I did believe I would find more facts rooted in the historical information & geographical origins of the plants themselves & less of the allegorical & anecdotal prose written, but there is still a lot of knowledge to be found throughout Alison Davies' Floral Folklore.

The beautiful artwork displayed on the cover continued throughout & complimented the descriptive stories of folklore associated with each plant.

The "rituals" listed for each plant are intriguing & geared toward spiritual growth more than the actual garden/plant growing & tending. This is not necessarily a downfall in anyway, just a different perspective.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than expected, & it would make a great gift for any herbalist or herbology enthusiast

Thanks to NetGalley, Alison Davies, & the publisher for this ARC read.

I first want to take a moment to think the publishing company as well as NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and exchange for my honest review.
This was such a delightful read! I never realized how much truly went into flowers and their background. I would definitely recommend reading this book around spring because it just really gives you that spring aesthetic vibe. The pictures in here are beautiful and I would spend so much time just tugging them because it brought me so much joy.

4 Stars
One Liner: Beautiful and informative

Ever wondered what stories the flowers have to share with us? This book has the answer. Floral Folklore is a collection of folktales about forty beautiful flowers in nature. The book is divided into four sections based on the major seasons –spring, summer, fall, and winter.
However, the book is not limited to stories. It also provides us practical tips to create mindful practices and rituals using the flowers. It helps align ourselves with the flowers, seasons, and nature. The foreword by Anna Porter and the introduction by the author are compact and set the tone about what to expect from the contents.
Each story has the flower’s name as the title, with the scientific name as the subtitle. We get a three-line description, the meaning of the flower, and the origin of the tale listed on the side. Then, we proceed to the story with a lovely illustration on the side. The color scheme is softer and a touch muted, which suits the book’s language. Though I prefer vibrant colors, I loved many illustrations in this one.
At the end of each story, there’s a short section about how to create a ritual to connect with and use the flower for spiritual work, manifestations, etc. The story is written in simple language and is easy to read. However, it is not something everyone will like. The tone is blandish and matter-of-fact.
The collection contains floral folktales from different countries, like Greece, Persia, Nepal, Israel, Scotland, China, Scandinavia, etc. Not surprisingly, quite a few stories are from Greek mythology (I know a couple of them), and some from Germany and all of Europe.
There’s a story from India (Hinduism), though not for the flower I expected. I’m familiar with the base story, though not its association with the flower (and a change in a part of the tale, which is bound to happen with so many retellings floating around). Either way, this flower now has a greater significance to me!
The book ends with a short summary and a few references for more information. There’s a short note of caution about allergies at the end, which I think should be at the beginning.

To summarize, Floral Folklore is a worthy read that should be consumed in smaller installments to enjoy each tale to the fullest. Grab this one even if you are not into rituals and practices.
Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing (Leaping Hare Press), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is such a cute and interesting way to learn about plants and their names. I love that each plant has a folklore backstop. This is something I will definitely come back to from time to time to retreads some of the stories. It's really cool too to break up each section to different seasons. I can see myself pulling this book out as Fall begins and re-reading about all the different Fall plants. I highly recommend this book to any fellow nature or plant lover!

I would like tо thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy оf this book. I was really intrigued into reading this book because оf its beautiful cover and captivating title. I am glad that I read it. It has been a very interesting read for me.

Floral Folklore іs a book that explores the myths and legends associated with more than 40 plants and flowers from around the world. The author, Alison Davies, іs a writer and teacher who specializes іn folklore, natural history, and spirituality. She has written several books оn these topics, such as The Language оf the Birds, The Little Book оf Spells, and The Little Book оf Celtic Wisdom.

The book іs a delight for anyone who loves plants, flowers, folklore, оr stories. The author does a great job оf weaving together facts and fiction, history and imagination, science and magic. She shows how plants and flowers have inspired and influenced human culture, beliefs, and practices for centuries. She also invites the reader tо connect with nature and its wisdom through simple rituals and meditations that can enhance one's well-being and awareness.

The book іs well-written, engaging, and informative. The author's style іs clear, concise, and captivating. The book іs also well-structured, with a logical and consistent format for each plant. The book іs easy tо read, either cover tо cover оr by picking a plant at random. The book іs suitable for a wide range оf readers, from children tо adults, from beginners tо experts, from casual tо avid.

