Day in the Life

Tussie Mussies

I do live and breathe being a real estate agent, but contrary to what some might believe, it is not a 24/7 endeavor. A day-in-my-life also includes all the various community organizations I participate in like the Gorham Garden Club that I serve as President. Our recent meeting was held at Treeworgy Farm in Gorham for a presentation/workshop on the preparation of Tussie Mussies with Horticulturist, Amy Witt. A “tussie” is a nosegay, a Middle English word for a small group of flowers held together in a little bouquet and that was held at nose level; “mussie” refers to the moss that was moistened and put around the stems of the flowers to keep them from wilting. Hence the name “tussie-mussie.”

In medieval times, foul odors were thought to carry diseases. Since the streets smelled of garbage and sewage, many women carried around small pomanders filled with bouquets of fragrant herbs and spices to offset the rank aromas. Remember these were times when bathing rituals were non-existent. By the 18th century, small vases, which could be pinned to clothing or held in the hand, so that one’s nostrils were never far from a fragrant bouquet of sweet-smelling posies, became popular. 

In the 19th century, these posy holders still had the practical use of protecting from unpleasant odors, but they were now romanticized by the Victorians as a popular fashion accessory for young ladies to hold flowers brought by courting gentlemen callers. These small bouquets of flowers, called tussie-mussies, were a popular gift. By the 1830s, using decorative holders to contain these small bouquets became an established fashion trend. Trend setter, Queen Victoria (1837-1901), was fond of carrying these little floral bouquets wherever she went. When the fashion of carrying hand bouquets in decorative holders caught the fancy of the wealthy and middle class, holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. 

Tussie-mussies also became important vehicles for floriography (language of flowers), one of the Victorians’ favorite preoccupations that was elevated to an art form. Different flowers had different meanings and these “talking bouquets” held secret messages that did not dare be said out loud in polite society. It was more like giving/receiving a living greeting card. Great care was taken to combine flower selections in such a way that their meanings were accurately expressed. Not only did a certain flower have significance, but colors also expressed intent or emotions. To add to the complexity of this practice, it also mattered what event or what time of day that the flowers were given. 

It was common practice at the beginning of a relationship for the gentleman to give the lady a tussie-mussie, and she had to be careful about how she wore the flowers on her dress: If she pinned it to the “cleavage of bosom,” that would be bad news for him, since that signified friendship; tussie-mussies held pointing downward were also a sign of rejection. But if a woman pinned it over her heart, her suitor could breathe a sigh of relief, as that was “an unambiguous declaration of love” or at least the green light for him to pursue away. 

Here is a sampling of flowers and their meanings: 

• Baby's Breath - gaiety, festivity 

• Carnation - fascination, unfading beauty 

  • Pink - gratitude, I'll never forget you 

  • Red - flashy 

• Coreopsis - always cheerful 

• Eucalyptus - protection 

• Grass - submission (Hmmm don't know about that one) 

• Mint - virtue 

• Rose - love, beauty, joy, friendship 

  • Red - I love you 

  • Yellow - friendship, forgive and forget 

• Zinnia - Thoughts of friends 

• Hypercium Berries - good luck 

• Forsythia - anticipation 

My favorite was parsley - never thought to use in a bouquet. It means - useful knowledge. 

I would love to receive a Tussie-Mussie from a suitor. What would it say? Where would I pin it? Better than receiving a text message with emojis.