I honestly love books like these. I love the pictures, I love learning about plants, especially gorgeous flowers, and I love learning about meanings and the symbolism behind various plants and how to use them. This is a great book and I love the kindle version, but it would be a good physical book to own.

Absolutely gorgeous illustrations for each showcase the beauty of each individual flower and for the bouquets. Fascinating to learn the meaning of each flower as well as a typical bouquet based on a message you would like to convey. Anyone who loves flowers should really enjoy persusing this book
Highly recommended!

I absolutely LOVED this book. It has jumped to the top of my favorite books read in 2020 list. It is both gorgeous and really interesting. Not only are there beautiful illustrations of each flower, but also included are the meaning and origin of each flower and suggestions for other flowers to pair with them. It is well researched and really nicely done.

Hands down, my favorite part of this book is the addition of poisonous flowers. I am fascinated with poisonous flowers, so when I came across Belladonna, Foxglove, and Hemlock, I actually squealed with delight.

Although I was given an eARC from Netgalley to offer my honest review, I will definitely be buying my own hard copy for my bookshelf.

Floriography is a gorgeous reference book for many types of flowers. I enjoyed reading the "history" of each flower and learning more about each one. There are so many that this is an incredible resource. The illustrations are beautiful and there's so much meaning behind each flower. My favorite part of the book is learning about how to create floral arrangements for different occasions and the different pairings. I highly recommend this book!

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley. First of all the cover design is what pulled me in. The art in this book is absolute perfection- each picture is so detailed and beautifully coloured! It was a real treat to wander through the pages learning about each of these flowers’ origins and meanings. I loved that includes pairings with other flowers to convey messages to the recipient.
The icing on the cake were the gorgeous bouquets at the end of the book. I can already think of a dozen people I’d purchase this for as a gift.
Definitely check this one out!

As someone who owns many a ‘language of flowers’ book, I’m always curious as to what new editions can add or wether they can be put together in a way that makes them different. I was so excited when I saw Floriography was available to download and read the whole book in one sitting.

Each flower entry has a beautiful illustration by Jessica who I’ve followed on instagram for a while now, along with the flowers meaning, origin and flowers to pair with it to create meaning, for example;

BASIL
- Meaning: Hate
- Origin: Basils association with hate comes from the Greeks, who believed the plants unfolding leaves to resemble the Basilik’s opening jaws. The Greeks also associated hatred with the Basilik’s glare, because the legendary serpent could kill with just one glance.
- Pair with...: Lavender for betrayal. Oleander as a warning to someone you distrust.

What I really enjoyed about this edition and what made it stand out from others were the ‘origins’ sections detailing how each flower got its association, often involving mythology or fables, and at the very end of the book there’s a section on bouquets and what flowers to put together to create a meaningful bouquet which I’ve never seen in other ‘language of flower’ type books, for example;

“A bouquet for friendship; combine the following in a bouquet fastened with a teal chiffon ribbon.
- Zinnia for everlasting friendship
- Apple blossom for preference
- Pansy for a friend you think of often
- Eucalyptus for protection and to strengthen the bond of friendship, so that it may last throughout the years.”

This was such an enjoyable read as someone who has some previous knowledge of plants and flowers, but would also be the perfect gift for someone just getting into the subject or wanting to learn more in a aesthetically pleasing, fun and accessible format.

For anyone you wants to do a deep dive into Victorian flower language and symbolism, this is a great reference book. And the illustrations are beautiful! What makes this book different from other flower language books is that there is a section for each entry giving examples of combinations you can use that particular flower with along with certain other flowers to create more elaborate messages with your arrangements.

I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I love reading Victorian-era historical fiction. During that period, different flowers had different meanings, and most people knew the "language of flowers", or floriography. So it was interesting to take a glimpse at that language, in this beautifully illustrated guide. Each flower's profile includes the meaning, the origin and suggested pairings. The era of the flower language ended about the time of World War I, but this book was fun to browse through!

[ESP]
Floriography es un libro adorable y encantador.
91 flores y 10 arreglos más tarde, realmente mi conocimiento sobre la naturaleza se expandió un poco. Es más, el arte y la investigación detrás de Floriography es una de las cosas más preciosas y bellas que he leído.
Super recomendado.
Información que se incluye:
-Una página informativa de cada flor
-Su significado simbólico
-La mitología de la flor.
-Otras flores con las cuales crear otro significado.

*Muy pronto reseña en el blog.

[ENG]
Floriography is so lovely and adorable.
91 flowers and 10 bouquets after, I can say that my knowledge is better than before. What's more, the art and the investigation behind Floriography is one of the most beautiful and precious things I had ever read.
Information that is included:
-A page with information about each flower
-Their symbolic meaning
-The mythology of the flower
-Flowers to pair with an additional meaning.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve always been interested in the meaning behind flowers, and have spend time on the Internet digging through websites and trying to do research. This is a handy, illustrated guide for just that.

Each flower has the meaning, origins, and some pairings listed. I learned a lot in this book, like the fact that cowslip were named for the myth of Saint Peter losing his keys or the story of “The Wild Swans” and nettle. The bouquets section was a great detail as well, and I started thinking of when I might even give such elaborate bouquets to people.

I really love the illustrations. I’ve been interested in botanical illustration lately, so I have a soft spot for it, and Jessica Roux’s style was crisp and also vintage-y with the sepia toned backgrounds. That’s what really made the book for me. The illustrations have great details, bright colors, and lovely line work. Some of my favorites were the bluebell, the dandelion, and the foxglove.

