Tradition, fragrance, and beauty are obvious reasons to choose a flower bouquet ; but if you want to make every gesture count, then choose flowers with meanings that represent appropriate virtues or sentiments.

The language of flowers is century old and began with herbs that had ancient symbolic meaning in Chinese, Greek, Roman, Turkish, and Egyptian cultures. In the early 1600s, John Parkinson, a French herbalist and physician, gave meaning to diminutive nosegays of fragrant flowers and leaves. The tradition continued and by the Victorian era the art of sending symbolic messages by gifts of flowers, called florigraphy , was all the rage.

Many experts disagree on the "true meaning" of many flowers and most have different meanings to different people. But we all believe in flower power whatever message they convey. Here are some of the more traditional flower meanings,. See, if you agree, and remember, a gift of flowers for a special someone will always create its own personal meaning, too.