The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose is a collection of poetry focusing on flowers. It features the memorable writings of many different authors throughout history. Alongside the works are beautiful illustrations of the flowers the poems are named after. Reading the thoughts and feelings of so many different people makes this book refreshing and interesting. It's a lovely selection that shows just how people over time have always been inspired and drawn to flowers. There's something in this collection for everyone!

As an American, much of the poetry and prose within this book was foreign to me. Still, I found it delightful. Better yet was the collection of illustrations. Just lovely! A wonderful addition to the library of any gardener.

A beautiful collection of poems and flower artwork. This is a must have book for anyone who loves poems and flowers. The artwork is stunning and the poems are absolutely lovely. I had a great time reading these, especially in my little garden.

*Thanks Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Read this poetry collection now and then the entire day! It's so amazing! Gave me inner peace when everything was really chaotic outside.

Things seem to be moving at a really fast pace once again these days with all the pandemic hype going down a bit. But yes, this human is still worried senseless. And I needed something like this collection to calm down my chaotic thoughts.

I love, love, love the illustrations! They are so damn beautiful! Exceptional art. Colourful and vibrant. Close to your heart, straight to your mind. Classic poetry collection at its best.

It would be unfair of me to just pick out some favorites.

Just get the book. Just read it. It's powerful yet so calming.

And yes, the damn lights are gone for no reason as I finished up writing this review.

But hell yes, I am still staring at the beautiful illustrations and rereading some poems.

Yes, that's how lovely this collection stays with me.

Thank you, publishers, for the advance reading copy. Love it.

This is a lovely book to give to one’s self or as a gift to a garden lover. Collected in here are poems or prose about more than fifty flowers, everything from the humble daisy to the violet to the marigold, the harebell poppy and many more. The illustrations are superb-colorful, detailed and engaging. The verse and prose is from everyone from William Carlos Williams to Wordsworth to Longfellow and many writers both very well known and new to me.

I highly recommend this one. Read it to enjoy some nature while you are spending more time at home.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a lovely collection for lovers of poetry and gardens alike. It features flower poems and illustrations spanning hundreds of years, with one for each of several dozen types of flowers. There is also prose writing through the centuries, sharing the wonderful things about various flower types from various authors' standpoints. Each flower is illustrated with an illustration from the RHS botanical library. Like the other collections in this series, the writings are all UK and American writers. I would have loved to see some Japanese haikus and poems translated from other areas of the world, but that's a minor issue. This is a delightful collection that really celebrates flowers of all types in a wonderful way.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

My first impressions of the book cover was, "This is a lovely cover and would look very nice on my bookshelf where I have the rest of my poetry books." As I said, the cover is gorgeous and the artwork in the book was just fabulous. In terms of the book, I loved every single poem that Charles Elliott decided to add into his book. In particular, my favorite poem is by Theodore Roethke, 'Carnations' (1948) for many reasons, but one of the reasons is because my favorite flowers are carnations and Roethke's words in every line were meaningful and heart touching.

I loved every poem in this book, and I would definitely be purchasing this book when it is officially published.

I want to thank NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, and Charles Elliot for giving me this lovely opportunity to read The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose.

The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose by Charles Elliott is a beautiful book of poetry. Very warming.

This is a lovely collection of poems and prose on more than fifty different flowers. The book is just beautiful, and so lovely to flick through. There are the usual,suspects here like Wordsworth but also some more obscure poets and writers work. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Again a book with some of the most beautiful poems, and this time also prose, combined with stunning illustrations. A book to return to regularly, either to read one of the texts or to simply gaze at the drawings.

These were really lovely pieces on the beauty of nature and flowers. It was such a nice reminder that even in a world that can seem bleak, nature is a wonderful mood lifter. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Royal Horticultural Society offers another exquisitely illustrated book, this time featuring poetry and prose inspired by flowers. With elegant pieces from Shakespeare to Sitwell, Rossetti to Roethke, this would make a splendid gift for birthdays or special occasions for loved ones who adore art and blooms.

