The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History - Pocket Edition (Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia)

This is the best book I've come across on this topic. The illustrations are stunning and the book has had all of the flowers I've needed and way more. I enjoy making pottery and carving flowers on my pieces, this is a way I use my craft to communicate using the Victorian language of flowers. Highly recommend!

Flowers are listed by scientific name and need to be found in the list of common names in the back to locate in the book, which is actually functional and thorough, but added a layer of time to my project. Other than that, this is the best reference book on this particular subject I've found, and I have about ten sources from the original translated french texts, library scans of original victorian tomes, and modern books to playing cards and online collections. An excellent and meticulous collection of helpful references for the flower language lover! I was delighted and surprised at the sheer mass of info and how well it's organized. Get this one for sure!

Beautiful illustrations and great information about flower varieties.

I am fascinated by the meaning that can be conveyed with the use of flowers! This was one of the most inclusive, alphabetical collections that I've seen. I enjoyed the illustrations as well.

easy reference lots of fun interesting facts

This is a lovely book, but you have to know the scientific name of the flower to bring up the meaning/folklore uses of it. For example, if you try searching for marigold, you won’t find it, but if you search for tagetes the scientific name, you will find the details. The plus side is once found, Dietz gives details for various varieties of a particular flower, and the possible other names it’s called.. Thus, you might have to look up the scientific name for the flower on Google/bing to locate a flower’s information if you can’t find it in the book. Also, the book is more geared towards folks like myself, that want to know what the symbolic meaning of the flower, and some herbs are. Example: Tagetes/Marigold are for creativity , possible “powers” are protection. Folklore: Early Christians would place tagetes around Mary’s statue instead of coins. What you won’t find are growth tips, medicinal uses, or flower essences, if that’s what you’re looking for. A downside to note is the book is a comprehensive guide but a little larger than pocket size, so the print is very small. Hope this helps.

I've recently become fascinated with the historical symbolism of flowers and had started researching a compendium to add to my writer’s library. There are several on the market but THIS was definitely the right choice for my purposes. The negative reviews were what really sold me on this book over its competitors. These reviews were written by serious planters who had wanted a book to guide them on planting flowers in their gardens (something this book never purports to speak to). These gardeners were distressed that the book contains the lore of each flower, including which plants have traditionally been added to one’s garden to induce fairies to visit or which plant has been used in literature to treat a werewolf bite. Given that my only hope when it comes to flowers lies in the page rather than the garden, this is PRECISELY the sort of information I need! I couldn’t be happier with my selection. Arranged like an illustrated encyclopedia with an easy index in the back for popular names, this book will be a companion on my writing desk for any time flowers may appear in my work. The vintage illustrations are stunning, and I love that the author includes even the symbolism of flowers by color when relevant. My only complaint with this book is that I dearly wish it came in hardcover.

This book is so pretty both inside and out. It has great descriptions and information for each flower. The pictures for each one are beautiful, as well.