Matching Scents and Sensibility

On Valentine’s Day, thin people’s thoughts often turn to chocolates; the rest of us think flowers.

In picking a bouquet for that special someone next week, you’ll be sending more than a fragrant gift. Ever since the first sentimental caveman handed a bunch of wildflowers to his honey, flowers have spoken volumes.

Red roses, tulips and forget-me-nots are definite Valentine’s Day do’s; lavender, marigolds and oleander are don’ts. You might also want to think twice before sending a dozen yellow roses. Ever since the prophet Muhammad accused his rose-toting wife of infidelity, yellow has been associated with jealousy.

“You have to be very careful which flowers you send, because there are many shades of meaning,” warns Shirley Kerins, curator of the Huntington’s herb garden and an expert on botanical folklore. “For example, rose-scented geraniums mean ‘I prefer you,’ but the scarlet geraniums represent stupidity or folly. And if you’re expecting something more ardent than regard, daffodils can be disappointing.”

From the ancient Greeks and Egyptians to the Chinese and Turks, many cultures have attributed symbolic meaning to flowers. The use of this symbolic code came to full bloom in Victorian England, when both men and women found a socially acceptable way to express their feelings in the illustrated pages of best-selling floral dictionaries.

Without uttering a word, a young woman could start a budding romance, so to speak, simply by twirling a single gardenia. By entwining several plants or sprigs with ribbon, one could create a bouquet that read like a paragraph--amorous or insulting. Narcissus mixed with scarlet geraniums and marigolds, for instance, translated into “your self-love and stupidity excite my pity.”

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who introduced the language of flowers to England after visiting Constantinople in the early 18th century, explained: “It is possible to quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news without even inking your fingers.”

While it seems like we pay through the nose for flowers, there’s actually great variation in price. The weather, season and variety are all factors. On average, you can expect to spend the following for arrangements, according to the California State Floral Assn.: $75 to $85 for a dozen long-stemmed roses; $45 to $55 for a dozen sweetheart roses; $30 to $40 for a dozen carnations; $50 to $60 for a dozen tulips; $30 and up for a mixed arrangement and $10 and up for a bouquet of loose flowers.

But, “You can make an impression and express what you want to convey, even if you only have $10 to spend,” says Kathryn Miele of the California Cut Flower Commission. “There’s no doubt that a single beautifully wrapped red rose or a couple of long-stem roses say ‘I love you.’ ”

Cupid’s note: Fragrant flowers have long been associated with love--especially jasmine, rosemary, violets and the red rose. Climbing or clinging plants like ivy are also symbolic of love. Here, from a 1891 household text, are more romantic blooms:

Chrysanthemum: Truth

Daisy: Innocence

Forget-me-not: True Love

Gardenia: Untold love

Honeysuckle: Affection

Ivy: Marriage, Fidelity

Jasmine: Sensuality

Peach Blossom: I am your captive

Tulip: Declaration of love

Violet: Faithfulness