Howdy Gang, In honour of Valentine’s Day coming up, I’ll be sending out a story or lesson every day to keep you all educated on that wonderful holiday about “love”. If you plan on sending out some flowers…you better read this first!

The ancients explained the beauty of the ROSE through myths of godly creation. The Greek goddess Chloris stumbled upon a beautiful dead nymph and turned her into a flower; Aphrodite added beauty; the three graces added brilliance, joy, and charm. Dionysious donated fragrant nectar, while Zephyrus, the west wind, blew away the clouds so Apollo could shower the rose in sun. The flower was then given to Eros, the deity of love, and named the “Queen of Flowers.” The Romans had their own ideas on the rose’s origin. According to their legend, many suitors were lined up to marry a beautiful woman named Rodanthe, but she had little interest in any of them. These men were so full of love and desire that they became rowdy and eventually broke down the doors to her house. This episode angered the goddess Diana, who turned the woman into a flower and her suitors into thorns to teach them a lesson. Whatever its origin, the rose is undeniably the best-known symbol of beauty and love. It is common knowledge that red roses mean “I love you”. A dozen of them makes the ultimate statement on Valentine’s Day, a tradition surely developed by those who measure value by quantity rather than quality. Lesser-known nuances of meaning are attached to different colors and types of roses. If you’re going to jump on the bandwagon and shell out the cash for your valentine, you’d better get the ROSE DEFINITIONS straight.

Red and White together mean unity Pink means grace and gentility Yellow symbolises joy. Orange or Coral roses speak your desire Burgundy will compliment your sweetheart’s unconscious beauty (great to accompany a glass of red wine, not several bottles). A SINGLE ROSE signifies simplicity, a nice statement to make if your pockets are empty. White roses means “you’re heavenly” White *rosebuds* warns that you’re too young for love. Sweetheart roses are for couples who like nicknames, as they mean “darling”, “dear”, or “honey”, but if you call each other “babycakes,” they should still do the trick.

If you want to stray from tradition, or if “I love you” is not what comes to mind when thinking of your valentine, maybe you want something other than the rose. There’s a slew of nice things to say with other flowers, and they’re just as nice to receive. Several flowers pose as rose imposters:

Red Chrysanthemums, Tulips, and Carnations still say “I love you”. The Daisy will compliment your valentine’s beauty The elegant Cala Lily tops that by celebrating your lover’s splendid beauty. You can only send a Lilac once since it goes to your first love. Gardenia is for the scared or the shy, since it expresses secret untold love. Violets express your affection. Mild or deep-rooted? The floral lexicon doesn’t specify!

Some not-so-nice sentiments require a feistier petal, great for couples on the rocks.

Mock her vanity by giving Narcissus, the flower of self-love. Let him have it with a Petunia, which expresses anger and resentment. It’s okay when your valentine flirts with you, but when it’s with another, give a Dandelion picked from the sidewalk. Make sure your Marigold is where your mouth is

the large-flower signifies jealousy, while the small-flower encourages your loved one to never despair. How can the Sunflower, so beautiful, be so mean-spirited? Perhaps too much beauty brings on haughtiness and even false appearances. A striped Carnation is flat-out refusal, but if that’s the case, why send flowers at all?

There are flowers for more unusual tastes if that didn’t cover it:

For the hard-shell, soft-inside types, the Cactus gives the surface impression of intimidation, but sends a deeper message of warmth. Give some Wisteria to the suave gentleman you meet on the street to say welcome, fair stranger. For a mama’s boy or girl, Moss is a charming expression of maternal love. She’ll love it, she has to she’s your mother.

Show off your new flower vocabulary, but remember that knowledge is a double-edged sword. You are now equipped with the tools to decipher what your date really thinks of you. For instance, if you receive no flowers but are invited for a pasta dinner, you may be in trouble. Beware of pesto: basil, the cruelest of all flower words, means hatred.