The Language of Flowers 1550-1680: Four floral dictionaries translated from the French with an introduction and notes

Offering a new insight into the evolution of the Language of Flowers, Rachel Henry's book contains meanings given to 389 flowers in the 16th and 17th centuries together with additional nuances that were added to the messages by the coloured threads used to tie the bouquets.

The heyday of the Language of Flowers was in the 19th century. But, as Rachel Henry's discovery of five long-forgotten books published between 1558 and 1671 shows, it was being used centuries earlier by the French upper c...