Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers [Hardcover]

Geraldine Adamich Laufer (Author), Starr Ockenga (Photographer), Chipp Jamison (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1993

Rediscover the language of flowers, and the art of making them speak. A celebration of craft, lore, and language, Tussie Mussies is a stunning, full-color guide to tussie mussies, how to make them, and how the symbolic meanings of flowers and herbs have developed over centuries. A floral poet, Geri Laufer shows how to make 60 bouquets--tussie mussies to declare Ardent Love, say Happy Birthday, wish Congratulations, express Sympathy, celebrate a Newborn, mark an Anniversary, or honor a Mentor. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, Newbridge Book Club, and the Garden Book Club. Photographs by Starr Ockenga and Chipp Jamison

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Complete and informative. -Victoria magazine

THE GRACEFUL ART OF SPEAKING THROUGH FLOWERS

Originally called "talking bouquets" and "word posies," tussie-mussies are sweet-smelling and symbolic flower arrangements that Victorians exchanged in lieu of written greetings. Today Geraldine Laufer, a floral poet, revives the art of tussie-mussies and shows how to make them in this full-color celebration of craft, lore, and language. Step by step, TUSSIE-MUSSIES covers the delightful task of crafting individual flowers and herbs into a message, from how to cut the flowers and greens to finishing the handle and creating the holder. Then Ms. Laufer shares sixty of her favorite tussie-mussies.

Declare ardent love. Say happy birthday. Welcome a newborn. Mark an anniversary. Honor a mentor. Send consolations-the flowers say it all.

GERALDINE ADAMICH LAUFER is a noted horitculturist, garden-circuit lecturer, and a columnist for Herb Companion. She is the Public Relations Manager for the Atlanta Botanical Garden and has a business making tussie-mussies.

About the Author

Geraldine Adamich Laufer is a noted horticulturist, garden-circuit lecturer, and a columnist for Herb Companion. She is the Public Relations Manager for the Atlanta Botanical Garden and has a business making tussie-mussies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; First Printing edition (January 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563051060
• ISBN-13: 978-1563051067
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #567,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tussie Mussies!, January 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers (Hardcover)

My friend and I used this book as a source for a program for my garden club. We did this in January when our gardens were bare, or so we thought. After looking, we were able to find lots of things that were useful as well as meaningful. With a few dollars worth of flowers from the grocery store we made several examples from the book (with a few substitutions). We were delighted at how beautifully they turned out. I talked about the language of flowers and then showed everybody our samples. We had assembled a variety of ingredients and then each of our 15 members created her own Tussie Mussie. Each one turned out differently and each was charming. I cannot wait for a reason to make another one. We had a hoot of a time. My only complaint with the book was that there were not enough sources of materials such as holders, etc. Thank you for such a beautiful book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and enchanting!, April 8, 2002

By 

"hollyberryred" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers (Hardcover)

I have used this delightful book for reference and inspiration countless times since buying it several years ago. It's paid for itself and then some! Tussie-mussies never fail to provide a gracious touch to the giving of flowers. Anyone can merely present flowers, but to customize the bouquet to the recipient or occasion? Truly impressive and touching! I once attended a luncheon honoring a well-known philanthropist. The hostess spent a fortune on catering for the event and decorated the banquet table with an enormous [$] floral arrangement of spring flowers. The well-traveled multimillionairess was cordial but a trifle bored (been there/done that)until I presented my tussie-mussie, assembled just for her, with a hand-lettered scroll listing the flowers and their definitions. She was astonished and fascinated. That's all she talked about afterwards--the table arrangement could have been dandilions and crab grass. Even if you don't actually make up a tussie-mussie from real flowers, Laufer's book has other terrific uses. I used it to design a bouquet in watercolors for my aunt's memorial service program. You will relish this book!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent information and a wonderful pictorial book., January 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Black Creek, Wisconsin USA!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers (Hardcover)

I have read this book and use it as a ref guide in our work shop. We manufacture tussies. The only wrong thing about this book is it does not have a glossery of where one can purchase the things they would need to make these wonderful tussies. As in WHERE could you purchase the holders? or who makes holders like this? Also where can you purchase special ribbons. and so on. We make these as our job, but for the home garden person who perhaps would like to dabble into this as a gift making idea will not find much in the way of suppliers. Anyone can use lace and doilies, but the real EYECATCHERS are the hand casted resin containers! Too bad they didnt say or give a list of suppliers. Other Than that.... it is a well photographed book.