The Coupon Code's Guide To Mother's Day Flowers

Flowers: they're pretty, they smell good, and they make some of us sneeze. What else is there to know? Well as it turns out, quite a bit. Throughout history, different varieties, colors, and combinations of flowers have been encoded with specific meanings and messages, allowing suitors to profess their undying devotion right under the oblivious noses of watchful chaperones, or frenemies to shade each other without resorting to overt hostility. These days, most coded communication of this sort is accomplished through a mix of emojis and vaguebooking, but the secret language of flowers has not been entirely lost or forgotten. If you're planning on giving a bouquet this Mother's Day, make sure you're sending mom the right message (and avoiding anything wildly inappropriate) by studying this primer on flower slang first!

Are those daffodils? What did you do?!

To begin with, we made a chart of popular flowers and the secret meanings their color varieties have. If you want a bright pop in you're Mother's Day arrangement, may we suggest the yellow chrysanthemum (precious) over the yellow carnation (rejection, disdain, disappointment)? And if your heart is set on roses, perhaps go pink (grace, gratitude, youth, energy) over orange (desire, passion).

• Looking to get more specific with your floral message to mom? Sending petunias means you find her presence soothing, while zinnias mean you miss her and mourn her absence.
• Compliments always go over well, so include some purple crocuses to shout out mom's youthful energy, or a few blooms of purple iris to show respect for her wisdom.
• Maybe things have been a little rocky lately and you're looking to bury the hatchet? Daffodils can represent your desire for a new beginning, while purple hyacinths are a request to be forgiven.
• If you're holding a grudge against your mother but want to uphold protocol and still get her a gift, try this bouquet: peonies to communicate anger, some rhododendron to tell her she should beware, and a spritz of tansy, which can literally be taken to mean "I declare war on you". All together it would be the prettiest threat either of you has ever seen.
• Those who feel neglected and slighted but not openly hostile should find a nice arrangement of anemone, a flower whose message of "forsaken" is perfect for the masses of middle children out there.
• Heck, the secret language of flowers is so robust and detailed that it's possible to tell my mom "sorry that dad invested all that money in bitcoin, but I promise I wasn't the one who told him about it" with a bouquet of purple hyacinths (sorry), cardamine (paternal error), sunflowers (false riches), white clover (I promise), and daisies (innocence). But just because it can be done, it doesn't necessarily mean it should. Perhaps it's best to leave the flower arrangements to the experts.

Find Our Best Mother's Day Flower Deals From The Experts Here:

• 1-800-Flowers: 25% off Mother's Day flowers and gifts with promo code MDAYERLY (ends 5/10)
• ProFlowers: Groupon Exclusive - 60% off Mother's Day flowers and gifts (ends 5/11)
• FTD: Groupon Exclusive - Up to 62% off Mother's Day flowers and gifts (ends 5/11)
• The Bouqs: Save at The Bouqs 2018 Mother's Day Sale