There’s something magical about midsummer blooms—including the heady scent of honeysuckle on the breeze, the sudden burst of color in a wildflower field, or the quiet message tucked into a bridal bouquet. As a novelist (and a not-so-secret lover of flower symbolism), I’ve always been drawn to the way florals carry hidden weight in stories, especially in romance, where every detail matters.
In my Kingsmill Courtships Series, Ivy Mosby, one of my favorite heroines who stars in A Bonfire Night to Remember, is a florist who uses flowers to speak when words fail. Whether she’s planning a wedding or helping a heartbroken client, Ivy knows the power of petals. And Midsummer is the perfect time to explore how blooms can deepen emotional arcs, build character, and foreshadow change.
Midsummer Florals in Romantic Fiction
1. Roses – Love, Secrets & Layers
No flower is more iconic or misunderstood than the rose. Red roses shout love, yes, but white whispers remembrance, pink offers grace, and yellow sometimes speaks of jealousy or lost friendship.
How to use in fiction: Give a heroine a rose garden where each bloom represents a lost relationship or let a bouquet of mixed roses hint at a character’s conflicted heart.
My favorite example in fiction: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
The roses in Penelope’s garden reflect decades of love, regret, and family ties. A classic multigenerational tale where florals feel like characters in their own right.
2. Sunflowers – Loyalty & Longing
Sunflowers are bold and bright, but their meaning goes deeper and they symbolize unwavering loyalty and hope, always turning toward the light even on the darkest days.
How to use in fiction: Let a field of sunflowers mark a turning point or healing scene—perfect for an emotionally reserved character finally opening up.
My favorite example in fiction: Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
Set during the Civil War, this story follows three strong women whose lives intersect in surprising ways. Sunflowers appear as a reminder of brightness in the darkest times, standing tall and turning toward hope even amid war and hardship.
3. Peonies – Romance, Wealth & Hidden Depths
Peonies are lush and romantic, often used in weddings, but in Victorian floriography they also suggest bashfulness or even shame. Beauty hiding vulnerability.
How to use in fiction: A wedding bouquet with peonies could reflect a character hiding something—or hint at the “second chances” theme of a romance.
My favorite example in fiction: Peony in Love by Lisa See
This story follows a young woman in 17th-century China who becomes obsessed with a famous opera and the idea of tragic love. Peonies bloom not just in the gardens of her family estate, but in her imagination, marking moments of desire, heartbreak, and transformation.
4. Chamomile – Resilience & Rest
Often overlooked in favor of flashier flowers, chamomile represents calm, patience, and healing—a gentle strength. It thrives in rough conditions.
How to use in fiction: Have a character brew chamomile tea before a hard conversation, or keep a patch of it growing outside a war hero’s window.
My favorite example in fiction: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. In this dual-timeline novel about a secret apothecary serving women in 18th-century London—and a modern-day historian who uncovers its mysteries—chamomile appears as a calming, healing herb, symbolizing peace, comfort, and quiet rebellion.
5. Lavender – Memory & Clarity
Lavender doesn’t just smell amazing, it also symbolizes devotion, peace, and even cleansing of past wounds.
How to use in fiction: Use lavender to mark the beginning of healing, maybe in a new home, along a wedding aisle, or a scent tied to someone lost.
My favorite example in fiction: The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
This book is full of grief, growth, and gardens… lavender included. It’s a tribute to how life keeps blooming even after heartbreak.
6. Lily – Renewal, Purity, and Silent Strength
The lily has long symbolized purity, rebirth, and the quiet resilience of the human heart. It often appears in stories of grief and healing, representing a fresh start after loss.
My favorite example in fiction: The Christmas Lily by Sharon Wray. A prequel to my Deadly Force romantic suspense series, a mysterious lily mirrors the heroine’s emotional journey as she returns home for the holidays, carrying regrets and the hope of a second chance. The presence of lilies—delicate yet enduring—underscores the story’s deeper themes of forgiveness and the kind of strength that quietly grows even in the coldest seasons.
💐 Write Your Own Language of Flowers
Flowers don’t have to be the central theme of your story to matter. A single bloom can say more than a monologue. Think about your characters—what flower suits their personality? What bouquet would symbolize their growth?