The book іs a beautiful and fascinating tribute tо the power and wonder оf plants and flowers. It іs a book that celebrates nature and its stories, and encourages the reader tо appreciate and learn from them. It іs a book that I would highly recommend tо anyone who loves plants, flowers, folklore, оr stories. It іs a book that I enjoyed reading and will treasure for a long time.

#FloralFolklore #NetGalley

I would have loved to dive into this book. I can tell it’s gorgeous and very well planned out, but I only have it on my
Phone and it is definitely not a book for a small phone screen. I will look out for it when it’s published!

A beautiful book. I’m a lover of folklore and nature, spending a lot of time outside in the countryside. This book enables me to put these together, and adds another level of understanding in fantasy books I have read. I especially loved how flowers we often see as “weeds” or ones that grow naturally such as Cowslip and Buttercups are given as much love as the Rose and Tulips. I work in a parkland full of Rhododendrons and the resilience of this plant is reflected in its story.

Stunning illustrations, this would make a perfect gift for people who enjoy gardening but are fed up of all the usual gardening books. It will bring another layer of magic to their garden. With its seasonal nature it’s one they’ll pick up again and again throughout the year. I know I would.

Whilst I read this in ebook form, it will make a lovely physical book and I can’t wait to find it in a bookshop to see it in person.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book. All opinions are honest and my own.

Absolutely stunning book about different flowers, including descriptive details on their folklore and meanings. Each flower has a specific place in this book, all with beautiful illustrations that will leave you in awe. This book would be a perfect gift for a friend who adores folklore and flowers!

Floral Folklore is truly enchanting! This delightful book shares captivating stories and myths from various countries, offering a charming connection to nature through beautiful flowers. The illustrations, with their simplicity and appealing color schemes, seamlessly complement the tales. My favorite stories were Solomon Seal and lavender, contributing unique cultural perspectives to the book.

This collection spans tales from Nepal, Persia, Israel, Europe, and Greek mythology, creating a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and countries. The beautifully drawn artwork, full-page stories, and accompanying rituals make this book unique. The tales are short and delightful, while the breathtaking illustrations of the flowers add an extra layer of charm. I absolutely loved the artwork and recommend this book wholeheartedly. When it's published, I'll undoubtedly buy a copy for my bookshelf.

I extend my sincere thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. These thoughts genuinely reflect my experience with Floral Folklore.

This book is a collection of folklore stories linked to flowers. They are not listed alphabetically, but by season, and there are between 9 and 12 flowers by season.
For each flower, there's a beautiful illustration, the story behind the flower, and a ritual that you can follow if you're spiritual.

As someone who doesn't know much about flowers and loves mythology, it's a nice starting point to discover flowers in a different way than with a regular horticulture book.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The copy provided *for free by NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review* was a bit hard to read, since it was only a .pdf. Lots of enlarging to read the text. But it did give me a good sense of what the physical book was going to look like--truly I could envision it perfectly. The art is lovely, and I really enjoyed not only the folklore attached to each flower, but it's uses--metaphysical and medicinal--as well. This would be a great addition to any witchy library, or even just a nice coffee table read.

I really like the concept of this book. I studied horticulture formally, and the folklore stories sounded extremely interesting to me. I struggled to be excited about every flowers origin story, and some of that was due to the way the narrative began. There were several I really enjoyed. I made myself read everyone, but I would recommend skipping around and reading the ones that catch your interest.

If you are not someone that is into spiritual awakening tasks, then you can skip the last section of each flower. I felt like these were not consistent. It didn't bother me that they were there because I saw them as an optional assignment. I do think that they were not completely thought out, and some seemed odd and out of place just to have something there.

I did enjoy the artwork for each flower I just wish there had been a realistic photo, especially if the target audience might not recognize every flower immediately.

-Thank you to Leaping Hare Press and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review-

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

Loved learning about all the different flowers and love the title and cover of book,

When I requested this book, I didn’t realize that it wasn’t accessible via Kindle. I tried to read it through my phone’s NetGalley app, but since my phone is nearly a decade old and has a very small screen, I gave up, because the tiny print was making my headache even worse. It’s a shame, because I think that I would really like this book, if I could access it elsewhere.

