It may surprise you to know that, just like birthstones, and zodiac signs, there are flowers that are associated with individual months of the year. Some months even have more than one flower attributed to it.
For many centuries there have been meanings associated with flowers. A gift of certain flowers carried extra meaning that didn’t need to be put into words. If you want to read more about this, take a look at our post here.
It can be a new and original idea to present someone you care about with a gift that incorporates the birth flower of the month in which they were born – it often turns out to be a delightful surprise.
April’s Birth Flowers
The Daisy and the Sweet Pea
The pretty little daisy is the birth flower for the month for April, along with the fragrant Sweet Pea.
The Secret Language of a Daisy
According to the language of flowers, the daisy signifies sweetness, cheerfulness, innocence and youth.
Childlike Innocence
Young children, in their wonderful innocence and sense of fun, would love to make daisy chains and wear them as necklaces, bracelets or even crowns. Perhaps it is not surprising that much-loved jewellery designs feature a row of silver daisy flowers with a gold centre.
Young ladies who were hopeful of true love would remove petals from a daisy, one by one, saying, “He loves me … he loves me not” as each petal was removed, hoping that the last petal signified he really must love her.
Daisies Bring Cheer and Solace
An old Celtic legend has it that, whenever a young child died, God would sprinkle daisies on the grass above where the child was buried, to bring solace and cheer to the grief-stricken parents.
The ‘Day’s Eye’
The name “Daisy” is said to stem from ‘Day’s Eye’, where it was noted that at sundown this pretty little flower curled its petals closed and, as the day broke each morning so its little petals unfurled showing the bright yellow ‘eye’ in the centre of the flower.
Chaucer called the flower “the eye of the day”.
Bellis Perennis
Bellis Perennis is the Latin name for daisy. Bellisimo is Italian for beautiful and “perennis” is Latin for perennial meaning ‘everlasting’ or existing for a long time.
Some believe that there was a Roman tale of Vertumnus, the god of gardens, who fell in love with Belides, a nymph. He was so taken with her that he pursued her and, to escape his affections she turned herself into a daisy. Hence the name Bellis .
William Morris, the famous craftsman and artist of the Morris and Co wallpaper, made the daisy the subject of his first flower wallpaper and was popular for over 50 years, often adorning the walls of maids’ and young girls’ rooms.
The Symbolism of the Sweet Pea Flower
The Latin name for Sweet Pea is Lathyrus odoratus – meaning ‘pea’ or pulse and ‘fragrant’.
In the language of flowers, the Sweet Pea signifies friendship, goodbyes, blissful pleasure and in France it is traditional to give Sweet Pea’s at weddings as it is said to be good luck for the bride.
During Victorian times the Sweet Pea was often on show at celebrations and other events, both because of it’s wonderful fragrance and because it symbolised pleasurable times.
Because it symbolises happy goodbyes and good memories, and is a lovely way of saying “thank you for a lovely time”. was often planted to remember a loved one and
