I have to share how I stumbled upon my favorite find of this month – The Book of Flowers by Taschen.

A few weeks ago, I was having lunch with my friend Amber in LA. She recently purchased a beautiful new home up in the hills, and another friend of hers came along too. The lunch quickly became a small housewarming party.

After, her friend Laura said, “I want you to open your gift!” She brought a colorfully wrapped package to the table, and I watched my friend unwrap it. “It’s gorgeous!” she said. I took a look and asked Laura, “Where did you find this?! I love it!”

Laying there on the table was The Book of Flowers by Taschen. This book is so lovely. Illustrated by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the vast collection of watercolors is truly incredible to look through.

Inside the first pages, I learned that Redouté built a body of work consisting of over 2000 paintings of plants throughout his lifetime. What makes his work so unique is his “great accuracy and faithfulness to nature” and the that he focused on painting only “live plants cultivated in gardens in and around Paris.” Because his subjects were so vibrant and alive, “his watercolours still radiate a remarkable freshness.”

Flipping through this book, you can imagine strolling through private gardens in Parisian neighborhoods of the early 1800s, seeing these flowers blossoming in their full glory. Everything somehow seems more beautiful in Paris, and I’m so happy to have this book resting on my coffee table.

Have you ever wondered what flowers actually symbolize? Have a look at some of the meanings of flowers you see every day. You might be surprised!