The Meaning of Flowers [Hardcover]

Gretchen Scoble (Author), Ann Field (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

Should you send a rose of crimson or of white to the one you love? What gift of flowers best expresses thanks to a dear friend? From ancient days, long before words complicated what we say to one another, flowers have been our messengers, invested with our most cherished feelings. Illustrated with luscious collages by acclaimed artist Ann Field, this enchanting tribute to the power and symbolism of flowers offers a contemporary introduction to an age-old tradition. The text draws on botanical, historical, and mythological sources worldwide, from ancient Rome to Victorian England, from Asia to the Americas, presenting portraits of almost 50 blossoms favored for all time. In Persia, for instance, the black medulla of the red tulip was said to represent the lover's heart, burnt to a coal by love's passion. To Victorians, lavender signified a broken trust, hollyhocks fertility, and nasturtiums a jest or whimsy. Blending fact, folktale, natural history, and original art, The Meaning of Flowers explores the language and lore of nature's most intimate and beautiful gifts.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Like books, some flowers are merely pretty to look at, while others are pure romance. The Meaning of Flowers presents flowers not only as messengers of our deepest feelings and desires, but as repositories of powerful myths and histories. Lilacs, for example, "express the beautiful sadness of love, the feeling--always available to the lover--of impending farewell.... Potently fragrant, the flower was once thought capable of warding off the Black Death itself." Ann Field's collages strike the perfect mood in this beautifully designed book, ideal for those who love flowers and symbolism.

About the Author

Ann Field has work that includes distinctive collages and bright illustrations that have been featured in many books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. Her artwork also appears in Citrus. Born in England, today she lives in Santa Monica, Califor

Gretchen Scoble is a designer whose elegant and lively books have received many awards. She lives in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1st edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811819310
• ISBN-13: 978-0811819312
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Flowers

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fourth Grade, Sunday Night, September 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Meaning of Flowers (Hardcover)

I am extremely disappointed in this book. I expected to be enlightened to the symbolic nature of flowers, but instead encountered a book that reminded me of a fourth grader's book report written late on a Sunday night. The symbolism discussed was largely limited to one word per flower with little or no explanation as to why this word found itself attatched to the flower in question. I cannot express strongly enough the lack of depth in this book.

To make matters worse, there were not even pictures to accompany every entry! The sparing use of words, one might imagine, would require brilliant pictures to drag the book into respectability. The pictures that *are* included in the book do nothing to justify the purchase of this book. In short, I am sorry to be out my fifteen bucks :-(

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Think of it as an art book, not a reference., March 13, 2001

By 

"vera_lynn" (Southeastern VA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Meaning of Flowers (Hardcover)

If you are looking for something to lay on a table & look pretty, you may find something worth buying in this book: The cover is very pretty, and the subtitle, "Myth, Language & Lore" gives a suggestion of depth and sensitivity. If, however you have any intention of cracking the cover in search of useful information, go find something else.

Consider the following entry for heliotrope (quoted below in its entirety):

HELIOTROPE [Heliotropium Arborescens]

The sun-loving heliotrope suggested DEVOTION to the Victorians.

These pale mauve flowers have a strong sweet sweet scent of almonds or cherry pie. Thomas Jefferson once referred to heliotrope as "a delicious flower. One of its varieties has been known in Europe since the dawn of the West, though the variations brought from Peru in the eighteenth century stirred public amazement.

(End of entry.)

The entry, by the way, does not include a picture. In this book, which bases its appeal far more on the quality of its visual presentation than its insight into floral culture, almost half of all entries are without pictures.

I cannot even recommend this book as a starting point for further exploration, since the author has not seen fit to document any of her observations or facts: There are no footnotes, no bibliographic entries, and no hints to further reading. In short, I found it to be a substanceless work. I'd give it zero stars if that were an option, although I suppose it deserves credit for interesting pictures, where pictures have been included.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique view of flowers, an enjoyable experience, November 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Meaning of Flowers (Hardcover)

This book is not to be bought as a reference book for a complete history of flowers and their names. It is a synergistic combination of pictures and words. It is to be experienced as a greeting card from the flowers to you, a photographic essay about flowers and the way they can touch you. The words and pictures are witty and inventive. See this book not as a reference work, but as a special gift for a flower lover and you will be pleased.