*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*

If you're looking for a lot of information on a few flowers this is a great book. If you're looking for lots of illustrations to go with the text, as suggested by the cover, this isn't such a great book.

I did enjoy the level detail, it just wasn't what I expected coming into the book

The cover of this book is so beautiful and is what drew me to it. I didn’t know what to expect going into it and I think the book just isn’t really for me as I am more of a fiction lover, however I can appreciate it would be a wonderful book for flower lovers and I did love the artwork throughout. I plan on buying a physical copy for my mother in law as she absolutely loves flowers and I know this book will put a huge smile on her face. Thank you for the review copy.

If you have an interest in flowers, this book is an interesting opener, with beautiful content within.
I'm not totally familiar with flowers so it was nice to learn more and have a discussion with my mum an avid gardener and flower-fanatic about what I had been reading :)

This is a fascinating, well-written, personal anthology with many eclectic anecdotes and facts  about sixteen different flowers, four for each season in European latitudes. It is beautifully illustrated.
I am grateful to have received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley as a free ebook in exchange for this honest review. Having read it, I intend to buy the hard copy for myself. I shall also be buying copies as presents for my like-minded friends and relations.

Daffodils are like 'ruffled birds on their perches'; the carnation hugs its petals to its heart as it dies; and that Queen of Flowers, the rose, if the 'flower of martyrs and miracles'. This book about the history and legends of flowers is a delight to read. There are also many accounts of how flowers are featured in the classics, and other books and stories. Kasia Boddy's meticulous research and beautiful writing makes it easy reading and it was lovely to read it in the midst of such grim news.



It does focus on English and American flowers but sometimes tropical flowers are mentioned, such as lotus flowers in India and Africa, and almond flowers in Egypt



I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Exactly my sort of thing. I love plants and flowers and I find the symbolism and history of them in different cultures absolutely fascinating. If this also describes you then I highly recommend this delightful book.

I was very excited to read this book, since the cover is stunning, the introduction was intriguing and I am in love with all things floral.
To start with the positive parts. The design is stunning, if I went to the store and saw this book on the shelf with this blurb, I would be very much tempted to purchase it.
I was a big fan of the seasonal division and the writer taking the time to explain how seasonal differences come to define what blooms in different parts of the world. I also loved how it was highlighted that these seasonal differences might not be reflected in the commercially available flowers of each season.
A big positive was the flowers chosen by the writer, though I kind of wished for a wider selection.
The biggest problem of this book is a general chaos. All the interesting and capturing information/stories are there, but they don’t form a storyline. I felt that a lot of names, dates, stories were frown in after one another without any logical thought behind their order or why they were actually mentioned in the book. A lot of stories were rushed and only mentioned as if a side note making it hard to get me or make me stay interested in what I was reading.
I couldn’t decide for whom this book was written. The writing style and some specific sections in the book clearly indicated an adult reader, yet I couldn’t define if beginner florists, flower enthusiasts or people with more in-depth botanical knowledge were targeted.
I also struggled with understanding why certain - in my opinion unnecessary - images were chosen to be included in the book, whilst images of flowers mentioned were not.
I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a lighter read to be “naturally” entertained rather than expect to learn the fundamentals of botanics.

The subject matter of the book is something that I find fascinating. I studied botany at university, many years ago, and have had a lifelong fascination with plants, including cultural attitudes ever since. The book is a charming collection of anecdotes, literary references and etymology about a selection of common plants. The author has done her best to bring some structure into the narrative, but it remains more of a book for dipping into than reading cover to cover. The selection of what to include and what not is somewhat arbitrary. For instance there is quite a long section on roses, but the English War of the Roses doesn't get a mention. The literature is mostly English, some American (perhaps because of the US publisher) and with a smattering of Caribbean, and Continental references, plus a little other, like Japanese. Presumably this is what the authors happened to be familiar with, but that's probably as good a ground for a selection as any. There is a famous Dutch novel (by Jan Siebelink) (sort of) about violets, which could have gone in that chapter, but I can hardly blame her for not knowing that. The book has something of the scope of the monumental Flora Britanica by Richard Mabey (which I'm proud to have contributed a few sentences to myself), but less systematic and more anecdotal.
In summary, for readers like myself with a particular interest in the topic; an interesting read.
Disclosure: My copy of the book was a free pdf obtained in return for an honest review from NetGalley.

A bright and thoughtful read on the history, symbolism and use of flowers throughout the media we experience.

Blooming Flowers by Kasia Boddy is all about the history of different flowers and their representation in art and literature.

I have always loved flowers and this book gave me the chance to learn more about they're history. Definitely a must for any plant lover a shame i read it on my kindle and it was black and white.