4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 09 Mar 2021
#TheRHSBookofFlowerPoetryandProse #NetGalley

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This collection features beautiful illustrations alongside words dedicated to various flowers. The selection of writing was taken from a broad variety of writers, and was therefore fresh and non-repetitive. It was delightful to see how a humble flower inspired so many people across centuries and continents!

The artwork is truly remarkable and I absolutely loved staring at all of the flowers! It really made the words come alive. It’s a wonderful coffee table book although I do wish that it featured a more diverse blend of writers.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I actually did not have high hopes for this, but it turned out to be a very sweet and thoughtful collection of excerpts and poems about flowers. Bonus points if you open pictures of those flowers alongside while you're reading something because the combination really does take you somewhere else. I know exactly who I'm going to buy this for!

The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose is a beautifully curated collection of poetry and short prose excerpts accompanied by garden related images from the RHS' Lindley Library collection. First published in 2006, this reformat and re-release is due out 9th March 2021 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint. It's 144 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is such a restful and pretty book. The images are varied and beautiful and the text selections are well curated. The text and images are related to specific flowers, from the humble violet to the noble rose. There are selections from incomparably famous poets and writers as well as ones who were previously unfamiliar to me. The illustrations are mostly 18th-early 20th century botanical prints.

The book also includes a couple of useful appendices in the form of first lines from the included offerings along with an image index.

This would make a superlative gift for a gardening friend (or oneself), as well as a lovely acquisition for public library, and gardening club lending library use.

Five stars, with the codicil that the re-read value might be somewhat limited.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The beautiful illustrations and the selections of prose and poetry make this book one that I would love to read and look at in a hard copy version. The paintings of the various flowers are delicate, detailed, and colorful, and the selection of prose and poetry is well-chosen for a variety of styles, its authors spanning the centuries from ancient time through to the twentieth. This is a lovely book to display and peruse at leisure.

Initially published in 2006, this edition of “The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose” is to be published in March 2021 by Frances Lincoln Limited, an imprint of The Quarto Group.

Charles Elliott has assembled a variety of poems and prose pieces which, when combined, burst into a celebratory bouquet spanning the centuries.

Classical favourites by William Shakespeare, Andrew Marvell, John Milton, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, John Clare and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sit side by side with poems by William Carlos Williams, D.H. Lawrence, Theodore Roethke, Ruth Pitter, John Betjeman, Marianne Moore, Anne Stevenson and Anne Ridler. I particularly enjoyed the prose extracts as I hadn’t previously read any of them.

Each poem and prose extract is accompanied by an exquisitely detailed, vibrant illustration from the remarkable collection of botanical art at the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library, acknowledged as the world’s finest horticultural library.

Whether you are a poetry lover, a gardener, or enjoy trips to the outdoor market to select a simple bunch of flowers, there is much to observe and learn from the life rhythms of flowers and from their generous, unselfconscious beauty. Flowers are totally spontaneous, filling spaces with the energy and unpredictability of the natural world. This anthology encourages you to slow down, look at life anew and, as May Sarton put it “[be] floated on their moments”.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @FrancisLincolnPub for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful keepsake book, the illustrations are amazing, such a pretty book, i will keep coming back to it for a long time, this would be perfect for a gift, for anyone who loves flowers, written beautifully easy to read, I would highly recommend this,

this collection was written beautifully and the writing was wonderful to read. every poem laid thought-provoking ideas that carried such a sincere and honest tone. it felt eye-opening, allowing one to envision an experience they could never have.
The Royal Horticultural Society offers another exquisitely illustrated book, this time featuring poetry and prose inspired by flowers. With elegant pieces from Shakespeare to Sitwell, Rossetti to Roethke, this would make a splendid gift for birthdays or special occasions for loved ones who adore art and blooms.

Another lovely collection by the RHS where I appreciated the writing, but fell in love with the botanical prints.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honet review.

