I'm sure you're familiar with the idea that red roses represent love, and that yellow are a symbol of friendship. Flowers have been used symbolically as early as the 1600s, but it wasn't until the early 1700s that the Language of Flowers was born. The trend of using flowers to send messages didn't become a part of mainstream culture until the Victorian era (the early 1800s, think Jane Austen) in G
reat Britain. Queen Victoria spread the idea throughout the British empire after ascending to the thrown in 1837. Around that time, the language of flowers also became commonplace in the United States. Victorians had strict rules for society and how people could interact; they were not usually able to express their feelings openly. Using flowers to convey messages became a clever solution. In addition to flowers that expressed love and devotion, there were also ones symbolizing disdain (yellow carnations), cold-hearted-ness (lettuce) and distrust (lavender). The language included over 400 different types of foliage and flowers. And purple carnations were a symbol of whimsy. I've been fascinated by the Victorians and the American Civil War era since I was a kid. I've been told I was born in the wrong century, and sometimes I think that's true. Using the language of flowers for a shop name therefore felt fitting. I taught myself how to knit the weekend I graduated from college, from a how-to book. I tend to pick projects that present a challenge and involve techniques that I don't yet know how to do. I've only recently (in the last year or two) taught myself how to crochet. The project I'm most proud of making is a sock monkey that looks like Albert Einstein (Yes, you read that correctly.) :) In addition to being a history buff/major, I also am a science nerd (think of my friends and I as the characters from the Big Bang Theory, minus a 'Penny.') I have a gnome named Nigel that enjoys traveling with me on trips and a favorite Civil War general. (Yes, I'm often told that I'm weird. I like to think that it's in an endearing and lovable way though.)
