Arne Klein, a florist at Blooms by Plantscaping in Cleveland, helped us create a beautiful arrangement and message.
He used to do this all the time. “I had this book,” he says. “It was nice. I would tell everyone what the flowers meant. Unfortunately, people would just say, ‘Yeah, that’s nice.’ These days, the fact that someone sends flowers is special enough.”
Pshaw. I always found knowing what a bouquet means scores extra points. This arrangement, dissected with meanings from the book, is a perfect way to tell someone that what you’re feeling is, indeed, young love.
Water Lily: Eloquence
“This flower closes at evening, and reclines on the bosom of the lake from the setting of the sun until the rising of that splendid orb on the succeeding morn. It is supposed that this allegory may be understood as an allusion to the fable of the world rising from the midst of the waters.”
Honeysuckle: Bonds of Love
Not usually found in a bouquet, but that will make it stand out even more. “The honeysuckle sometimes amorously attaches its plant branches to the knotted trunk of an ancient oak.”
Tulip: Declaration of Love
“The petals are compared to fire, and the yellow heart to brimstone; and when presented by an admiring swain to his mistress, it is supposed to declare that such is the effect of the fair one’s beauty, that if he sees her only for a moment, his face will be as fire, and his heart will be reduced to a coal.”
Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty (among other things), once said she has a rival in the rose.
White Lilies: Purity
Yellow Carnation: Disdain
“It is the least beautiful and fragrant of its kind, yet requires continual care and attention.” We know a few exes who deserve a bouquet. Restrain.
Lilac: First Emotion of Love
“Nothing is more delightful than the sensations it produces on its first appearance on the return of spring.”
Know someone who’d love it? Blooms by Plantscaping is selling the Cleveland Magazine Valentine’s Bouquet for $95 plus shipping. A more delicate version is available for $50. Order by Feb. 11 for Valentine’s Day by calling (216) 367-1200.