Tussie-Mussies: The Language of Flowers

Tussie-Mussies reacquaints readers with the complex and delightful language of flowers, and the art of making them speak through Victorian "talking bouquets" called tussie-mussies. Now Tussie-Mussies is available in a stunning paperback edition.

A celebration of craft, lore, and language, Tussie-Mussies is a full-color guide to tussie-mussies, how to make them, and how the symbolic meanings of flowers and herbs have developed over the centuries. Roses that are red mean only one thing-Love-while a yellow rose may range from Friendship to Jealousy. Daisies are for Innocence, ivy for Fidelity, rosemary for Remembrance. Then comes the delightful task of arranging individual flowers and herbs together to compose a specific message to a friend or loved one. A floral poet, Geraldine Laufer shows how to make 60 bouquets-tussie-mussies to declare Ardent Love, say Happy Birthday, celebrate a Newborn, mark an Anniversary, honor a Mentor, admit an Infatuation, or even announce a Bitter Rivalry. Indeed, any sentiment can be crafted with a few blooms, woolen yarn, and scissors.

• Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees (Dover Pictorial Archive)
• Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers
• The Language and Sentiment of Flowers
• A Victorian Flower Dictionary: The Language of Flowers Companion
• The Secret Language of Flowers
• Flora's Dictionary : The Victorian Language of Herbs and Flowers
• Language of Flowers (From Stencils and Notepaper to Flowers and Napkin Folding)
• The Language of Flowers: Penhaligon's Scented Treasury of Verse and Prose
• Secret Meanings of Flowers: Including Trees, Shrubs, Vines and Herbs