A quick trip to your local library will provide a list of plants and their meanings. There are several approaches you can take to making a tussie mussie. If you have herb and flower gardens with lots of choices of materials, you can create a tussie mussie with a number of traditional flowers and messages. But perhaps you have a shaded yard with ground covers and shrubs. These, too, can be used to create a wonderful tussie mussie that you complete with a quick trip to the grocery store or florist to pick up a few colorful flowers.
Some folks begin with a central flower such as a rose.
Surround the rose with green leaves such as rosemary or periwinkle. I finish up with whatever is left and surround it with leaves such as violet, scented geranium or ivy. You can also make a beautiful tussie mussie with only one of each flower mixed with boxwood or rosemary. Rarely will two tussie mussies be alike. The stem ends should be evenly cut.