I received a free copy through NetGalley for my honest review.

An absolutely gorgeous book that was everything I wanted it to be. As a woman and researcher in love with both pretty things and symbolism, Floriography is a beautifully illustrated catalogue of the language of flowers. Each flower comes with an illustrated, its meaning, its origins, and other flowers to pair it with to make certain statements. It is marvelously uncomplicated with a simple and straightforward layout and without all the extra fluff many reference books seem to have nowaday.

A perfect addition to anyone’s collection, Floriography is a reference many nonfiction could learn from.

Floriography is a beautifully illustrated guide to uses and meanings of flowers that date back to Victorian times. I recommend this book for public libraries as well as the perfect gift for anyone with a fondness for flowers and historical meaning.

I received a free ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Floriography is undoubtedly a beautiful book with amazing illustrations, great descriptions of the meanings of each flower, and a fun subject. It's definitely a book that would look great on a bookshelf and would be fun to pick up and peruse from time to time.

I wish the book had more than a two-page introduction on the history of the language of flowers and Victorian bouquets. It made me so curious and just didn't satisfy me.

That aside, it's still a great book. The illustrations are beautiful and each flower has a description of its meaning and suggested pairings with other flowers to create more nuanced meanings. I'd recommend this to any flower lover or lover of the Victorian era.

A gorgeously illustrated guidebook that informs readers the historical uses of flowers and how messages and meanings were conveyed through floral symbolism. Moreover, interesting information such as the flower’s meaning, origin, and Latin name are also included. Not only does this book cover a wide range of flowers and herbs, but this book also contains information on bouquets and their meanings (such as marriage, sympathy, friendship, amongst many others).

Overall, this is a charming book filled with information on a vast collection of flowers accompanied by beautiful illustrations. If you’re enticed by the cover, flowers, or merely curious, this book will surely not disappoint! I definitely recommend this book to lovers of flowers and plants. Not only is this a helpful and beautiful read, but it’ll also look elegant in the bookshelf or on the coffee table.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just beautiful! The entries to each flower are short, informative and poignant and accompanied by a wonderful illustration. A wonderful book to give as a gift to any flower lover or as an addition to a single flower.

Floriography by Jessica Roux
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

226 Pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Release Date: September 15, 2020

Crafts & Hobbies, Reference

The author discusses the meaning of specific plants and their colors during a time when it was not acceptable to voice emotions. The watercolor line drawings are beautifully done. The book is organized in a way that the reader learns about the flower (meaning, origin and pairs with) and then the drawing is on the following page. I could sit and look at this book all day. Of course, my favorite is the Belladonna. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys gardening or loves working with flowers.

Absolutely gorgeous. Jessica Roux's illustration style is a little vintage with rich colors and well done line work. It perfectly complements the subject-the language of flowers. The meanings are concise along with suggested pairings for specific gifts and the like.

This is without a doubt a gorgeously illustrated botanical encyclopedia! It starts off by giving you a quick and charming background on what Floriography is, and how it has become a lost language of sorts over the years. Each flower has an introductory page with the meaning, origin and suggestion on what other flowers to pair them with and why. They are then followed up with a beautiful hand drawn illustration of the flower. The author has also provided a Bouquet section that gives you guidance on creating a bouquet based on the meaning you are trying to convey.

My final thoughts: This is a stunning book that I cannot wait to place on my coffee table as a conversation piece! If you are interested in botany, a conversation piece, or looking for a unique gift, I highly recommend this book!
My overall rating: 5/5

Disclosure: I received an eARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Described as “a charming, gorgeously illustrated botanical encyclopedia,” this book would make a beautiful addition to anyone’s collection. After an introduction explaining the popularity of the language of flowers in Victorian England and the United States, this collection of information follows a comfortable and predictable rhythm. Readers learn the scientific names, the general meanings, the origins, and the various plant pairings that influence the meanings of flowers. Coupled with this information are beautiful depictions of each plant in question.

The gorgeous illustrations alone make this book a worthwhile read, but Roux’s explanations of each flower’s origins, with attention given to various cultural and geographic customs, add to the benefit of flipping through its pages. The most fascinating part of each flower’s dedicated pages, for me, was the focus given on flower pairings. It was amazing to see the nuances in meaning that occurred as a result of combining certain flowers in one bunch. One example is the bluebell (humility/forgiveness), which can indicate “forgiveness for social norms” or be a “gift for someone preparing for religious sacrament” depending on whether it has been paired with a peony or passionflower respectively.

What makes Roux’s book unique is her section regarding bouquets which follows the encyclopedia of flower meanings. This collection of suggested bouquets provides readers with the circumstances for creating such bouquets (birth, romance, mourning, etc.), suggested flowers (with their meanings), and illustrations of each. Of all the books on the secret language of flowers that I’ve read, this is one of the few that provides readers with a concrete way to incorporate this Victorian tradition into their modern lives. I look forward to the day that this book is released in hardcover so that I may add it to my own collection.

***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my review.

A beautifully illustrated and incredibly informative book!!
I have always found the Victorian flower language to be incredibly interesting, and this is such a perfect book to dig deeper into the different meanings of the (combinations of) flowers. Not only is this book written very accessibly, but the illustrations are so beautiful that I found myself staring at the pages without turning the pages!
A book that you can definitely read from start to finish (because it is so interesting), but also one to keep on hand for reference, should you ever need to send out a bouquet again!