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    Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers
    Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers
    Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers
    Ebook222 pages52 minutes

    Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers

    By Jessica Roux

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    A charming, gorgeously illustrated botanical encyclopedia for your favorite romantic, local witch, bride-to-be, or green-thumbed friend.
    Floriography is a full-color guide to the historical uses and secret meanings behind an impressive array of flowers and herbs. The book explores the coded significances associated with various blooms, from flowers for a lover to flowers for an enemy.

    The language of flowers was historically used as a means of secret communication. It soared in popularity during the 19th century, especially in Victorian England and the U.S., when proper etiquette discouraged open displays of emotion. Mysterious and playful, the language of flowers has roots in everything from the characteristics of the plant to its presence in folklore and history. Researched and illustrated by popular artist Jessica Roux, this book makes a stunning display piece, conversation-starter, or thoughtful gift.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAndrews McMeel Publishing
    Release dateSep 15, 2020
    ISBN9781524866341
    Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers

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    Reviews for Floriography

    4.5/5

    57 ratings4 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Definitely learnt a lot about flowers histories. My favourites are Carnation, Tulip and Violet

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. This book is magic! I love all things Victorian, and this book is swoon-worthy. Because behaviors during the Victorian Era were widely scrutinized, any open display of emotions was limited and discouraged. So flowers were used as a secret form of communication, so romantic! This book is a beautifully illustrated botanical encyclopedia that flower lovers will cherish. In this full-color collection of florals, each beautifully illustrated flower or herb includes its meaning, origin, and complimentary flowers to pair along with the meaning of the pairings. A section dedicated to bouquets is also included. The bouquets are gorgeous illustrations and the details of which flowers are included and the meaning of the bouquet. While many flowers and bouquets communicated feelings of love and friendship, not all were intended to share positive emotions. There are florals and bouquets for warnings, bitter ends, and apologies. Floriography would be a beautiful gift for the flower lover and the romantic in your life. It would make a lovely coffee table book
    • 5/5
      I love books--especially beautiful books!! This book is a little treasure for flower enthusiasts. Not only is the language of flowers fascinating, but the illustrations added a vintage feel that was fitting for a Victorian-era theme.I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers by Jessica Roux is a stunning collection of artwork and explanations of how these flowers were used to express feelings.I absolutely loved the illustrations, full page and beautifully rendered. The muted colors add to the appeal in two ways for me. First, it just seems more in keeping with the Victorian theme of the book. Second, I think it allows a lot of the detail to come out, we aren't assaulted by bright colors that distract from nuance and subtlety. The entries include the basic meaning, why they have that meaning (anything from folklore to how the flower looks or grows), and what to pair it with to tweak the meaning to suit specific situations. The bouquets section highlights some of the more popular combinations of more than two flowers and explains why each is part of the bouquet.I came mainly because I vaguely remembered something from coursework years ago about flowers and meaning. I wanted to learn more about that. I found that the brief entries served that purpose wonderfully. Enough information to understand but not so much that it ended up going off on tangents. The artwork, however, is what really made the book for me. I think I have mentioned and shown this to most of my friends and they have all been equally impressed with the book.I highly recommend this for both the information (presented by flower alphabetically) and the art. I looked up the author/illustrator online and she does a lot of amazing work, take a look if you have the chance.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    Floriography - Jessica Roux

    Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers copyright © 2020 by Jessica Roux. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

    Andrews McMeel Publishing

    a division of Andrews McMeel Universal

    1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

    www.andrewsmcmeel.com

    ISBN: 978-1-5248-6634-1

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2020934359

    Editor: Melissa Rhodes Zahorsky

    Art Director/Designer: Spencer Williams

    Production Editor: Jasmine Lim

    Production Manager: Tamara Haus

    Digital Production: Kristen Minter

    ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES

    Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail the Andrews McMeel Publishing Special Sales Department: specialsales@amuniversal.com.

    Contents

    Introduction

    Flowers

    Bouquets

    Acknowledgments

    Index

    For my sister, Liana, whose name is derived from a climbing vine: you taught me how to climb and were there to catch me when I fell.

    introduction

    Chrysanthemums are for condolences, rue is for regret, and rosemary is for remembrance.

    The Victorian language of flowers—also called floriography—emerged as a clandestine method of communication at a time when proper etiquette discouraged open and flagrant displays of emotion. First emerging in 1819 with Charlotte de la Tour’s Le langage des fleurs, this coded language was used widely throughout the nineteenth century in both England and America and today is synonymous with Victorian tradition and culture. Flower meanings were taken from literature, mythology, religion, medieval legend, and even the shapes of the blooms themselves. Often, florists would invent symbolism to accompany new additions to their inventory, and occasionally, flowers had different meanings depending on the location and time. Young women of high society in this era embraced the practice, sending bouquets as tokens of love or warning, wearing flowers in their hair or tucked into their gowns, and celebrating all things floral. Many of them created small arrangements of flowers, called tussie-mussies or nosegays, by combining a few blooms in a small bouquet. Worn or carried as accessories, these coded messages of affection, desire, or sorrow allowed Victorians to show their true feelings in an enigmatic and alluring display.

    As the era came to an end and the First World War began, the language of flowers faded in popularity. Traces of the tradition remain, however. We still use roses to convey love at weddings and on Valentine’s Day, lilies for peace, and mums for condolences. The elegance and beauty of flowers have not dwindled—only our knowledge of their coded meanings. I hope this book, apart from offering a view into the history of floriography, will encourage readers to look at flowers and herbs in a new way, perhaps assigning their own meanings to the blooms that inspire them most.

    Flowers

    Amaryllis

    Hippeastrum

    Meaning:

    Pride

    Origin:

    The Victorians associated amaryllis with pride by virtue of its grand, tall stalks topped with bright blooms that towered over other flowers. Amaryllis, with its often leafless stems, is also known for withstanding drought. It is a strong and hearty plant, too prideful to perish under harsh conditions.

    Pair with . . .

    Hydrangea to indicate boastful pride

    Clematis to show the recipient should be proud of their cleverness

    Anemone

    Anemone

    Meaning:

    Forsaken love

    Origin:

    The anemone’s association with forsaken love can be traced back to Greek mythology. The flower

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