The Flower Code: A Guide to the Language of Flowers

by Laura Wolf, Kate Greenaway, J. Dallaway

A red rose for love, an anenome for expectation, and a small white bellflower for the Victorian Language of Flowers took the world by storm with its ability to communicate meaning both subtle and specific. Here you will find a collection of the reference guides used at the time - both Kate Greenaway's 1884 guide relevant to Europe and the UK, and the 1881 guide from Gems of Deportment, relevant to America - as well as a collection of story excerpts, descriptions of use, and explanations on how to arrange a bouquet to convey the desired meaning as well as a variety of illustrations. Knowing the language of flowers can add to your understanding of how authors of the era weaved the imagery into their tales. Knowing rhododendrons signify danger, for example, gives deeper understanding to the scene in H G Wells 'The Time Machine' where the time machine is left abandoned in a bed of the forboding flowers as the adventurer heads off into an unknown world; while the bridal bouquets in 'Little Women' speak into the characters' disposition and expectation. The perfect reference guide for authors, romantics and floriography enthusiasts, this book contains everything you need to interpret and adapt the language of flowers for your own use.

Please note ebook contains more images which have been excluded from the print edition.

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2020

About the author

Sweet contemporary romance author.
Mom to two adorable monsters.
Coffee addict.

Reviews

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t necessarily have high hopes for this book, though I am obsessed with the Victorian language of flowers- many books about it are just okay. This was actually such a lovely, wide ranging book.

I adored the addition of classic quotes from many of my favorite books/authors, and the wonderful flower poems! The historical facts about flowers and herbs, it was all so fascinating. What a fantastic read!