The Reading Warehouse

For every emotion and feeling the Victorians used flowers, bushes, and trees to express it. Not just love, attraction, and desire, but also doubt, indifference, slander, and cruelty. They created beautiful bouquets and tussie mussies to express their connection to the natural world and feelings -- not all of them pleasant -- to each other.

We're rediscovering this bygone way to communicate our deepest thoughts and emotions and "A Dictionary of Flowers and Gems" can help. We've taken 2,000 plants, supplied their scientific name, and arranged them from Aaron's Beard ( Hypericum calycinum]: Invincibility, Protection) to Zinnia, yellow ( Zinnia]: Daily remembrance, Remembrance).

We also resorted the plants according to emotions, such as Abandonment: Anemone (Zephyr Flower), Field Anemone, Grape, Japanese Anemone (Windflower), Jasmine Anemone, Red Anemone, Wildflower Anemone, and Zeal: (Elderberry, Wake-robin (Arum)).

Finally, we created specialty lists to cover emotions such as courtship, love and affection, beauty, and refusal, making it easier to create themed bouquets and gardens. There are also lists for color connections, birth month flowers and anniversary flowers, making this the most useful flower reference on the market.

A bonus section lists more than 400 gems and crystals and their associated powers and benefits. See which ones strengthen the chakras, encourage feelings of peace and calmness, radiate love, and fortify self-confidence.

"A Dictionary of Flowers and Gems" provides an easy-to-use reference for quick consultations for practitioners of the floral and gemstone arts.