Pocket Nature: Flower Finding

I loved the concept of this book, and the writing did not disappoint. Inspirational ideas, mindfulness suggestions, fun details included, all you could want in a pocket guide. Except actual photos to identify wildflowers.

I will not be using sketches to identify wildflowers, although they were beautiful and nicely drawn.

“I must have flowers, always, and always.” - Claude Monet

As someone who wants to learn more about the flower species around me and understand the best approach to growing my own cut flowers, this Pocket Nature was the perfect guide to help me with tips and tricks to appropriately identify flowers.

The guide was incredibly artful , intentional and I loved the light, anecdotal approach that helped apply real life identifiers to scientific information.

I also learned a TON of new wildflower species (the whimsical names were my favorite — sneezeweed and fairy hat?!) and I really enjoyed the illustrations.

This guide encompassed everything that I would want in an educational and informative book. The mindfulness practices were thoughtful, identifying specific destinations encouraged me to research them for potential trips, “what flowers can teach us” gave me a lot of pause for inspiration, and I now know what to look for this blooming season in the Northeast that I might not have been able to identify before.

PS: I would hang these illustrations on my wall, especially the one on the last page 😍

This is the first year I am attempting a cut flower garden with wildflowers and I already know this is going to be a fabulous resource!

This is a beautifully written, informational and whimsical guide to flower finding that any aspiring gardener or well versed gardener would love to have in their collection.

I really loved the illustrations in the pocket guide and how each flower had the name, appearance, location, habitat and blooming season. As someone who is truly trying to just start and locate wildflowers, this is a true gem.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

If you enjoy flowers and nature, you will enjoy this book. Even if you are new to learning about flowers and want to educate self more, this is also a good book. I really enjoyed looking at the pretty flowers and learning about flowers I didn't know much about previously.

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I received this DRC from NetGalley.

3.5 stars. There was some good general info about flowers/plants and words that you could use to describe them. Info about which ones are edible is included. Different regions of the US get their own page with a few specific flowers and places to see them. I think where it falls a bit short is in listing the specific flowers. The art is cute, but when you're talking about identification, there should be more accurate depictions for comparison- or at least something to make the size of the plants clear. I just think if you're taking a pocket guide with you to help identify flowers, it would be more helpful to have one that focuses on listing more flowers and their specifics. The other stuff, you should just read beforehand.

“The prairie thrummed with energy, thick with humming bees and trilling birds. The growing season had reached a crescendo, each plant and creature playing at full volume in the summer symphony.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher! This is a non-fiction book about how to identify flowers in the wild, written by a Master Naturalist. It had lots of great information, and as someone who collects books about gardening, flora identification, and field guides, I can say this book genuinely had lots of information that I did not already know and found really interesting.

A room for improvement would be the illustrations. Using color block style illustrations, rather than photographs or even a more detailed illustration in keeping with the book cover, isn’t very helpful in a book about memorizing plant identification. It makes it more of a cute gift book, rather than an actual pocket field guide.

Overall, it would be a cute book on a bookshelf for someone who loves collecting books about nature.

Pocket Nature: Flower Finding is an accessible and attractive pocket guide to finding and identifying wildflowers by Andrea Debbink. Due out 26th March 2024 from Chronicle Books, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a layman accessible and appealing book. It has a very retro vibe, with simple monochrome line drawn interior art (not as detailed as the cover art, which is gorgeous). It's a bit scattered and the information is not very formally organized. The author covers general botanical and simple ecological concepts like nomenclature, native vs. invasive species, identification tips, etc. There are several activity prompts scattered throughout which will help readers get outdoors, observe, and *learn* about the species in their areas.

Three and a half stars. It's *not*, strictly speaking, a field guide aimed at plant identification (although it does give some tips); it's mostly a general short guide to getting out in nature and finding and enjoying the wildflowers. There are also companion volumes in the series with the same format and graphic vibes on beekeeping, foraging, and more.

