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.

A very beautiful approach. I've read a few other books that covered the topic of the language of flowers but Jessica Roux's Florigraphy is my favorite thus far. The descriptions with illustrations takes it beyond a simple reference book and takes it into the realm of an art book.

This was a gorgeous collection of flowers and descriptions. All of the illustrations were absolutely breathtaking and I could look at them for hours. The descriptions of the flowers were unique and had new information that made it interesting to read. There were more flowers mentioned than I had expected and I loved learning about each one.

5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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!

This is a very pretty book of flowers and bouquets but the information is fairly basic. I would also like to see some photos, in addition to the drawings. However, overall a lovely book with solid information and the drawings are beyond beautiful!

Beautiful illustrations. Good and simple information about each flower. I wish the illustrations and the text were a bit more interwoven, i feel it would make me as reader more immerse on this flowery universe of secret meanings. As a "catalog", it's beautiful.

The final non-fiction read I finished was one of the most beautifully illustrated non-fiction read I've read for a while! Floriography is as the title suggests is a gorgeously illustrated read focusing on plants and flowers and their relationship to the Victorian expression of emotion. I adored the illustrations and learning about what emotions and meanings the victorians ascribed to various plants and flowers as well as the origins of the plant names, history, uses and which flowers to pair with each other. I also liked the bouquet suggests at the end of the book. Overall, I think I'll buy a copy of this book when it is released as it is so beautifully illustrated and interesting.

This book is just lovely.  If you are an artist, you will love the color illustrations.  If you are a history buff, you will find the descriptions of howeach plant has historically been used fascinating.  If you are a wedding planner, your clients would love to tap your new knowledge to build meaningful bouquets.  If you are a florist, you will find new meaning in arranging flowers.  If you are a gardener, you could plan a garden that inspires love, forgiveness, charm ... Just a lovely, lovely book.

Many books have been published on the Language of Flowers, but this one stands on its own. A gorgeous book with amazing illustrations. I have been following Ms. Roux on Instagram for quite a while due to her talent as regards illustrations. Love her gothic, vintage style and she has never let me down on her endeavors. I highly recommend this book for garden/flower lovers. You won't be disappointed.

Have you ever wondered at the hidden meaning behind an odd-looking bouquet? Or what flowers to give a friend without going all romantic? Ever wanted to tell someone to take a hike, but like, in a subtle, Victorian way? Floriography can answer all these burning questions and more! With an alphabetical catalogue of flowers, complete with illustrations and meanings behind each flower, you too can craft meaningful bouquets, thoughtful gifts, and dire warnings to your enemies!
I found this book to be surprisingly informative, beautiful to look at, and intriguing to imagine the importance of flower language in Victorian times. It truly seems to be a lost art, but with this book, one look at the right page can tell you exactly how to comfort a friend's broken heart! Or send a warning to a suspicious sort that you see through their schemes! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the history behind each flower's meaning, and how pairing two or three can send a message to the recipient. It made me want to plant a garden with some specific blooms (though I'll let you guess which ones) just so I could try some of the bouquets listed!
Floriography would be a welcome addition to any hedge witch, dabbler, or curious reader's bookshelf. There's a whimsical feeling to the book, with hand-drawn illustrations, muted colors, and tempting tidbits of knowledge interspersed throughout the pages. It also has a great index at the end for quick reference, if you're in a bit of a rush. My biggest critique would be that I wouldn't mind brighter colors and a bit more detail on the illustrated pages, especially for some of the flashier flowers. I found myself googling ones that I didn't recognize at first glance, so if you're looking for a flower guidebook, this won't be the one for you. All in all, I was delighted to learn so much about some of my favorite flowers, and can't wait to tell my friend that she's named after a flower symbolizing eternal love!

What a beautiful and gorgeous guide to flowers. Not only does this collection have colourful illustrations but also shows the meanings of each flower and how to assemble different bouquets to explore the different significant codes that change the language of flowers. A great addition to any bookcase.

ARC through NetGalley.

The descriptions containing the origin and meaning of each flower were interesting, and the illustrations beautiful. (Though I do wish some of the colors were more vibrant and saturated instead of sepia, but that’s more my own personal taste.)

The true beauty of this book, however, is its simplicity. It doesn’t try to cram in as many thousands of filler-y tidbits as humanly possible, which I appreciated, and even its index is elegantly straightforward.

(The index lists flowers usefully grouped by Meaning, under subheadings like “Friendship” or “Warning and Displeasure.”)

It’s a perfect gift for a loved one who enjoys flowers, and beautiful on a coffee table for guests to peruse.

“The elegance and beauty of flowers have not dwindled—only our knowledge of their coded meanings.”

An enjoyable and concise way to learn about flower's symbolism and origins. It was fascinating not only to learn about the individual flowers but also why they were given so much meaning in the Victorian era too. The entire book was organized beautifully and I really appreciated the detailed index as well!

Such a beautiful book. I loved all the quirky facts and the illustrations. I wish that I could put these pictures on my wall

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately I do not have a capable program to read it in. Thank you.

I don't usually choose books other than novels, but the Floriography cover was beautiful and I couldn't resist. Each page shows you the common name of the flower, its scientific name, its meaning along with its origin and what other flowers you should pair it with according to what you want to convey. All this accompanied by a beautiful illustration of each flower and in an impeccable edition. It is perfect for flower lovers.