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Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers

January 9, 2025 by Kimberly Snyder 6 Comments

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I am sharing a brief introduction to Tussie mussies and the Language of Flowers!

hand tied bouquet

On this blog, I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.  By using my affiliate links to shop, it helps me to be able to continue bringing you fresh new ideas and projects!  Thank you! 

A Brief History of  Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers

Tussie mussies date back to the 1400s. They were small bundles of herbs and flowers, each with a symbolic meaning, carried to help ward off sickness and freshen the air.  Tussie mussies are sometimes referred to as nosegays. The name came from ladies holding the bouquets close to their noses whenever they would leave their homes.

Today tussie mussies are also referred to as hand tied bouquets.

The Language of Herbs & Flowers

The language of flowers is very interesting topic. The language of herbs and flowers has been used in Europe for centuries, but it reached its height of popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria.  The first floral dictionary was assembled in France in 1819.  This work became the basis for several floral dictionaries that were published in later years.

Every plant had a different meaning.  Sometimes a single plant could have different meanings depending on how the plant was used or grown.  Certain plants had religious significance as well.  The language of herbs and flowers is called floriography.

I used herbal symbolism in my wedding.

My bouquet included a combination of herbs and flowers.  White roses to symbolize love, lavender for devotion, rosemary for remembrance, ivy for fidelity and scented geraniums for preference.

White Roses

Scenter geraniums , rosemary & lemon balm

Scented Geraniums

bundle of dried lavender next to a pot of herbal honey

Lavender

Scented Geraniums, Rosemary & lemon balm

Rosemary

Save This Pin for Later

 

Tussie Mussie or A Hand tied Bouquet as a Gift

A tussie mussie is a way to express a variety of sentiments such as love, friendship, thank you, congratulations, thinking of you and even get well.  Be sure to include a note with the floral meanings so that your recipient can see how much thought you put into their gift!

 

 

For example, if you were to send someone a bouquet similar to the one above, you could include a note that reads:

Red Roses for romance, white carnations for pure love and beauty, myrtle for peace

Language of Herbs and Flowers in other Floral Gifts

Floriography isn’t just for cut flowers.  You can use it to convey messages when sending a European Dish Garden or planter, too!

Yellow rose European Garden

The note for this one could read: yellow roses for friendship and ivy for consistency.  A perfect gift for a longtime friend!  If you are interested in learning how I put this dish garden together, all the details can be found here: Brighten Your Day!

Digging a little deeper into the topic of the language of herbs and flowers, did you know different colors of tulips have different meanings ? 

three bright red tulips laying on a white background

You can find the post here: Valentine, Please Put Your Tulips Next to Mine!

Dianthus or “pinks” are in the carnation family.

Old book with Dianthus and forget me nots

I briefly touched on their floral meaning in this post: How to Divide Dianthus (Carnations)

I hope you enjoyed this introduction into Tussie mussies and the Language of Flowers!

 

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The opinions here are all my own. It helps me to continue to bring to you DIY and projects on my blog.

Please see my disclosure page for more information.

 

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Filed Under: Blog Post, Flowers Tagged With: European dish garden, Herbs, Language of Flowers, Valentine's Day

Peace- Love -Joy
Valentine, Please Put Your Tulips Next to Mine

Comments

  1. Esme Slabbert says

    January 12, 2024 at 8:48 pm

    Very interesting. the first time I come across Tussie mussies, although I am familiar with the term nosegays.

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Trackbacks

  1. Valentine, Won't You Put Your Tulips Next to Mine? - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    January 21, 2022 at 10:01 am

    […] this post, Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers    I shared a brief introduction into the language of herbs and flowers.  Studying the meanings […]

    Reply
  2. How to Divide Dianthus (Carnations) - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    January 26, 2022 at 8:43 am

    […] In the Language of Flowers, Dianthus has several meanings.  Love, admiration, passion and affection are some of the meanings.  I share a very quick introduction into the language of flowers here:Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers […]

    Reply
  3. Mother's Day "Forget Me Not" Dough Bowl - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    May 7, 2022 at 8:37 am

    […] In the Language of Flowers, Dianthus has several meanings.  Love, admiration, passion and affection are some of the meanings.  I share a very quick introduction into the language of flowers here:Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers […]

    Reply
  4. Valentine, Please Put Your Tulips Next to Mine - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    November 18, 2023 at 4:33 pm

    […] this post, Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers    I shared a brief introduction into the language of herbs and flowers.  Studying […]

    Reply
  5. Celebrating A Mother's Devotion - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    April 3, 2025 at 7:00 am

    […] Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers […]

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Hello! Kimberly (Kim) Snyder and I'm glad you're here. An entrepreneurial spirit, I've owned a flower shop and antiques store, a pizza parlor and now we're in Florida living a new adventure. Join me as we downsize into our new digs and continue the adventures! WRITER & BLOGGER

Kimberly Snyder shares the adventures of moving to Florida and beginning again in a new space as a herbalist, a creative, and a serial entrepreneur

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