New Zealand Flowers

Tradional meanings behind certain blooms and bouquets

Giving flowers is a time-honoured way of saying 'I love you', but the symbolic meanings associated with flowers shows different blooms can traditionally mean a lot more than we might think.

• Florists

No matter what the occasion, Auckland florists can help you create a special bouquet that sends a message.

In fact, Kiwis have been sending messages to loved ones with flowers for hundreds of years. Flowers are viewed as one of nature’s most glorious displays, and people have been capturing their magic in bunches and bouquets in one form or another since New Zealand’s earliest settlers discovered our shores.

The way we have displayed New Zealand flowers has evolved over time, with floristry and flower arranging becoming art forms unto themselves. Professional florists combine their passion for beautiful flowers with an innovative eye for design to create striking bunches, bouquets and arrangements for all occasions.

Creating a work of art
There is a continuing demand for quality New Zealand flowers and gorgeous arrangements, but florists do far more than simply sell flowers. A professional and expert florist can design and create floral arrangements of bouquets, centrepieces wreaths, tributes, and baskets to customers’ specifications or using their own creative flair.

Florists require technical skills, a good visual eye, imagination, creativity and precision to be able to translate a simple selection of New Zealand flowers and greenery into an original and appealing floral design.

Whether designed to signify romance or love for Valentine's Day, to express sympathy, or to say ‘happy birthday’ or ‘get well soon’, the meanings expressed by the types of arrangements given have very traditional roots.

The language of flowers
While giving flowers today tends to be associated with an overall gesture, throughout the centuries and across the globe flowers have been attributed far greater significance, with different varieties and species being given quite specific meanings.

This language of flowers is referred to as floriography, and some people even go as far as to associate particular blooms with certain phrases and emotions.

In Victorian England, people used flowers as a form of language, when it was considered inappropriate to express emotions aloud. In these times, the Victorians could create a bouquet of flowers specifically to reveal an unspoken message or feeling, expressed cleverly through the arrangement, colour and even number of flowers chosen.

Though the symbolic language of arranging flowers has largely been lost and forgotten, it is interesting to look into their traditional meanings when opting to give New Zealand flowers to a friend or loved one. After all, traditionally the rose is not the only flower of love, and not all flowers signify pleasant sentiments.

Even the right in the wrong colour can mean the opposite of what you might intend, so check out this basic guide if you want to express yourself through the traditional art of giving flowers.

Say it with roses
Roses in particular can mean different things depending on the colour, shape, and even the number of petals of the bud or bloom you select.

Think receiving a red rose from your other half is a bit unoriginal? Red roses have long symbolised beauty and perfection, are the traditional symbol for love and romance, and a time-honoured way to say ‘I love you’.

Pink roses often signify a gentler meaning than their red counterparts, and as a symbol of grace and elegance they are often given as expressions of admiration, appreciation, and joyfulness.

Yellow roses traditionally symbolise joy and friendship through their bright, sunny hues, evoking feelings of warmth and happiness.

Wonder why so many brides walk down the isle carrying a bouquet of white New Zealand flowers? White roses represent innocence and purity, and have been associated with marriages and new beginnings for hundreds of years. The white rose is also a symbol of honour, and white rose arrangements are often used as an expression of remembrance.

Lavender roses are traditionally used to express feelings of love at first sight and are a symbol of enchantment.

Create your own special meanings
While the traditional symbolism of flowers may have played a major role in deciding what blooms should be given in the Victorian era, today there are really no rules.

With so many New Zealand flowers to choose from and with and hybrid varieties now available locally and from overseas, people are no longer restricted in the types of bouquets and bunches they give. And with advances in technology such as hydroponic growing, most flowers are available all year round instead of only during certain seasons.

Kiwis are now limited only by their imaginations when it comes to giving New Zealand flowers. You may choose a certain colour because it reminds of you of a special event, or a particular flower because it has sentimental significance to you.

With so many options it pays to work with a good florist to help you send the right message.

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Seasons and Celebrations images from Flickr: giveflowers, Fireworks Finale and Christmas in Love.