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

The book was a good introduction how to identify plants and how wildflowers influence culture and personal lives. The cultural aspect of this book is very interesting and I found the “how to enjoy your walk” section to be soothing. I was also interested in was the USA regional guide. A shallow dip but the entire book is a shallow dip. As such, anyone who already has been identifying wildflowers or plants will not find new information. I found the individual flower identification to be fairly useless as the colors were not accurate sometimes. Color isn’t the main tell tale sign of a plant but it does help to not have the wrong image in your mind. I wish the author had gone full culture or full identification because I think the information was too simple to be used in the field. In all, maybe this book is for people who have not tried to identify plants and want to have an introduction, but I would also give them a state plant identification guide as well as this book.

Beautiful pocket book! If you live flowers and want to get general knowledge about them outside of perfectly arranged bouquets and florist (flowers and their wild side) then you’d relent enjoy this book. The cover is striking and so joy-filled — I wish that feeling carried on my other the inner page illustrations.
The good thing about this book is that you get a bit of everything when it comes to wild flowers (how, when, where, and everything in between). The not so great thing is that you do get a bit of everything and it can feel a little trivial in the end.
Altogether a fun one sitting-read type of book, perfect for a coffee table and for gifting.

Honestly, I never considered being plant blind to all the different flowers and trees around me, they all just looked like background filler, I never felt the need to know specifics.
Now having two feral boys that love going outside for walks and running through the woods, ive taught myself all the bugs and lizards in the area, why not the flowers too?
It's shocking how much the mind will blur out things when you're not looking for them. Go outside and try identifying 10 plants, i couldn't and i live in the woods! But now I'm able to see the differences, what kinds are edible, and I'm learning more every time I go outside.
The book features cute drawings of flowers along with the common and scientific names, and a basic lesson in Latin to learn scientific names easier! It's very informative and helpful for beginners but I can see where even experts could find these cheat sheets helpful

Book provided by Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I liked this book, and felt like it was a good jumping off point for those who, (like me), don't know a ton about plants. I liked the included quotes, and the idea of looking for wildflowers as a meditative activity.

I also liked that it was specific about what regions what flowers are in, instead of just listing some that could grow anywhere.

I didn't love the colors of the illustrations, but that's a me thing.

This is a sweet and informative little book for those who don’t know much about wildflowers. It is illustrated with black, white and hot pink. Sections tell about Latin name meanings, a few species to look for in each region of the United States, basic ideas of what to do with flowers (mostly look at them and photograph them) and so on.

This is not an identification book and it’s also very brief. It’s a nice book to get you excited about looking for wildflowers but those who are already educated on the subject may find it lacking.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

This is an excellent, quick read for the flower-curious and the seasoned flower growers alike. Designed as a pocket-size guide for identifying and learning about wildflowers, its strengths lie in the "extras" like learning about adaptability from a dandelion and hope from a Snowdrop.

Another lovely little guide and how can I resist flowers? “I must have flowers, always, and always.” - Claude Monet... this little guide is pretty and just the right amount of information for all nature and flower lovers. While the illustrations are not prize-worthy, I do enjoy having them for reference as I read this book.

"A weed is but an unloved flower!" - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
This book kicks off with this quote and set the tone in just the right way. This is a vibrant, energetic little pocket book that fairly bursts with excitement about wildflowers, ALL wildflowers, here and there and all around us. (I do wish it had been titled "Wildflower Finding" - it would be a more accurate and therefore more compelling title, in my opinion.)

The book helpfully shows you how to identify flower shapes, petals, leaf shapes, leaf types, and more. It talks about when and where you might be most likely to find wildflowers. I especially love that the author lists roadsides as a good place to spot wildflowers. Often overlooked, this is indeed a humble location that is often blooming over (see what I did there?) with wildflowers that almost nobody ever notices or appreciates.

