Mankind has long been fascinated by flowering plants. Beautiful to look at, fragrant to smell. Delicate, and yet enduring. Even life sustaining...many flowers have medicinal and nutritional value!

Flowers have long been linked with romance, but it wasn't until the early 17'th century that a French writer published a dictionary that formalized the "Language of Flowers"

The romantic heritage of some flowers is relatively easy to trace. Myrtle was sacred to Aphrodite, the mythological Greek goddess of love; in medieval times it was used for bridal garlands. Laurel has been the symbol of Glory and Fame since ancient times, when crowns of Laurel were placed upon the heads of triumphant soldiers and "poets laureate." And the Lotus flower has represented divine female fertility in the Orient for over 5,000 years!

In England, interest flourished after Queen Victoria assumed the throne. Many women of the middle class, with time on their hands, filled their days with flower drawing and the study of botany. Books on the "Language of Flowers" were tremendously popular in England and on the continent, and in 1884 an edition with flower illustrations by Kate Greenaway, the famous creator of children's books, was published in London.