Floral Folklore is a beautiful collection of short mythological stories and guided practices related to the colourful flowers seen throughout the year. Each flower has an illustration, description, a folk story from their native region, and a short ritual to bring the meaning of that flower into your life. Whether you believe the ritual holds supernatural significance or not, they are lovely ways to meditate and draw focus to positive aspects and feelings in your life.

I loved the diversity of folklore in this book. There were familiar (to me) Ancient Greek stories like that of Narcissus, and new ones to me from the Philippines, Nepal, and even my own country Britain.

I think this book would be a lovely addition to the library of someone interested in folklore, self care, or even as a coffee table book for the art. My favourite part of this book was the beautiful illustrations, though there is a lot of skill in telling old stories in a fresh and concise way.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It really brightened up some of the darkest days of the year.

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This made me fall in love with my craft even more. It has so many amazing background stories that i loved. Amazing source of info.

2.4 ⭐️
I have mixed emotions about this book. As a fan of plants and folklore, I loved the description and the idea of this book, but the delivery fell short for me.

The artwork throughout the book is a whimsical cartoon style, which helps deliver the folklore concept. It’s not my preferred style, but understandable for this type of book.

Each featured plant is 4 pages (1 page being an image) and tells the scientific and common name, a brief description, qualities that are often associated (like wisdom, peace, etc) the folklore origin country and story, and a suggested ritual to promote the plant’s qualities.

I thought this would have a bit more of an enchanting or educational element. I’m not sure who the intended audience is or what the main purpose is. I absolutely hated the storytelling style. I really struggled to stay focused.

Thank you to NetGalley, Leaping Hare Press, and Alison Davies for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love these kinds of books, I find them so aesthetically pleasing! Very nice and beautiful read. The cover is also stunning

Beautiful book based on the flowers that grow over four seasons and the folk tales that are attached to each flower
The illustrations are simple but whimsical.
The author shows us rituals to do with each flower that us (the reader) can practice as a way of connecting more with earth.

3.5 stars, rounding down

Flower language and folklore about flowers is a particular interest of mine. Based off the cover and description, I was expecting to completely adore this book. I still think it has a lot of potential, just with a different audience than I had anticipated.

The highlights: the art style is gorgeous. The alternating designed and plain page sets took some time to adjust to, but they work just fine. The author's capturing of each flower's particular folklore is well done and well worth reading. If this book were JUST the art and the folklore stories it would probably be much closer to a 5 for me.

The disappointments: Nothing in this book's description led me to expect activities after a recounting of a folk story. And by activity, they are phrased as 'rituals'. From the description I was expecting beautiful artwork (check), folklore (check), and a discussion of said folklore or origins (absent). I would have been thrilled to see gardening tips since this book is marketed to budding horticulturists. (Didn't expect that, but it would have been amazing.) It is very lovely as a source of flash fiction about flowers from all over the world.

Unfortunately, I am the sort of reader who finds unexpected 'self help'ish activities unpleasant, and they take quite a bit away from my enjoyment, especially since they seem to be unique and originated by the author? That said others may well appreciate them. I can easily imagine a green witch type going for it or those who enjoy trying different meditations.

Also, as someone who has heard too many horror stories about St. John's Wort, and the side effects of taking it or trying to stop taking it, I would personally never broadly advise its consumption, not just those taking anti-rejection drugs. St. John's Wort interacts with far more medicine than that. It can also cause serotonin syndrome - which can be DEADLY - if taken too much or with other anxiety/depression medicine, some pain medicines, and also some anti-migraine medications.

I'm not here to pick a fight with those who take herbal supplements and do their due diligence on what they put into their bodies, but as a 'Ritual to Boost Happiness and Inner Peace'? With such an underperforming warning?

It was, however, a little amusing that the ritual tells you to imagine being bathed in the warm glow of the sun with an herb that when consumed, raises your sensitivity to sunlight.

This is just a hot button issue for me, and I confess is the reason I am rounding down to 3 instead of up to 4. As silly as it perhaps is, it did concern me.

All that said, this book absolutely has an audience out there, and I hope it finds it. (And I wish them health and happiness.)

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group, Leaping Hare Press, and Net Galley for the e-arc.