Episode Details

How can we use flowers to further connect with nature and with the world? My mom once photocopied an entire flower dictionary for me from the thick pages of The Language of Flowers. I loved that she did it, but then I never really used it because it was too dense and there were a lot of meanings nobody says out loud anymore. But then I’ve thought deeply about it. I've grown dahlias my whole life. I have four hibiscus in my front lawn now. What if those choices were saying something? So I sat down with Mary Kelava, a former florist and author of A Bouquet of Words, to finally learn the language of flowers as a gardener. Come learn with me!

In this episode, we learn:

• [01:27] Meet Mary Kelava!
• [02:12] How she became a florist and a flower language expert
• [03:41] Two types of flower books you’re bound to read!
• [06:08] My mom’s photocopied dictionary part of ‘The Language of Flowers’
• [07:41] Where does the language of flowers come from?
• [10:21] How did the Victorian era understand the language of flowers?
• [11:38] What the flowers you're drawn to might be telling you
• [12:46] Why color, personal memory, and fragrance matter as much as the meaning
• [15:03] Espoma Organic
• [16:54] Leslie Halleck's new book, Home Greenhouse Revival
• [18:30] Kate Middleton's wedding bouquet, Queen Elizabeth's funeral flowers, and a Lego hibiscus
• [20:16] Do flower colors carry meanings of their own, or is it just color psychology?
• [21:46] What zinnias mean, and how to handle flowers bred in every color
• [22:58] What the research for her book ‘A Bouquet of Words’ looked like
• [23:57] Do flower meanings hold up across cultures?
• [25:35] How to start learning the language of flowers easily
• [27:02] How to build a themed garden with meaning using easy-to-grow flowers
• [28:29] Planning a flower memorial garden for a pet
• [31:01] How to write notes that go with the bouquet
• [32:29] Bringing this to the florist (or to the $6.99 Trader Joe's flowers)
• [34:46] Bouquet recipes for housewarmings, Christmas, and new babies
• [36:26] What are some birth month and zodiac flowers?
• [37:02] Get well flowers, and giving hydrangea to someone who's persevered
• [37:50] Why Mary assigns a signature flower to her closest friends
• [38:34] What flowers to give someone in grief?
• [40:49] Where to find Mary and A Bouquet of Words!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• A Bouquet of Words by Mary Kelava
• Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Episode 339: How to Grow Sweet Peas, The World's Most Nostalgic Flower with Marryn Mathis

To grow flowers that have meaning to you,

check out the full show notes and blog for Mary's recommendations!

Follow Mary:

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