If you don’t do your homework, that beautiful Mother’s Day
bouquet could tell your mom you think she’s an irritable, boastful
woman who drives you crazy.
If you don’t do your homework, that beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet could tell your mom you think she’s an irritable, boastful woman who drives you crazy.
Not that she’d take it personally, but with a little research, the symbolic meaning of your hand-picked token of love can be a little more, well, loving.
Red roses, among the most common in Mother’s Day arrangements, symbolize love, said Maggie Mendoza, manager and floral designer at the Flower Cottage of Morgan Hill. Pink roses, also popular for Mother’s Day, tell mom she has grace and beauty.
White roses signify purity of heart or innocence, while yellow roses communicate friendship, hope and joy, Mendoza said. Red and white roses paired in an arrangement convey unity, and orange or coral-colored roses signify desire.
Color coordinating roses isn’t the only way to get your message across, as different kinds of flowers have varied meanings as well. Calla lilies symbolize magnificent beauty, mums convey cheerfulness, daisies symbolize innocence, irises mean wisdom and gardenias mean loveliness, said Makiko Uchida, co-owner of the Zen Flower Garden in Gilroy.
Gladiolas mean someone drives you crazy – in what way is open to interpretation – and red carnations mean your heart longs for the recipient. Tulips are a declaration of love and beauty, while freesias and ferns communicate trust and winged love respectively, Mendoza said.
According to the National Gardening Association, the aptly named crabapple blossom means the recipient is easily bothered.
Hydrangeas symbolize excessive pride or boasting, a single daffodil signifies misfortune and yellow carnations communicate disdain, rejection or disappointment.
While some flowers’ meanings are widely accepted, such as red roses and love, the symbolism of others is more arbitrary. Mendoza said many of the meanings have evolved over time and likely originated with large-scale flower companies such as Teleflora or Fast Flower Delivery. The majority of customers don’t inquire about the meaning of their bouquets when customizing a design, she said, but some are curious.
“Every now and then, we’ll get a couple of guys in here who want to know what their flowers mean,” she said. “They’ll choose one, two or three different colors or flowers, then write in the card why they chose what they did.”
When creating a customized Mother’s Day bouquet, Mendoza suggested including lilies, alstromerias and carnations for color, snapdragons for height and small filler flowers such as baby’s breath to fill the empty spots.
If the bouquet has to wait a few days before it gets to mom, Mendoza recommended changing the water daily to prevent bacteria from building up. The flowers likely don’t need to be fed until they are delivered, she said.
Flowers represent almost 51 percent of what consumers plan to give as gifts this Mother’s Day, according to a 6,600-person survey conducted in early April by the National Retail Federation. Nearly three-fourths of consumers will buy a Mother’s Day card, and more than a quarter plan to give mom gift certificates to restaurants, shops or other services, according to the survey.
The average consumer plans to spend $104.63 on gifts, up from $98.64 last year and $97.37 in 2003. Those planning to buy electronic or computer-related items will spend the most at an average of $100.02 per purchase.
The average person buying jewelry will spend $79.31, and those giving mom the gift of relaxation, such as a visit to the spa, will spend $60.72, the survey said.
Total Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $11.43 billion, a 9.5 percent jump from last year’s $10.43 billion. Eighty-three percent of consumers plan to celebrate Mother’s Day, up from last year’s 81.8 percent.
