What do you think?
Rate this book
The Language of Flowers
"There is a language, 'little known', Lovers claim it as their own. Its symbols smile upon the land, Wrought by Natures wonderous hand; And in their silent beauty speak, Of life and joy, to those who seek For Love Divine and sunny hours In the language of the flowers".
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1968
1 person is currently reading
314 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 10, 2025
We all know what red roses symbolise, but how about other flowers? White lilies, perhaps, or French marigolds? You might beware of giving your loved one a bunch of lavender, for instance, as it symbolises distrust. And a wallflower has nothing to do with being excluded, or shyness, as you might expect. It is a symbol of "fidelity in adversity".
The Language of Flowers is a beautiful little book, and a bit of a curiosity. Dating from 1913, it was never intended for publication, but the inscription by the author, or "father", makes it clear that it was compiled as a personal gift to his wife, or "mother", on her birthday. It looks very quaint, oldfashioned and nostalgic, and of course, unique.
In fact what we are privileged to read is a facsimile of a handmade dictionary of flowers and herbs. All the entries are meticulously written using a calligraphy pen on sepia toned pages. Each page is sensitively decorated, and has a different watercolour border illustration of flowers and plants. It forms a careful dictionary of many garden and wild flowers, including different colours sometimes, and indicating their traditional symbolic meanings. Why might one flower be selected in preference to another? How is the choice made? This little guide indicates the reason why one person may make a gift of a certain flower or herb to another, and how to interpret what the implied message might be.
Although the format is so small, the book contains a wealth of entries. The list of roses details forty different kinds and colours, for instance, each having its own specific meaning. Altogether over 700 flowers are named, conjuring up nostalgic thoughts, reminding the reader of a slower, gentler era when people found the time to express their affection in a thoughtful and individual way.
Here is the rest of "father"'s dedication,
"There is a language, ‘little known,’
Lovers claim it as their own.
Its symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature’s wondrous hand;
And in their silent beauty speak
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For love divine and sunny hours
In the language of the flowers.—"
As a gift, this must hit the height of romance, dedication and intimacy. The drawings are so delicate, the traditions timeless. Given the dedication though, I was surprised to find in tiny print at the back, "Copyright Margaret Pickston, 1968". Surely my vision of a great romance was not to be dashed? Could this - forbid the thought - possibly be a "fake"? I did a little digging on the internet, and found this short review by Margaret Pickston herself,
"The Meaning Of Flowers was a present from my Father to Mother on their golden wedding anniversary. Instead of buying her a brooch or bracelet, he hit upon the happy plan of writing and illustrating a little book for her, which has now been resurrected from some forgotten drawer and published in this newer edition."
And to this day, all we really know of "father" are his initials, F.W.L., and that he and "mother" celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on August 8, 1913. Everything else is shrouded in secrecy. What a lovely story, and what a wonderfully romantic gift he created for his loved one.
The Language of Flowers is a beautiful little book, and a bit of a curiosity. Dating from 1913, it was never intended for publication, but the inscription by the author, or "father", makes it clear that it was compiled as a personal gift to his wife, or "mother", on her birthday. It looks very quaint, oldfashioned and nostalgic, and of course, unique.
In fact what we are privileged to read is a facsimile of a handmade dictionary of flowers and herbs. All the entries are meticulously written using a calligraphy pen on sepia toned pages. Each page is sensitively decorated, and has a different watercolour border illustration of flowers and plants. It forms a careful dictionary of many garden and wild flowers, including different colours sometimes, and indicating their traditional symbolic meanings. Why might one flower be selected in preference to another? How is the choice made? This little guide indicates the reason why one person may make a gift of a certain flower or herb to another, and how to interpret what the implied message might be.
Although the format is so small, the book contains a wealth of entries. The list of roses details forty different kinds and colours, for instance, each having its own specific meaning. Altogether over 700 flowers are named, conjuring up nostalgic thoughts, reminding the reader of a slower, gentler era when people found the time to express their affection in a thoughtful and individual way.
Here is the rest of "father"'s dedication,
"There is a language, ‘little known,’
Lovers claim it as their own.
