The monthly meeting of the Cumberland Garden Club was held May 26 at the Cumberland Public Library.

Member Barbara Daniels presented a program on the “Language of Flowers.” She explained that flowers have been used over the ages to express affection or other emotions. Shakespeare used the language of flowers in his plays to demonstrate inner agendas of his characters.

Orange blossoms at a wedding were a symbol of fertility while other flowers in the bride’s bouquet represented love, fidelity and purity. The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the flower for each month while the Society of American Florists has a list of historic flower meanings.

Barbara then asked members to write a poem about their favorite flowers. Some members took their unfinished poems home and will bring them to the next meeting. Everyone will look forward to hearing each other’s flower poem.