Flowers That Mean Love & Memory

Flowers that represent love and memory may help you convey a specific meaning to someone special. Flowers have their own unique language, which was popularized during the Victorian era -- from 1837 to 1901. The language was used by people to impart hidden messages through floral gifts. Convey your own special message by learning which flowers to send to reveal what's in your heart.

Several different flowers convey messages of memory and memories to their recipients. Periwinkle and myrtle flowers send a message of sweet, pleasant memories. Pheasant's eye flowers are used to express sorrowful memories, while lilac simply means memory.

Zinnia flowers of all colors are given in memory of an absent friend., according to Iowa State University's Reiman Gardens. Summer-blooming zinnias are an easy-to-grown garden flower that reaches 20 to 90 centimeters in height, blooming with a double row of petals. The blossoms arrive in shades of pink, purple, red, white and orange. Plant zinnia after the last frost of the season, covering seeds lightly with a layer of soil. Small zinnias may be grown less than 6 inches apart. Place the flowers in an area of the garden offering morning sunlight and afternoon shade.

Because love is a powerful and many-faceted emotion, many flowers convey some aspect or type of love. Acacia, for instance, reveals a secret love, according to Texas A&M University Extension. If the recipient of acacia gives their lover ambrosia, they are sending a message that the love is returned. Baby's breath conveys everlasting love, while a bouquet of any withered flowers sends a sad message of love rejected. Daffodil sends a message of true and total romantic love, while daisies convey a sense of loyalty in love. Gloxinias mean love at first sight.

Chrysanthemum are popular, highly meaningful garden flowers when it comes to the language of flowers and love. Red mums simply say "I love you," while yellow mums send a message of slighted love. Plant mums in a sheltered garden area where they will not be exposed to dry, northern winds. Do not fertilize mum soil or prune the plant after July to avoid late-season growth that may harm the plant. Add 4 to 6 inches of mulch to the soil at the beginning of winter to protect mums from the cold. Plant the flowers in spring or fall in moist, well-draining soil, placing each plant 18 to 24 inches apart.

Only one flower conveys a message that incorporates love and memory in the same plant: the forget-me-not. The flower means true love and memories when given to another, according to Reiman Gardens. True forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) are wildflowers in parts of New Zealand, North America and Europe. The plants are small in size, with little blue flowers that blossom with yellow centers.

Grow forget-me-nots from seed or purchase potted plants in early spring from a garden store. The flower grows 6 to 8 inches tall, with blue, pink or white flowers. Plant seeds in early fall or spring, in a partially shaded garden bed. The flowers bloom during May and June and will thrive in almost all parts of the United States, with only the extreme north being too cold for the plants to grow.