The only thing that kept this from being five stars was the decision to stylize all the flower illustrations in just two colors. While this certainly makes the book more visually coherent when you pick it up and flip through it idly at the bookstore, it also makes it much more difficult to use as an actual reference book. I do disagree with the previous reviewer who wanted photos instead of illustrations - I actually find that illustrations are often preferable for reference books, since the illustrator can focus on the elements that really help with identification. But to do them in just two or three colors is such a "form-over-function" decision in a book that is ostensibly for carrying with you and using in the real world, when seeing a wildflower, is such a misstep that it's hard for me to understand. If they had just used accurate coloring in the illustrations, this book would get a big 5 stars from me and I would be purchasing it for future use on my own walks and hikes.

Bonus points for including a short list of artists who have created particularly lovely renderings of wildflowers, so you can get inspired by their work if you decide to do your own art of the wildflowers you find (which the author highly encourages, as do I!). And even the names of a few poems about flowers, which I don't think I have ever seen in any reference book about flowers of any kind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.

Anyone who regularly walks in nature may come across wild flowers. They certainly can be enjoyed just as is in the moment. However, sometimes or some people may want to know more about what they are seeing. For those walkers and times, this book may be welcomed.

Sections include Meeting the Wildflowers; When, Where, and How to Find Wildflowers; What to Do with Wildflowers; and, What Flowers Can Teach Us. For identifying flowers, the book is divided into U.S. geographic regions which is helpful.

The author knows her wildflowers and shares a lot of information. The book has illustrations of the flowers but no photos and I am not sure if the colors are always correct; there are a lot of pinks here. For some, a color photo may be most helpful while for others this book could feel just right.

I loved the reminder to be an observer of nature. For me, that is especially true at this time of year.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chroicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

I loved this pocket nature book on Flower Finding. I adore flowers and the illustrations in this and information truly brought my love of flowers to life. I will be purchasing a physical copy for my adventures when it releases on March 26th 2024.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own.

Pocket Nature: Flower Finding is a wildflower lover’s type of book. There are drawings and information on many common and not so common wildflowers. Andrea Debbink also gives the readers ideas on what to do while exploring the wildflower world.

I’m sure experts know much of this information already but for a novice like myself this is an interesting valuable tool. I especially liked the sections on what flowers can teach us and what to do with flowers.

I always say I don't like to give non-fiction books a "star" rating, because it's deeper rooted. When anyone shares their own knowledge and experience, it automatically becomes special. How can someone put a low rating on that? Well, I am making an exception here - because this book was a FIVE STAR read. I learned so much.

As someone who is in their first season of growing wildflowers, it was so much fun to learn about native, nonnative, and invasive differences. These whimsical treasures will now be easier for myself and husband (who I forced to also read this) to identify and forge.

We are currently entering into a new "bloom season" - a term which this book taught me, and I couldn't be more excited. I will definitely be purchasing this book, so I can keep it as a close pocket guide as we continue on this wildflower journey of love.

This is a gem of a book with so much insight. It's written beautifully with information on finding wildflowers as well as facts and helpful guides and reflections. I would have liked to see actual photos of the wildflowers though. I appreciate the illustrations but for a pocket guide, a visual of the real thing is important.

A great book perfect for a begginer in non fiction. Filled with information about flowers that is easily understandable even for someone completely clueless - as I admittedly was- this is the perfect gift for any nature lover/ anyone who wishes to get more into the complex and wonderful world of flowers.

The illustrations of the book are extremely helpful to downright just beautiful at times, the way the Information is presented to the reader follows a logical order that he is sure to understand, and the writing style is easy to read and extremely conversational. It's clear that the author cares about what she wrote and this absolutely did come from the very heart.

An excellent book that I simply cannot recommend enough.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book. I really enjoyed this book. A welcome respite from winter, something to look forward to as spring begins to bring more and more flowers just popping up. I have always enjoyed walks in the woods and looking for native plants, and hope to be able to identify a few more thanks to this book.