what do flowers represent in Mrs.Dalloway?

Flowers primarily represent the joy and beauty of life, especially for Mrs. Dalloway. Flowers provide an extended metaphor for beauty and femininity. Consider Sally's rather rough handling as an attack on her beauty and her femininity.

Sally went out, picked hollyhocks, dahlias – all sorts of flowers that had never been seen together – cut their heads off, and made them swim on the top of water in bowls. The effect was extraordinary – coming in to dinner in the sunset. (Of course Aunt Helena thought it wicked to treat flowers like that.)