For several years now, I have given you "serious" tips of how to, where to, when to. For a couple of weeks, I'd like to look on the light-hearted if you will allow. Ah love! Or is it hate? Or what are you trying to tell me? In this age of fast moving cars, rapid internet email and cable television; we have lost a piece of our past when things were maybe simpler, easier to understand. Well, maybe not as easy to understand, come to think of it. During the Colonial days and beyond, there were those little secrets too. Messages passed from she to he; hopefully out of the view of parents or others around. These were known as the secret messages of the flower. Come back to the past for a little while and relive some of those flirtatious times. We'll start with the language of flowers. ACACIA (Rose or white) Elegance, friendship. ACACIA (yellow) Secret love ACHILLEA War ADDER'S-TONGUE Jealousy ALLSPICE Compassion ALMOND (common) Indiscretion, perfidy ALOE grief, misplaced devotion, religious superstition ALTHEA Consumed by love ALYSSYM (sweet) Excellence beyond beauty, exemplary modesty AMARANTH (coxcomb) Affectation, pretension. AMARANTH (globe) Constant, unchangeable AMARYLLIS Beautiful, timid, proud AMBROSIA Love returned ANEMONE Fading hope APPLE-BLOSSOM Preference ARBOR-VITAE (American) immortality. Also I never change, live for me ASH Prudence, with me you are safe ASPEN Excess of sensibility, fear ASTER (China) Afterthoughts, love of variety. "I regret my impetuousness. Do not take me too seriously." AZALEA Moderation, temperance. "Be more moderate in your actions." BACHELOR'S BUTTON Devotion, hope, love BALM Social intercourse, sympathy BALSAM Impatience. "I can hardly live til I see you again." BARBERRY Sharpness of temper BASIL Hatred. "I dislike you." BAY-LEAF I change but in death BABY'S BREATH Pure of heart BAYBERRY Discipline, instruction BEGONIA Deformity or "We are being watched." BELLFLOWER Constancy, gratitude, I wish to speak to you. "Meet me tomorrow morning." BELLWORT Hopelessness BILBERRY Treachery BITTERSWEET Truth, platonic love BLACKTHORN Difficulty BLUEBELL Constancy, sorrowful regret. "I am faithful." BLUEBOTTLE Delicacy BRAMBLE Holiness, remorse. "I was too hasty. Please forgive me." BROOM Humility, neatness BUTTERCUP Riches or radiance. "What golden beauty is yours!" BUTTERFLY-WEED Let me go CACTUS Grandeur, warmth CALLA LILY Magnificent beauty CAMELLIA (Red) Unpretending excellence, innate warmth, alas my poor heart. "How radiantly lovely you are!" CAMELLIA (White) Perfected loveliness, without blemish CHAMOMILE Energy in adversity CANDYTUFT Indifference CANTERBURY BELLS Gratitude, acknowledgement, obligation CARDINAL-FLOWER Distinction CARNATION PINK Woman's love. Encouragement. "Thank you for your charming token." CARNATION WHITE: Pure affection. "Chaste love I offer." CARNATION RED: Passionate love. "I must see you soon." CATALPA Beware of the coquette CATCHFLY Pretended love, snare, unchanging friendship CEDAR I live but for thee, think of me CENTAURY Delicacy CEREUS (night-blooming) Transient beauty CHAMOMILE: Fortitude. "I admire your courage in adversity. Hope on." CHERRY-BLOSSOM Spiritual beauty. "To the ripening of our friendship." CHESTNUT-BLOSSOM Do me justice CHICKWEED Give an account of yourself, rendezvous CHICORY Frugality CHRYSANTHEMUM (Bronze): Bronze: Friendship. "Though I value your friendship, I cannot love you." CHRYSANTHEMUM (Chinese) Loveliness and cheerfulness . CHRYSANTHEMUM (red) I love you. Reciprocated love. CHRYSANTHEMUM (white) Truth. "I believe in you." CHRYSANTHEMUM (yellow): Discouragement. "My heart is given to another." CITRON natured beauty CLEMATIS (evergreen) Poverty CLEMATIS Mental Beauty CLIANTHUS -Self-seeking, worldliness CLOVER (four-leafed) Be mine CLOVER (white) Think of me CLOVES Dignity COLUMBINE Folly CORIANDER Hidden worth. "Do not judge too much by appearances." CORN-BLOSSOM Riches CORN-COCKLE Peerless and proud CORNFLOWER Delicacy, refinement COWSLIP Comeliness, winning grace, you are my divinity COXCOMB Foppery CRABAPPLE-BLOSSOM Irritability CRANBERRY Cure for heartache CROCUS Abuse not, gladness, mirth . "My heart beats with yours." CROWFOOT Ingratitude CROWN IMPERIAL Arrogance, majesty, pride of birth CURRANT Your frown will destroy me CYPRESS Despair, mourning DAFFODIL Deceitful, hope, unrequited love, regard. "I do not return your affections." DAHLIA Elegance and dignity, forever thine. DAHLIA (Red): "You have mistaken my feelings." DAHLIA (White): "Do not approach me." DAHLIA (Yellow): "Your attentions are distasteful." DAISY (coloured) Beauty. DAISY (field): "I will give you an answer in a few days." DAISY (Michaelmas) Farewell. "Do not write or speak to me; I can never love you." DAISY (Moon): Autumn love. "Choose a lover of your own age; youth and middle-age may not mate." DAISY (Ox-eye): Hope. "I might learn to love you." DANDELION Coquetry, love's oracle, obsurdity. "Your pretensions are ridiculous." DAPHNE Fame, glory DEW-PLANT Serenade DOCK Patience DODDER OF THYME Baseness DOGBANE Falsehood DOGWOOD Forgetfulness, love undiminished by death. EVERLASTING FLOWER: "At your wish I go away, to forget you never." FUCHSIA: Warning. "Beware; your lover is false." GARDENIA: Sweetness. "Like unto this virgin flower are you." GERANIUM (Pink): Pink: Doubt. "What do you mean by those actions?" GERANIUM (Scarlet): Scarlet: Duplicity. "I don't trust you." GERANIUM (White): Indecision. "I have not made up my mind." GLADIOLUS: Pain. "Your words have wounded me." GOLDEN ROD: Undecided. "My mind is not made up." HELIOTROPE: Devotion. "You are my sun, I am devoted to you." HYANCINTH (Blue): "I will give my life to you. HYANCINTH (White): Admiration. HYDRANGEA: Changeable. "Why are you so fickle?" IRIS: (Purple). Great ardour. "You've set my heart aglow." IVY: A symbol of bonding. "I desire you for my bride." JASMINE: Elegant. " You are dainty and elegant! " JASMINE: (Cape): Springtime. "We'll see better times. " JASMINE: (Lavender): Negative."I like you very much, but I'm not in love with you." JASMINE: (Lilac). "You are my first love." JASMINE (White). Innocence and purity. LILY (Tiger): Great passion. LILY (white): Purity LILY OF THE VALLEY: A maiden's modesty. MARIGOLD: (African): Refinement. MARIGOLD (French): Jealousy MIMOSA: Symbol of being sensitive. MINT: Homeliness. "Look for a wife of your own age and taste." MYRTLE: Fragrance. "Be my sweetheart." OLEANDER: A warning! Someone who was our friend betrayed us! ORCHID: Life of luxury. PANSY (purple): A souvenir. PANSY (White). Thoughts of love - I'm ever thinking of you. PANSY (Yellow): Remembrance. I'll ever think of you in your absence. PERIWINKLE: First love. PETUNIA: Proximity, nearness. I like you near me. PRIMROSE: Beginning love. I might learn to love you. ROSE: Red: Love. White: Refusal. Yellow: Misplaced affection. ROSEMARY: Remembrance. SALVIA: Red: Salvia, Red: Passion. SUNFLOWER: Ostentation. THYME: Thyme: Domestic value. "I need a wife like you!" TUBEROSE: A wounding. TULIP: A vow. VIOLET: Lad's love to his lady. Next week, we'll look at some of the secret codes that the gentleman used! (c) Copyright 29 Nov 2001, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved.sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements, Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ SCKY resource links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html < >< God Bless America ><>