What the flowers in your gift actually say

Victorians coded whole messages into bouquets. We're not that intense — but the old meanings are still useful shorthand when you want the flowers to say something specific.

The classics, translated

Some meanings are so embedded they've become universal: red roses for romance, white blooms for remembrance. But the interesting ones are a level deeper — the stems that say things roses can't.

Peonies carry 'good fortune and a happy life' — which is why they're wedding and new-baby royalty. Sunflowers mean loyalty and optimism. Delphiniums read as 'big-hearted'. Ranunculus — charm. Gardenias — a secret or unspoken love, if you're feeling dramatic.

Close-up of peonies, ranunculus and delphiniums on the workbench

left to right: good fortune, charm, big-hearted

Matching the stem to the message

Practical pairings from orders we build every week:

Say it with stems

Thank you — lisianthus (gratitude) or sweet peas (departure + thanks).
Congratulations — orange tones, marigolds, anything bright and forward.
New baby — peonies and soft pastels, traditionally gentle.
Sympathy — white and green, chrysanthemums, quiet lilies.
'I'm thinking of you' — freesias: trust and friendship.

The meaning is a layer, not the payload. A bouquet in their favourite colour says 'I know you' louder than any Victorian code.

Mia Callahan, lead florist

Bouquet built around a personal story — natives and soft garden blooms

When meaning beats tradition

Our favourite orders are the ones built on shared history: the flowers from a first date, the ones that were in her mum's garden, natives for someone homesick for the bush. Tell us the story and we'll find the stem for it.

That's the whole point of ordering custom instead of off a catalogue — the meaning can be personal rather than inherited.

Take-home