I have spent the last few days diving into floriography, also known as the language of flowers. While the Victorians didnt invent the concept, the concept of communicating with flowers started to die out after that time period. These days you're lucky to even get flowers. The only thing that remained from this was the use of various color roses for different occasions, but every flower has a meaning.
Flowers could be used to communicate anything, and those weren't always nice things, either. You could communicate an absolute hatred for someone if you wished. The level of subtle pettiness far exceeds the Southern “bless your heart.” Imagine telling someone off with a pretty bouquet! Can you believe she sent me basil? The audacity! I shall return to her a bouquet of wild tansy.
I imagine petty bouquets were flying back and forth between dysfunctional family members. Were there flower fights, with petals floating in the air in the aftermath? The poor flowers, they are simply trying to reproduce and not be in the middle of your dispute…
In any case, I've been sketching out patterns for the flowers, with the intention of refining them, and taking notes as to which stitches I think would be best for each. I am planning on starting a series of samplers based on various themes. I may even offer the final templates in my shop with stitch notes - they will just be the templates and the stitches I used for each and color suggestions. I know, I have many things going on, possibly too many. At least I am never bored, right?