0 The Language Of Flowers

 I've been unplugged for five days and it was wonderful!  No computer, no television and sketchy cell phone coverage.

The reason?  A five day road trip to various locations in Northern California, stopping first for a girlfriend retreat at a remote farm called "Hunker Down."

Our hostess had bouquets of flowers everywhere--all hand gathered from her property.

This arrangement on top of the pot belly stove greeted us when we entered the house.

It says "welcome!"

In fact, all her bouquets said something to her guests! 

Every flower had a meaning, and our hostess even wrote them on her little bouquets, also known as "tussie-mussies."

 Our hostess had just read "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, hence all the floral touches.

 I learned that flowers were a secret way of communicating in the Victorian Era.

Also called floriography, the Victorians used flowers to send coded messages, expressing feelings in ways they couldn't do with words.  

 Who knew that grapevine means abundance.  Makes sense to me!

So I was off-the-grid, and unplugged, but I learned a new way to communicate!

With flowers!

I also was reminded how much fun girlfriend time is!

"Friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold." 

~Oliver Wendell Holmes