A Floral Calendar, and Other Flower Lore

Dust jacket notes: "This beautiful and unusual book, handwritten in italic and roundhand and illustrated with miniature paintings, presents a collection of floral lore and symbolism to delight and enthrall every gardener and plantsman. "As well as a calendar of flowers, based on the medieval calendar of saints, and giving the plant traditionally associated with each day of the year, Marie Angel has painted the floral calendars of China and Japan."From antiquity until late into the nineteenth century splendid horologes of flowers were made; Marie Angel has constructed two such dials, based on Linnaeus's 'Watch of Flora': one of flowers as they open, the other as they close."Of all flower symbolism the most well known today is the language of flowers popularised in Victorian times to convey messages of love and affection in a carefully chosen bouquet. Marie Angel has illustrated the A-Z of sentiment with marvellous trompe l'oeil paintings and exquisitely decorated initials for every letter of the alphabet."