Online Talk · Death's Bouquet: The Language of Flowers in Cemeteries, with Writer & Cemetery Guide, Allison C. Meier
7pm ET (NYC time)
Monday, October 20, 2025
PLEASE NOTE: A link to a recording of this talk will be sent out to ticket holders after its conclusion. It will also be archived for our Patreon members. Become a Member HERE.
Ticketholders: A Zoom invite is sent out two hours before the event to the email used at checkout. Please check your spam folder and if not received, email hello@morbidanayomy.org. A temporary streaming link will be emailed after the event concludes.
Flowers fill our cemeteries, appearing not only in funeral arrangements but also carved into the stones themselves. Broken roses, eloquent lilies, charming daisies, and elaborate passion flowers are more than decoration—they hold layers of hidden symbolism. The Victorian language of flowers, or floriography, linked every bloom to a specific meaning and found its way into 19th-century cemeteries, where flora cut in marble and granite was carefully chosen to convey something about the deceased.
In this illustrated talk, these lost meanings will be revealed. We’ll look at historic “language of flowers” books and explore the deeper connection between flowers and death, including how this symbolism was expressed in objects of mourning. This knowledge will add a new dimension to your next graveyard wander—whether noticing the delicate pansies representing thoughts of the departed, or lavish roses for undying love.
Allison C. Meier is a writer, editor, and researcher on art, culture, and history. She is the author of 'Grave' (2023, Bloomsbury) and regularly leads tours at Green-Wood Cemetery, including on symbolism and nature.
7pm ET (NYC time)
Monday, October 20, 2025
PLEASE NOTE: A link to a recording of this talk will be sent out to ticket holders after its conclusion. It will also be archived for our Patreon members. Become a Member HERE.
Ticketholders: A Zoom invite is sent out two hours before the event to the email used at checkout. Please check your spam folder and if not received, email hello@morbidanayomy.org. A temporary streaming link will be emailed after the event concludes.
Flowers fill our cemeteries, appearing not only in funeral arrangements but also carved into the stones themselves. Broken roses, eloquent lilies, charming daisies, and elaborate passion flowers are more than decoration—they hold layers of hidden symbolism. The Victorian language of flowers, or floriography, linked every bloom to a specific meaning and found its way into 19th-century cemeteries, where flora cut in marble and granite was carefully chosen to convey something about the deceased.
In this illustrated talk, these lost meanings will be revealed. We’ll look at historic “language of flowers” books and explore the deeper connection between flowers and death, including how this symbolism was expressed in objects of mourning. This knowledge will add a new dimension to your next graveyard wander—whether noticing the delicate pansies representing thoughts of the departed, or lavish roses for undying love.
Allison C. Meier is a writer, editor, and researcher on art, culture, and history. She is the author of 'Grave' (2023, Bloomsbury) and regularly leads tours at Green-Wood Cemetery, including on symbolism and nature.
7pm ET (NYC time)
Monday, October 20, 2025
PLEASE NOTE: A link to a recording of this talk will be sent out to ticket holders after its conclusion. It will also be archived for our Patreon members. Become a Member HERE.
Ticketholders: A Zoom invite is sent out two hours before the event to the email used at checkout. Please check your spam folder and if not received, email hello@morbidanayomy.org. A temporary streaming link will be emailed after the event concludes.
Flowers fill our cemeteries, appearing not only in funeral arrangements but also carved into the stones themselves. Broken roses, eloquent lilies, charming daisies, and elaborate passion flowers are more than decoration—they hold layers of hidden symbolism. The Victorian language of flowers, or floriography, linked every bloom to a specific meaning and found its way into 19th-century cemeteries, where flora cut in marble and granite was carefully chosen to convey something about the deceased.
In this illustrated talk, these lost meanings will be revealed. We’ll look at historic “language of flowers” books and explore the deeper connection between flowers and death, including how this symbolism was expressed in objects of mourning. This knowledge will add a new dimension to your next graveyard wander—whether noticing the delicate pansies representing thoughts of the departed, or lavish roses for undying love.
Allison C. Meier is a writer, editor, and researcher on art, culture, and history. She is the author of 'Grave' (2023, Bloomsbury) and regularly leads tours at Green-Wood Cemetery, including on symbolism and nature.