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THE HEALING POWER OF FLOWERS

The Victorians developed an entire language of meanings for flowers. Some we still understand today, with the millions of red roses sold on Valentine’s Day symbolising true love, but there are many others that we’ve forgotten. Claire Bowen and Éva Németh suggest that we can add meaning and healing to our practice rooms through carefully chosen flowers. Here, they share two flowers for success…

FLOWERING plants have long been a means of communication, particularly secret communication, known as floriography. Pity the poor girl who received a bouquet containing striped carnations for refusal. Plants have been used as symbols for thousands of years.

The Language of Nicotiana

This pretty and delicate flower is a relative of the tobacco plant. Easy to admire for its star-shaped, tubular flowers alone, it was held sacred by some Native American tribes. They believed that smoking the nicotiana plant allowed them to communicate effectively with spirits, while others thought that throwing nicotiana into the water at the beginning of a water journey would appease the water spirit and ensure safe travels. So, nicotiana is an appropriate flower to give to someone embarking on a new journey or project to wish them luck for a successful venture.

FLOWERING PERIOD: June to September

CARE: Trim ends regularly and refresh water daily.

PRESENTATION: Nicotiana adds an ideal floaty element to both arrangements and bouquets, but it is fragile, so be careful when handling the stems and heads. Nicotiana can be toxic, particularly to dogs.

The Language of Sunflowers

The sunflower is perhaps the boldest and cheeriest of all the flowers with its big, open face and petals standing proud on a tall, thick stem. Traditionally yellow in colour, more recent varieties have included subtle brown colours and even shades of red.

According to Ancient Greek legend, a nymph named Clytie fell in love with the sun god Apollo. Although Clytie was beautiful, Apollo did not love or acknowledge her. After nine days of hopeless devotion, the nymph transformed herself into a sunflower and constantly turned towards the sun so she could see her beloved Apollo in his bright and beautiful chariot.

When planted in the ground, and absorbing as much sun as possible, the sunflower rises high above all other flowers, showing its lofty ambitions and desire to succeed. Some can grow as high as three metres tall, so it is no surprise that this flower is associated with ambition, good luck, lofty thoughts, opportunity, pride, strength and wealth. It is the perfect token to give to someone who is starting out on a new venture or taking exams – someone who likes the bold and beautiful!

FLOWERING PERIOD: July to September Care: Sunflowers last particularly well, providing you trim the ends regularly and refresh water daily.

PRESENTATION: It depends on which size and variety you use, but generally larger sunflowers look best bunched together in a large glass vase or similar.

iThe Healing Power of Flowers is published by Ebury Press and is available from online or can be ordered from your local book shop. It contains sections on flowers for joy, calm, love,

success, consolation and celebration as well as

foliage, and how to choose flowers sustainably.