Language of Flower Cards

We have a selection of cards designed from three of Lavinia's new paintings of posies, which - in the Language of Flowers - symbolise the messages: 'Happy Birthday', 'Thank You' and 'Thinking Of You'.

The cards are illustrated either by the posies, or garlands designed from them, and each card has the flowers listed on the reverse along with their meanings.

"Although I love my flower letters and will always go back to that theme, I am also inspired by the traditional practice of communicating through The Language Of Flowers. Floriography is a traditional art, particularly loved by the Victorians, of delivering messages through the giving of certain flowers in a posy, also known as a 'Tussie Mussie'. Today we still use red roses to say 'I Love You' and might know about rosemary for remembrance, but what about pear blossom symbolising comfort or campanula to show gratitude?

Many Victorian households would have had a dictionary to translate the Language of Flowers. But the flowers could have more than one meaning, especially in certain combinations. Some things were clear though - if a posy was presented with the right hand, the gesture meant 'yes' and with the left 'no'. If flowers were presented upside down, the meaning of the gift was the opposite of the flowers. Being given a wilted bouquet would need no dictionary to interpret!"