What is a posy?

A posy, also known as nosegay or tussie-mussie, is a small bouquet of flowers. It is made up of flowers and foliage with smaller stem lengths.

Popular in Victorian times, posy bouquets were a means of conveying secret messages of love. The different types of flowers used in a posy, and their placement, had specific meanings. A posy of periwinkle and acacia sent a message of a budding friendship, while a bunch of forget-me-nots and goldenrod told someone who was moving away that they'd be missed. The woman receiving a posy conveying a man’s love could reply with a posy made up of candytuft and yellow carnations, which basically meant she was just not that into him! 

Full-sized bouquets require long-stemmed flowers. At our farm, we also raise shorter stemmed plants (8 to 12 inches) to use in our smaller posy bouquets. Raising a variety of shorter, more compact plants gives us so many options beyond the long-stemmed favorites! 

Some short-stemmed beauties:

Gerbera Daisy

Jazzy Zinnia

Veronica (Speedwell)