A flower speaks to us directly in poetry, visual beauty and through it's essential oil. The fragrance of flora and aromatic herbs trigger vibrations which travel from the nose to the hypothalamus, and signals the release of soothing, stimulating or romantic messages.
One technique for capturing the beauty and scent of flowers and herbs is the historical practice of making tussie-mussies, or aromatic posies which convey messages. A tussie-mussie is a small, tight bouquet of flowers, leaves, and aromatic herbs arranged in a doily and tied with a ribbon, or placed in a cone made of silver. These were known as talking bouquets, and carried with them the Language of Flowers. Traditionally given to express feelings for a dear friend or loved one.
The symbolic meanings associated with certain plants, herbs and flowers goes way back in time and were adapted from classical mythology, religious symbolism, and traditional medicine. Contributing to the meanings of flowers were legends, folk tales, meanings influenced by poetry and literature, and the actual physical traits of plants and flowers. Even the scent and color added meaning. When individual plants were held together in one nosegay, all the meanings came together to form one complex thought.
The language of flowers spans the world of the ancients from Greece and Turkey to the Aztecs of South and Central America. The old ways of strewing pungent herbs on the floors of homes was thought to protect the gentlefolk from germs and provide herbal fragrances.
During the Victorian era tussie-mussies were carried close to the nose to ward off the plague and the stench in the streets. The Victorians had a great enthusiasm for gardening, floral design, and the in depth study of flowers. The language of flowers or Florigraphy, the art of sending messages by flowers, was pursued with a passion. Dozens of floral dictionaries were published listing the meanings of each flower and herb. Tussie-mussies reached great popularity as a means for lovers to convey secret messages of sentiment and affection.