This article was written by Angela Mason Foster, Beaufort County Master Gardener Volunteer.
Long before Valentine’s Day cards, boxed chocolates, and florist coolers filled with red roses, people expressed affection—and practicality—through small bundles of plants carried close to the body. These early bouquets, known as nosegays, were not simply decorative. They were fragrant, symbolic, and deeply rooted in everyday life. Over time, the nosegay evolved from a tool of sanitation and protection into one of the most enduring symbols of love, courtship, and care.
In Eastern North Carolina, where gardens have long blended beauty with usefulness, this tradition feels especially familiar. Our landscapes—past and present—are rich with herbs and flowers that soothe, scent, and speak, even when words fall short.
What is a nosegay?
A nosegay is a small, hand-held bouquet designed to be carried or worn. The name comes from Middle English, roughly meaning an “ornament for the nose.” Unlike the large, decorative bouquets we associate with modern celebrations, nosegays were intimate in scale—meant to be held close, inhaled, and experienced personally.
Historically, nosegays often included herbs as well as flowers. Lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, and mint were common ingredients, chosen as much for their fragrance and perceived health benefits as for their appearance. In a time before modern sanitation, people believed disease traveled through foul air, and pleasant scents were thought to protect the body from illness. While we now understand disease differently, the instinct to surround oneself with clean, calming aromas was far from foolish.
Fragrance as comfort in an unsanitary world
For centuries, towns and cities were noisy, crowded, and—by modern standards—shockingly unsanitary. Open drains, livestock, smoke, and refuse filled the air. Carrying a nosegay was both practical and socially acceptable, offering a personal pocket of sweetness in an otherwise harsh environment.
Herbs played a central role. Many aromatic plants contain oils that repel insects or inhibit bacteria, and their sharp, clean scents were associated with vitality and order. A tidy nosegay suggested not only good taste, but good sense. It was a signal of care—for oneself and for others nearby.
In rural areas, including colonial North Carolina, the use of herbs in daily life persisted even longer. Kitchen gardens supplied plants for cooking, medicine, and fragrance, and it was natural to gather small bundles for the home or body. Rosemary sprigs tucked into clothing, lavender hung to dry, or mint carried in a pocket all served practical and emotional purposes.
From protection to expression: the romantic turn
As public sanitation improved and scientific understanding advanced, the nosegay’s role as a protective charm faded. But instead of disappearing, it transformed. By the late 18th and 19th centuries, small bouquets returned to fashion—this time as accessories of sentiment.
The Victorian era, in particular, embraced the idea that flowers could communicate feelings too delicate to state outright. This belief system, known as floriography or the “language of flowers,” assigned meanings to specific plants: rosemary for remembrance, thyme for courage, lavender for devotion, roses for love. Flower dictionaries circulated widely, allowing people to construct carefully coded messages through plant choices.
In a culture that valued emotional restraint, especially in public, flowers became a socially acceptable way to express affection, longing, apology, or hope. A nosegay could be offered, received, and interpreted without anyone having to risk blunt words.
Valentine’s Day and the flowering of romance
Valentine’s Day did not begin as a celebration of romantic love. February 14 originated as a Christian feast day honoring early martyrs named Valentine. The holiday’s romantic association developed gradually, shaped by medieval poetry and courtly customs.
In the late 1300s, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer famously linked Saint Valentine’s Day with the mating of birds—casting mid-February as a time of pairing, choice, and renewal. This poetic image took hold, and over the following centuries, Valentine’s Day evolved into an occasion for exchanging tokens of affection: notes, small gifts, sweets, and flowers.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, flowers were firmly embedded in Valentine traditions in Britain and the United States. Their symbolic richness, sensory appeal, and fleeting nature made them ideal messengers of romantic intent.
Why flowers—and why herbs still matter
Flowers endure as symbols of love for several reasons. They are sensory, engaging sight and smell at once. They are temporary, reminding us that beauty—and love—requires attention. And they are culturally versatile, capable of carrying meaning across generations.
Herbs, however, add another layer—one especially resonant in Eastern North Carolina. Herbs represent continuity and care. They are plants that ask to be used, touched, and tended. A bouquet that includes herbs suggests thoughtfulness and intimacy: I chose something that lives beyond the vase.
In this way, herb-infused nosegays bridge the old and the new. They echo historic practice while offering modern relevance, especially for gardeners who value plants that earn their place.
Roses, revisited
Roses dominate Valentine’s Day largely because of cultural momentum. Long associated with love through mythology and art, roses are visually dramatic and easily standardized for commercial sale. But historically, they were just one flower among many.
Earlier nosegays often relied more heavily on herbs and locally available blooms. In our region, camellias, violets, jonquils, and early narcissus once played starring roles in winter and early spring bouquets, paired with rosemary, boxwood, or bay laurel clipped from the yard.
A gardener’s Valentine: making a modern nosegay in Eastern NC
Creating a nosegay today is both simple and meaningful—and February is a perfect time to try.
Herbs that thrive in Eastern North Carolina and work beautifully in nosegays:
- Rosemary – evergreen, symbolic of remembrance and fidelity
- Thyme – low-growing, fragrant, associated with courage and affection
- Lavender– calming, long-lasting scent (best grown in well-drained sites)
- Mint – vigorous, fresh, and easy (best contained)
- Bay laurel– glossy leaves with historical and culinary significance
Seasonal additions:
- Camellia blooms or buds
- Paperwhite narcissus
- Early daffodils or jonquils
- Boxwoodor cedar greenery
Bundle stems loosely, keeping the bouquet small and comfortable to hold. Wrap with twine, ribbon, or a strip of fabric. Unlike a florist bouquet, a nosegay does not need perfection. Its power lies in intimacy and intention.
The nosegay’s quiet legacy
Every Valentine bouquet carries echoes of the nosegay tradition—of scent as comfort, of plants as messengers, of love expressed through living things. In gardens across Eastern North Carolina, herbs continue to link past and present, reminding us that affection has always been rooted in care, attention, and the land itself.
Perhaps that is why flowers endure as gifts of love. They are not abstract symbols. They are grown, gathered, and offered—much like love itself.
Suggested readings
- Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History
- Amy Stewart, Flower Confidential
- Leigh Eric Schmidt, Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays
- Colonial Williamsburg Foundation resources on historic herb gardens
If you have questions about your home garden or landscape, contact Gene Fox, Consumer Horticulture Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, at gene_fox@ncsu.edu or (252) 946-0111. Beaufort County Master Gardeners are also available through Greenline on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Be sure to follow the Beaufort County Master Gardeners on Facebook for additional gardening resources. Suggestions for future column topics are always welcome.