Its symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature’s wondrous hand;
And in their silent beauty speak
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For love divine and sunny hours
In the language of the flowers.—"
As a gift, this must hit the height of romance, dedication and intimacy. The drawings are so delicate, the traditions timeless. Given the dedication though, I was surprised to find in tiny print at the back, "Copyright Margaret Pickston, 1968". Surely my vision of a great romance was not to be dashed? Could this - forbid the thought - possibly be a "fake"? I did a little digging on the internet, and found this short review by Margaret Pickston herself,
"The Meaning Of Flowers was a present from my Father to Mother on their golden wedding anniversary. Instead of buying her a brooch or bracelet, he hit upon the happy plan of writing and illustrating a little book for her, which has now been resurrected from some forgotten drawer and published in this newer edition."
And to this day, all we really know of "father" are his initials, F.W.L., and that he and "mother" celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on August 8, 1913. Everything else is shrouded in secrecy. What a lovely story, and what a wonderfully romantic gift he created for his loved one.
February 23, 2016
I've owned this book for years. I may have bought it when I was in England in 1976. I recently got it down to look at it after my daughter-in-law gave me a novel by the same title. This is a nice little volume that tells the meaning of different flowers.
October 31, 2020
Lovely little book, great for anyone interested in flowers meanings.
November 24, 2020
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.. I found a copy at the local library and carried it with me throughout my trip to Arizona.. I wanted to purchase it from the library and they of course denied the option... they told me I could continue renewing my checkout time... up to 50 times... coincidence??? The book was written/created by "father" dedicated to "mother" on their 50th wedding anniversary... absolutely beautiful!!! Extensive. Detailed. Sweet... every flower imaginable .. I eventually returned..post mail..from out of state . Yet hated to part with the small incredibly detailed little book!!! Everyone who LOVES flowers... should truly own a copy... I shall have my very own... great find today!!!
February 21, 2015
Gorgeous and quaint.
Read
January 7, 2020an old fashioned favorite
September 30, 2020
Ox eye daisy of forget me not
November 10, 2022
Really sweet little book. Very thoughtful message at the front written long ago. One of my favorites of all time.
October 17, 2021
A useful guide to the Language of the Flowers. Although this book doesn't go too deep into the meaning of every flower or explain the reason for said meaning, as other books on the topic might (it functions more like a dictionary than anything), it's a useful and quick guide to the Victorian language. Alphabetized and pocket-sized for convenience, this book is a cute little read that makes for a good gift or coffee table book.
June 27, 2012
This is more of a Booklet compared to the length of the other Language of Flowers book I own http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39... but they have different information. I find it fun as well as interesting to look through books like this and someday I'll actually use the information in some way. I also have a piece of paper stuck in one of the books that gives the meaning of at least some of the plants mentioned\found in the Bible.
July 9, 2012
As I was writing the review for the novel entitled The Language of Flowers, this book also popped up. I bought this book in a used book store for $3.00 many years ago and loved it. I love the feel of it, the way it was printed, the font of text, etc. I actually brought this book to book club when we discussed the novel. It is fun to look up all the meanings.
July 31, 2011
This tiny book, from 1917, is adorable and beautiful. Even as lists of what each and how people used to give them to each other. It's amusing to remember again why people used to send red roses and white lilies to someone they wanted to duel with.
I deeply love it.
I deeply love it.
February 3, 2012
I love this little book. It was a gift from my big sister years ago and eventually helped to breathe life into Livie Saunders from The Ninth Step. I reviewed it some time back on my blog here in case you'd like to know the story behind it!
April 16, 2012
Being the hopeless romantic that I am I purchased this book about 10-12 years ago from the State Museum. I love it. So much fun to look through and see what sending a beloved flowers back in Victorian times meant much more than "I care about you."
December 19, 2008
Disappointingly uninformative - no sketches of the flowers by their names.
July 13, 2011
I, surprisingly, loved this book. It's charming and oddly useful. I especially liked the was it's quirkily pre-aged all over.
February 26, 2012
I love this old book, my first copy fell to pieces so I was excited to find a replacement, it's a beautiful facsimile
Read
May 8, 2012Loved it.
January 8, 2013
A sweet little book that lists flowers with their meanings. I picked it up years ago and have used it as a reference to create some of my art.
June 18, 2013
A must have for any bookshelf. Pure charm.
September 19, 2013
Sweet, comforting
April 12, 2016
This is a reprint of the original from the late 1800s/early 1900s. What's not to like? Very pretty, and has all the definitions.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews