Flora's Lexicon: an Interpretation of the Language and Sentiment of Flowers: With an Outline of Botany, and a Poetical Introduction

by Catharine Harbeson Waterman (Creator)

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

274 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sending secret messages with flowers was a popular Victorian pastime, as this elegant volume demonstrates. Hand your true love a posy of camellia and scarlet ipomoea and you're saying "I attach myself to you" and "my fate is in your hands."
I think this flowery form of crypto-communication needs a major update. I'd like to expand the form to include those diffcult-to-deliver social cues with which we all need help. Here are a few possible suggestions. When I present you with a a small euphorbia, here's what I'm saying: "your pants are unzipped." A spray of ivy? "You've got spinach stuck on your teeth." Mint? "Phew! Bad breath." A leaf of skunk cabbage? "Beware, I fart in elevators." Don't you think a book like this would sell like hotcakes?