Weddings (as most of us recognise them) are a curiously British affair. The traditions, customs, etiquette and style we gloriously take for granted has much to owe to the romance and thinking of the Victorians. We are forever in Queen Victoria's debt when it comes to that synonymous gown: the White Wedding Dress, but her influence over all things nuptial ripples out in other areas too. Like flowers.
The secret language of flowers or floriography really came into its own in the Victorian era .
No posy or nosegay was just a posy or nosegay - no! Each carefully selected flower and its colour was imbued with a rich and captivating language of value and message. Each week we're going to explore the secret language of flowers, focusing on those flowers most often used in bouquets and wedding arrangements.
Alstroemeria: symbolic of strength, prosperity and friendship
Alstroemeria is one of those flowers that just doesn't get enough recognition for all its hard work but keeps on keeping on! It's just so versatile! You probably don't think you know this flower by its name, but you've almost certainly enjoyed its delicate shape in a bunch of flowers at sometime. Alstroemeria blooms during late spring or early summer and typically comes in orange, pink, rose, purple, red, yellow, white or salmon colors. In fact, it comes in thousands of colours; from the hottest, most tropical pinks and yellows to sublime cloudy whites and lilacs. Not all varieties of alstroemerias are striped - there are numerous varieties that range from full colour to pastel with a range of striping patterns alternating between the varieties.
Very commonly used in wedding arrangements, the alstroemeria is a delicate looking, scentless flower that really comes into its own when paired with other flowers. This is because it's so good at complimenting roses and lillies without overpowering or detracting from their lines. It doesn't take away from the main focus of the 'hero' flowers but surrounds them gently with streaks of complementary colour. Like this arrangement of pink roses and pink alstroemeria. It's a really fabulous flower for lifting other blooms up into focus. Alstroemeria can look prim and proper when paired with white or cream roses, it's petals can look neat and starched, or in the pastels, it can be used to fill out sweet peas and freesias. It's a super blender too, its fits in everywhere. Another great thing about the range of colours is its ability to harmonise. Mixing yellow sunflowers with white peonies? How about some white and yellow streaked alstroemeria in the mix to bring it all together? Here you have a flower ready to be formal, traditional, relaxed, boho or wild. It all depends what other flowers you team it with. Alstroemeria can look almost iris like, lily like or even orchid like - it all depends on which variety or cross breed it comes from.
On its own, alstroemeria is an elegant choice and can effectively be clustered alone or with wax flowers (pictured in this bride's bouquet). When striped, the small splashes of colour can add interest and depth in 'block' colour bouquets like this white option. It's very leafy and grows tall, like a grass, and for this reason the stem is often stripped of leaves in arrangements or else used for lush surrounding foliage.
