During the Renaissance, Flemish and German paintings portrayed the Virgin Mary in gardens, known as ‘Hortus Conclusus’ or "enclosed garden", also known as the "Mary Garden". These gardens were used for meditation and prayer and included a fountain, typically located in the garden's center, trellises and raised beds of scented flowers and herbs including Lilies (Fleur de lis), Irises, Marigolds, Daisies, Foxgloves, Cowslip, Peony, and Snowdrops. The flower symbolism in the gardens depicted Mary's virtues and significant events in her life. Some churches began creating actual gardens devoted to Mother Mary for worshipers to visit for meditation and prayer. These gardens had both symbolic and spiritual dimensions and would include flowers based on the flower symbolism associated with Mother Mary. 

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In Persia and Turkey, flowers were associated with words to convey a variety of messages. During the Victorian age, an elaborate language based on flower symbolism was developed and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of England's ambassador to Turkey, is recognized with bringing the language of flowers or "floriography" to England. In 1819, "Le Language des Fleurs", written by Charlotte de la Tour, was the first book to compile the symbolism of flowers into a single source. Another familiar book, "The Language of Flowers," published in 1884 and illustrated by Kate Greenaway, continues to be reprinted to this day.