Reviewed by Jeanne
I’ve been intrigued by the Victorian Language of Flowers for years, ever since I first encountered the concept as part of an Agatha Christie mystery. The idea that you could send a message in a bouquet was very intriguing. As a result, I’ve dipped into various books on the subject over the years and even done reviews for the bookblog.
This one, however, I picked up because of the artist. Jessica Roux is a Nashville based artist who likes to use solid, unpatterned backgrounds for her work, making the images pop. It’s an arresting look that I quite like—so much so that I picked up one of her prints at HollerHouse. The one I chose had a cat in it, because of course it does.
It was seeing her work there that alerted me to this
book. While the text is brief, the
illustrations are showstoppers. Every
other page is a full color painting of the flower being discussed, with its
meaning and a list of other plants to pair it with in order to send the message
intended. There’s also a handy section
with ideas for bouquets for various occasions (wedding, sympathy, warning,
courting, etc.) and a list of meanings with the flowers associated so you could
build your own. For example, pansies
mean “You occupy my thoughts” while lily of the valley means “Better times
ahead,” making it a nice way of letting someone know that you’re thinking of
them and wishing them well.
Even if you aren’t interested in flower meanings, this is
wonderful book to browse just for the art.
You can see more of her work at her website https://www.jessica-roux.com/
And yes, she did two ornaments for the recent Adorn sale at
HollerHouse! I think they went very quickly.
(Note: Do I retain much
of what I’ve read? Er, no, I’m usually
too busy admiring pictures, so if I send you a bouquet, don’t look for any
hidden messages!)
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