Overview:
Through the ages, flowers have been the inspiration of great works of art, poetry and music. We give flowers to express love, joy, congratulations, sadness and grief. In this piece, we will examine the role that flowers play in the world and in our lives. We will consider the meaning of flowers, analyze famous quotations, design a flower garden, learn about flower poems and paintings and maybe even write a poem!
The Secret Meaning of Flowers
Flowers have a language of their own and that throughout the course of history people have attached meanings to flowers to communicate messages.
Shown below are two columns. One is for various flower types. The other represents their traditional meaning.
Can you pair these flowers with their meanings?
Flowers Meanings
Daisy Peace
Forget-me-not Endurance
Cactus Childishness
Iris Pride, sunshine
Sunflower Faithfulness, virtue
Violet Good fortune
Apple blossom Wisdom, faith, hope
Buttercup Good luck, be mine
Four-leaf-clover True love, good memories
Olive branch Loyal love, innocence
Answers: Daisy: loyal love, innocence, Forget-me-not: true love, good memories, Cactus: endurance, Iris: wisdom, faith, hope, Sunflower: pride, sunshine, Violet: faithfulness, virtue, Apple blossom: good fortune, Buttercup: childishness, Four-leaf-clover: Good luck, be mine, Olive Branch: peace
Remember: These are traditional meanings. Different cultures often have different meanings!
Flower Quotations
Here are a variety of quotations, attributed to different people and different cultures. How do you feel about these?
Flower Quotations
Here are a variety of quotations, attributed to different people and different cultures. How do you feel about these?
"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."
- Emma Goldman
"Where flowers bloom so does hope."
- Lady Bird Johnson
"The world is a rose; smell it and pass it to your friends."
- Persian Proverb
"The earth laughs in flowers."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Different Gardens
Shown below are several different types of gardens. Also shown are resources where you may look up how to structure a specific type of garden.
* Drought tolerant garden
* Fragrance garden
* Edible garden
* Deer Resistant garden
* Color (yellow/orange, blue/purple, or cream/white) garden
* Shade garden
* Full sun garden
* Bird or butterfly garden
* Cornell's Home Gardening Website http://www.explore.cornell.edu/scene.cfm?scene=Home%20Gardening
* The United States National Arboretum Website http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/gardeningr.html
* Perkins & Jackson's Garden-Inspired Living Website
http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=201&cgrfnbr=2
* Burpee Website http://www.burpee.com/jump.jsp?itemType=GATEWAY&itemID=9
This site contains a "Growing Zone Finder" to guide students in determining what plants will grow in their area.
Flower Poems and Paintings
The Poem Hunter website is an excellent resource for flower poems. http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/flower/
The ARTCYCLOPEDIA website provides examples and links to Georgia O' Keeffe's flower paintings. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/okeeffe_georgia.html
The Japanese often write haiku poems about flowers. A traditional Japanese haiku has a total of seventeen syllables divided into three lines:
First line: five syllables Second line: seven syllables Third line: five syllables
Can you write a haiku about flowers?
The Flower Hut is a Charlotte Florist located in Charlotte, NC. We have been supplying floral arrangements and fresh flowers since 1988, and enjoy sharing floral ideas with our friends and neighbors.
The Flower Hut
6300 C E. Independence Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28212
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