Fresh Picked

One of the most common gifts I give to people for birthdays or holidays are flowers. If you know their favorite bloom and you buy them a vase as well, it's really a sweet gift while not breaking the bank. I personally also love to buy myself flowers or cut some when the season is right, though their lives are fleeting, they bright a nice sense of life to the room. In the spirit of this I recently purchased a couple of books via Amazon on the language of flowers. I was most excited to receive this morning "Tussie-Mussies" which tells you the language of flowers, a history of flower lore and how to make a tussie-mussie. A "tussie-mussie" is a talking bouquet or word poesy; basically a circular nosegay whose fragrant herbs and flowers carry a message in the language of flowers--love, condolence, good luck, or other sentiments. Wouldn't it be beyond charming to receive a nosegay from a friend meaning condolences after a bad break-up?

If you did know the language of flowers, wouldn't that make a runway collection interesting? Designers could be sending a secret, powerful message down the catwalk. The blooming shapes on Christian Dior's Spring 2008 runway strike a powerful note.