Synopsis
The Language of Flowers Encyclopedia is a three-volume illustrated history of the books, authors, and meanings of 2,870 flowers, herbs, trees, and emojis. Rooted in folklore, mythology, literature, history, and the physical characteristics of plants, the language of flowers is a rich literary tradition of associating flowers with symbolic meanings. Spanning ancient times to the present, with special emphasis on nineteenth-century language of flowers books, this encyclopedia draws on 317 references and the author's forty years of experience as a writer and creator of Literary Calligraphy® artwork. A work of remarkable breadth and beauty, The Language of Flowers Encyclopedia is a landmark work in the field, a uniquely illustrated and unparalleled reference for book collectors, botanists, historians, and flower lovers.
Volume 1 opens with a floral offering, an anthology of 37 flowers, illustrated by the author with 12 flower portraits created for this book and 25 of her Literary Calligraphy® illustrations, pairing a hand-lettered presentation of the flower's sentiment with a verse about the flower or the sentiment it represents. For example, the autumn crocus, meaning "growing old," is paired with a line from a poem by Robert Browning, "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be," which surrounds the author’s painting of the flower. This anthology follows a format established in Victorian language of flowers books. Each entry lists the flower's common and botanical names, its meaning or sentiment, and a verse representing the flower or sentiment, followed by notes on the plant's history and lore, and a brief scientific description of the plant and its habitat.
Volume 1 also includes two floral dictionaries: one arranged by flower with its associated meaning, and one arranged by meaning with its associated flower, covering 1,560 meanings and sentiments. Additional sections explore related traditions such as the Calendar of Flowers, Flower Dialogues, the Floral Fortune-Teller, Modifications of the Flower Language, and the Flower Clock, along with ten poems that specifically draw on the language of flowers, each with information on the poet and the poem's publication history.
With its original illustrations, floral anthology, and poetry, Volume 1 is as lovely to look at as it is to read. The dual dictionaries offer an accessible and elegant reference to the tradition of associating flowers with symbolic meanings.
About the Author
Susan Loy is an author, artist, and calligrapher known for her Literary Calligraphy(R) watercolor paintings, which combine hand-lettered texts with meticulously rendered illustrations. In 1997, she was selected as "Artist on the Lawn" for the White House Easter Egg Roll, where she created the official commemorative poster celebrating the event's 120-year history. Her first book on the language of flowers, Flowers, the Angels' Alphabet (2001), received two Benjamin Franklin Awards in the gardening and reference categories and was named "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the Independent Book Publishers Association. In 2018, after thirty-five years of living in rural Virginia and exhibiting on the American art show circuit, Loy and her husband relocated to Prague, Czech Republic. Learn more about the author on Wikipedia under Susan Loy, American Artist: https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Loy.
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