Language of Flowers

With gorgeous full-color illustrations, ornate decorative elements, lettering in metallic ink, and engaging text, The Language of Flowers: A Fully Illustrated Compendium of Meaning, Literature, and Lore for the Modern Romantic is a treasure for flower lovers. A sumptuous, contemporaryanthology of50of the world's most storied and popular flowers,each of its entries offers insight to the meaning associated with the flower,and is a fascinating mix offoklore, classic mythology, literature,botanical information andpopular culture.Following an introduction that provides a short history of the language of flowers, a fad which reached itspeak during the reign of Queen Victoria, each uniquely illustrated and designed entry is an enjoyable read full of history and little-known facts. Here isthe story of Tulipmania; how the pansy got its &quote;face,&quote; and why the most particular pollination process of a certain orchid hasmade the vanilla bean a very dear commodity.You'll also dicover how Christian Dior's passion for lily of the valley inspired his classic perfume Diorissimo and its extraordinary bottle; why Oscar Wilde had a penchant for wearing green carnations in his lapel; and how Greeks and Romans believed snapdragons could ward off witchcraft, so they planted them at entryways to their homes. With more than a dozen two-page paintings evoking the romance of noteworthy Victorian gardens and symbolic bouquets, a cross-referenced index of flowers and meanings, and suggestions for further reading, this book is a must for lovers of floriology and Victoriana.