Violets are February’s flower & their heart-shaped leaves are just as lovely as their deep purple blossoms. Violets symbolize everything from true love to modesty to spirituality & abundance. The wild variety (pictured in this piece) is often found in wooded, mossy areas and by streams. Middle Age-era monks called violets the “Herb of the Trinity” because of their three colors: purple, yellow & green. 

“Floriography”: the language of flowers

Thousands of years of folklore, mythology & religious tradition have contributed to the meanings we ascribe to flowers today. Floriography peaked in popularity during the Victorian era when, armed with floral dictionaries, gentlemen would send cryptic messages to ladies with specific nosegays or tussie mussies called “talking bouquets”. 

Still today we have a tradition of birth month flowers, the meanings of which are rooted in floriography. Similar to zodiac signs or birthstones, it is believed you inherit the characteristics of the flower assigned to your birth month.