Gorgeous illustrations paired with the scientific name, description of the plant, and origin of the folklore with a brief description of said folklore. This book is a stunning, immersive deep dive any plant lover need in their library.

When I first read the sinopsys, what mostly caught my attention was the sentence “After reading this book, you’ll never look at a bunch of flowers the same way again”. I thought that was such a bold statement and I wondered why. Would it really have that effect on me? And honestly, it did.

This book explores the folklore behind flowers, organizing them by the seasons they belong to. It also offers various meditations and useful advice. I never thought I would be intrigued by a book about flowers, but I was pleasantly surprised. I truly enjoyed it. Moreover, the visuals are absolutely stunning, featuring amazing artwork.

*Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dive into the folklore of flowers in this handy book. About 40 plants divided by seasons are presented, with their scientifical names and meanings before its story takes the page. The myths's origins are from all over the world, making us travel and discover the world. Each flower ends with an exercise or a ritual (for kindness, self love, flexibility...) depending on the flower's meaning and myth. I'll admit this last part was not my cup of tea, and I found them kind of repetitive, the intention being the one thing that really matters.
I really enjoyed discovering more about these plants and their folklore, this is a book you'll want to keep in your bookshelf or on your coffee table and read from time to time when wondering about a flower.

Humans have given meanings and stories to plants and flowers for thousands of years, whether they’re myths about Ancient Greek Gods who pecked out the eyes of anyone who dared move the sacred but thorny Peony plant, or 19th-century superstitions of how flowers could foreshadow love, life or death. After reading this book, you’ll never look at a bunch of flowers the same way again!

This is a really special book! I enjoyed all the info, folklore and origin stories for these plants. The artwork was also very beautiful. Thank you for letting me view and review an ARC of this book.

Davies has collated an interesting range of folklore stories revolving around and including various plants from around the world. Some are well-known, well=recognised stories, others are more obscure, and each is followed by a little affirmation. I'll be honest, I found the affirmation a little odd; it was almost as though this book was trying to stray into self-help, which was a little confusing. But overall, it's a decently informative, well-illustrated collection.

This is such a beautiful book, full of gorgeous facts and folklore about so many different species of flowers and plants.

If you love nature, being outdoors and want to immerse yourself even more to the natural world then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley & Quarto for the DRC!

I very nice, well tought book! It was a nice read, the information about plants was simple to understand, yet enjoyable to read for a non0fiction book!

Book Review: Floral Folklore by Alison Davies

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars

Floral Folklore by Alison Davies is a captivating exploration of the enchanting stories and meanings behind over 40 of nature's most exquisite flora and fauna. Davies delves into the rich history and folklore surrounding various plants and flowers, shedding light on why buttercups glow, the origins of bluebells as 'fairy phones,' and the intriguing tale behind foxgloves being called 'Deadman's Bellows.' Through this book, readers are invited to uncover the timeless teachings hidden within these botanical wonders and learn how to apply them to modern-day life.

The author skillfully weaves together myths from ancient civilizations to Victorian superstitions, offering a fresh perspective on how humans have attributed significance to plants and flowers for centuries. Each plant is accompanied by its folklore origins and a thoughtful ritual to help readers connect with the plant's teachings on a deeper level. This unique approach makes Floral Folklore a valuable resource for foragers, gardeners, and anyone with an interest in horticulture looking to expand their knowledge beyond the surface.

One of the standout features of this book is its visually stunning illustrations of each flower, complemented by engaging full-page stories that transport readers across different cultures and time periods. The inclusion of mindfulness-related activities adds another layer of depth to the book, making it a delightful gift for flower and plant enthusiasts seeking not only knowledge but also a sense of tranquility and connection with nature.

In conclusion, Floral Folklore is a delightful journey into the mystical world of botanical folklore, offering readers a chance to rediscover the beauty and wisdom hidden within the petals and leaves that surround us. Alison Davies has crafted a compelling and visually appealing book that is sure to enchant both seasoned nature lovers and newcomers alike.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I love this as a coffee table book. The illustrations are beautiful and the short stories about the folklore behind the flowers are so fun and the perfect length. I was really intrigued by the idea of adding rituals/intentions to go along with each flower, but the execution felt a bit random and surface level.

Floral Folklore attempts to get humans back in touch with the natural world around them by reintroducing readers to some of the flowers that surround us in daily life and tying their names to stories/myths cultivated and collected from around the globe. The flowers were drawn in a stunning way that accentuated the moral of the story.

I appreciated that the stories were short and kept to the point, which kept my attention. It was a slow read as I really wanted to absorb the meanings and reflect on them.

One downfall was the repetition of the book. Each flower followed the same pattern, down to the number of pages dedicated to it. I feel like each flower should have a proper reflection of its meaning in how the story was displayed. I would have also liked some more practical information about each flower and variation among the ritual exercises. perhaps more daily uses instead of looking at the flower and reflecting.

Overall interesting and pretty. Would make a great coffee table book or reference book.

Floral Folktales is a lovely collection of stories centered around blossoms and their meanings, with a self-reflection ritual at the end of each chapter.

Floral Folklore features different flowers and retells the mythology or folklore surrounding the flower. I love anytime myth collides with the natural world and thought this would be a fun read!

I think this book is best read as little vignettes. I thought that this would be more of a nonfiction book (my bad), but it really is just the flower stories and a sentence or two about how it can be used today. I read many of the chapters while waiting in doctors' offices, which ended up splitting them up really well. I thought that I knew something about a lot of flowers, but it turns out that I only know about flowers associated with Greek mythology. I really appreciated the breadth of flowers that are covered; I thought that there was good geographical representation around the world. I enjoyed the stories and the illustrations. I also liked how the book splits the flowers up by season and then alphabetically. It made me feel like I was moving through the seasons with the flowers as I kept reading.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you're looking for smaller stories about flowers. 4 stars from me. Thank you to Leaping Hare Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

Lovely book of floral folklore! Each flower comes with a whole-page illustration, description, meaning, folklore origin and a short story. Great as a beginner's reference book to flower mythology, or a conversation starter!

This was such a fun and creative book! This is a collection of short folktales connected to different flowers, divvied up by season, throughout the world; folklore spanning all reaches of the globe- from Norse mythology to Ancient Greece. Some gory folklore gives way to beautiful imagery and floral descriptions. At the end of each folktale is a ritual with the associated flora. Some rituals are less ritual and more activities, but what’s the difference really?
I love that each flora has the origin and the associated folklore. Also the drawings are beautiful. My favorite floral folklore was The Columbine. This would make a lovely coffee table book or book to add to your herbal spiritual collection (everyone has this right?)

I absolutely ADORE Floral Folklore! From cover to cover this collection is beautifully put together. I had originally expected to see photographs of real flora and fauna, but was pleasantly surprised to be greated by beautiful artwork that depicted each plant in such a wonderful way. I would love to have this book on my shelf. Spiritual, folklore, herbalist lovers of all kinds would enjoy this treasure. This book radiates green good vibes.

This is a lovely book, with a nice mix of drawings and information in an easy to digest format. The illustrations were particularly lovely -- I may have to buy a print copy of the book when it comes out because I would enjoy having it around to leaf through and look at the illustrations. The information was also well organized, and did a good job of striking a balance of giving enough details without getting to long and dry to read.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley. This is an honest review based on my reader experience.

The soft and silky illustrations on the cover and throughout are what drew me to the book. The synopsis made me think about how I loved pondering the raised gardens in my grandparent's retirement village as a small child. I would talk to the blooms and sometimes, when I thought no one was watching, I would dance with them! I liked that this book captured that sense of magical wonder. It feels like a book for teens or whimsically-minded young adults.

I was hoping for a more serious and practical treatment of the subject. For example, I wished that the myths had been told in a more literary style. I wanted to know more about the origin of the stories. Sometimes it was clear that it was Greek or Roman mythology, but other times it was unclear whether it was original fiction or inspired by folklore. I also wished that all the rituals or activities had a more practical result that I could enjoy after the meditation was over; a flower arrangement, a plant-based recipe.

This is such a beautiful book with so many interesting stories on the folklore behind different flowers. The illustrations are beautifully done making it a joy to flip through. It's broken up into the different seasons and also offers different rituals that can be carried out with the flowers. The folklore comes from many different countries and they were all fascinating. A fun read for any flower/plant lovers

What a lovely book! I really enjoyed reading about the folklore attached to all those beautiful flowers! This book gives you a different perspective about flowers, you don't look at them the same way after reading it! I can only recommend it to all the flower lovers out there!!!