This book is a wonderful celebration of flowers through poetry and prose. I had such a delightful time while reading it. I took my time, of course, while reading and discovering the content of this beautiful book for each poem was a work of outstanding creativity and imagination. Also, I loved all the amazing vintage illustrations of the flowers. I really enjoyed most of the poems and it could have been better if there were only poems. For those who love both poetry and flowers alike this is the best book to have and to read during the Spring season. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did and perhaps you will be inspired by these flowers to write your own poems.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved flowers, art and poetry so seeing all three together in a book was all I needed to request this from netgalley with the view that if I liked it enough I would buy the physical copy or give it as a gift. The poems and extracts are illustrated with botanical prints from the strikingly beautiful collection of artworks at the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library, recognised as the world's finest horticultural library.

I have to say the illustrations were stunning and extremely detailed. The poetry and prose included were quite traditional and from a number of authors that I didn’t recognise but there were some I did such as Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare and Wordsworth and ranged from the 17th century to recent times. There is even an extract from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland entitled “Rose.” I would have preferred a few more modern day entries though as I found some of the language quite difficult to get my head around.

However, I loved the familiarity of some of the flowers and was surprised that I recognised many of them from the little bit of gardening that I have done. The poems and extracts chosen by the editor were nice but not always to my taste although there were a few which I really did like once I had read them a few times. The illustrations are beautiful and so calming to look at and it’s one of those books you can start and stop anywhere and keep coming back to time and time again.

I would definitely recommend this if you are looking to gift it to someone who appreciates the beauty and intricacy of flowers, appreciates botanical illustration and likes classical poetry and flower related prose too. This book is now available on kindle as well and is great to flick through on the move.

This book makes you want to go out in a garden in an English spring with its inspiring and beautiful descriptions of flowers by great poets and botanical writers. There are Gerard Manley Hopkins with his bluebells who graciously bid to each other, Flora Thompson's 'glowing gypsy heather' and Anna Seward's 'scarlett poppy of the pathless field'. Reginald Farrer, a botanical writer, fell in love with the forget-me-not 'clinging to life in frost and withering salt blast'.

There aren't many descriptions of tropical flowers, unfortunately, but there are a few. This book mostly focuses on very European or American flowers. These are mainly by the botanical writers who travelled. I especially enjoyed their writing, although the poetry is beautiful. However, it is a soothing and relaxing book to read, especially if you are spending travel restrictions dreaming of going to England again and seeing Green Park covered in daffodils.

I received this free ebook from <a href="www.netgalley.com">NetGalley</a> in return for an honest review.

Another fine RHS collection. The choices do tend towards the traditional with the likes of Lewis Carroll, Shakespeare, Betjeman, Burns and DH Lawrence featuring, but the volume is well edited and most of the poems are enjoyable, and uplifting. The book also includes over 100 illustrations with adds to the soothing feel of the experience. Ideal for dipping into. Would recommend for gardening enthusiasts and nature lovers.

I read a digital ARC version of this book, though if other RHS collections are anything to go by, the printed copy will be handsomely designed, making for an ideal gift.

The RHS Book of Flower Poetry and Prose is an exquisitely presented book of poetry and extracts divided by flower type from Crocus to Orchid, Jasmine to Forget-Me-Not, each flower species has a poem dedicated to it from some more prominent poets such as William Wordsworth, DH Lawrence and John Clare to lesser known prose experts, including Reginald Farrer, Anne Ridler and Margery Fish; there is something in this beautiful collection to please everyone. Accompanied by captivating botanical art taken from the archives of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Lindley Library every piece is as eye catching and engaging as the last, albeit in different ways.

It is a truly delightful book that will no doubt appeal to gardeners and poetry lovers alike. The verse are illustrated throughout primarily by colour prints but also a few interesting black and white images, all which complement the poems exceptionally well. It is the sort of book that is wonderful to have as a coffee table piece allowing you to dip in and out of it at leisure as it would be a welcome addition to many people's homes and would also make a fantastic present for those who are green fingered nature lovers or those with a deep appreciation of the English language.

Most of the pieces are full length poems yet others are excerpts from stories or plays such as those of William Shakespeare. They all fit with the thematic nature of the anthology. As someone who is shielding due to poor health this allows me to venture out into the garden on a fine day to read and dream of exploring nature in all its splendour when we escape this situation. For now I shall celebrate the beauty within these pages and the RHS' timely celebration of the benefits of getting back to nature through this lovely collection. Highly recommended.