• For garden writers or simply those who love flowers and use their computer to take gardening notes, there’s a downloadable dictionary of flower names based on the Latin names that can be added to the computer to stop spell check from flagging the botanical names of plants and flowers as misspellings. Crescent Bloom provides information and download details on their website.

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