I was always interested in gardening and plants of all sorts, so I was very excited when I received a book on Floriography for Christmas. This one, in particular, Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers by Jessica Roux, is a beautiful rendition of the centuries-old tradition of floral speech. Now, if you haven’t already googled what Floriography is, here is a brief explanation. Throughout time, and especially during the Victorian Era, it was looked down upon for an individual to express any sort of strong emotion, so the solution to this was the use of flowers, each assigned a secret message to convey to the recipient. We still unwittingly use this hidden code even today, like when we give roses to our loved ones or associate lilies with peace. One could find a meaning behind pretty much any flower or herb, all tied to some sort of emotion or message. The book itself showcases all of the information in an easy-to-read layout. The facts it includes are what the plant means, where the meaning came from, and what to pair it with to alter the meaning. This information is accompanied by alluring images of the flowers and is hand-drawn by the author herself. Whether you want to spin witty messages to the people around you or just have any sort of interest in plants, I would recommend this book as something to look into.
Student Column: The Language of Flowers and a Review of Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers
January 24, 2023