Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers

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

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

Scented Geraniums

Lavender

Rosemary

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!

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 ? 

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

Dianthus or “pinks” are in the carnation family.

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!