The History of Flower Giving

A lonely ghost wanders the fertile bank of the Nile River. On this moonlit and hopeful night, even the stars have companions. He fears going vagrant. Nearby, a blue lotus sits in the soil, cowering away from the cold night. Its petals embrace one another, sealing off its aureate pistil. The cold petals, however, let their beguiling fragrance escape into the gusts of wind that greet the unsuspecting ghost. The fragrance of the lotus enchants him, lifts him, and brings him to the hopeful bank. He floats about the gentle flower, charmed by its demure nature. All night, the ghost looms over the lotus, awaiting dawn, awaiting the bloom of this peculiar flower.

Somewhere in Ancient Greece, atop a verdant hill, a young man awaits his better half. A dew-kissed rose is held fast in his hand. He recalls the tinge of a divine face. The skies are appeased this fine evening. Then, his anticipation finds relief, and, followed by an entourage of nymphs, faeries, and elves, a young maiden arrives at the hilltop. With Cupid’s blessing in hand, he approaches the maiden and lays forward the romantic question, “What were my lines?”

An old man sets down his water can on the plush grass of his garden. His back is sore and he barely suppresses a groan as he straightens up. The bright spring Sun showers resplendent rays down on the vibrant petals of his flowers. For a minute, he stands still and observes the freshly bloomed flowers—the crisp petals dance to the song of the wind, the dewy leaves revel in the changing weather, and new blooms have begun peeking out of their hiding spots in the soil. The man bends down to pick up his watering can and begins his walk back into the house. He considers recruiting the services of a gardener; it’s becoming much too difficult to tend after his garden all on his own. As he is about to reach the doorstep, he halts in his steps and swiftly turns around. He jogs back to the flower beds, panting heavily, and stops by a small clearing. Hidden away by the straining stems of neighboring flowers, a handful of tiny petalled forget-me-nots grow in a concealed bunch. A distressed frown possesses the old man’s brow and he picks up his watering can to water the blue flowers. The frown never leaves his face. As he is done watering the plant, he crouches down and gazes at the blue blooms. The wind is beginning to stir a shiver in his scantily clad body. He remains crouching. He recalls his wife’s gentle hands when they had first planted these delicate flowers. He cannot recall whether the ring she wore then had a similar blue shade to the petals of the flowers. His frown only deepens. Then, he attempts to conjure up an image of the smile her lips bore that day. Her eyes have become hazy in his memory. The previous year, the locks of her hair were vivid in his mind. This year, he has forgotten their colour. The man gets up and returns to the house. He reclines on an old chair. As he closes his eyes to rest, he remembers that he must prepare for the summer bloom. Outside, the Sun illuminates the abandoned watering can.

Flowers are perhaps one of the most versatile elements of nature. They adorn our art, and our homes, heal our ailments, make wonderful gifts, and keep our ecosystem alive. But they have also become a charming way to wordlessly express what we feel. Symbolising flowers with human emotions is a long-practised art and has been around since the beginning of civilisation. They take on different meanings across different cultures ranging from the act of worship to earnest yearning. Throughout the reigns of different empires and civilisations, flowers were revered as valuable symbols and were gifted according to the occasion and sentiment. Over time, their value has been reduced to their appearance. Meticulously picking a flower as a gift is now a lost art. We admire their scent and their colours but rarely ponder over what they mean.

To find meaning in flowers is to make life more human. The gift of flowers is something layered, complex, and profound. At times, we feel the need to return to our roots to express ourselves. We recruit the help of an old neighbour to christen our sorrows, our joys, and our confessions. Flowers hold all meaning of human emotion between and beyond life and birth. Flowers have told stories, extended blessings, conveyed messages, and been mankind’s best friend. They are an alternate form of the human being, a form that blooms with our emotions and preserves their secrets.