It was the Persians (Iranians) who initiated the idea of communicating through flowers.
The custom was introduced to Europe courtesy of Sweden’s King Charles XII (1682-1718), who lived as an exile in Turkey in the early eighteenth century.
In Persia every flower had a meaning.
This notion captured the hearts of Europeans, who began carrying out complete conversations by exchanging different kinds of flowers.
In the language of flowers, roses are said to communicate love and passion, so a dozen is like shouting out loud.
As important as roses are to Valentine’s Day, the real flower of the day ought to be a violet.
Legend says that violets grew outside the window area of the prison cell occupied by St. Valentine prior to his martyrdom in 269 AD.
It was said that he crushed up the petals of the violets to make ink for writing letters.
