The Shakespeare Garden Reading List
A growing list of books exploring Shakespeare gardens, Shakespearean floriography, and the Elizabethan language of flowers
“Shakespeare looked at wild flowers not as a botanist, but as a countryman looks at them. Every word he wrote about the familiar denizens of the meadows, fields and hedgerows of Warwickshire, the glades of the Forest of Arden, and the banks of the Avon, testifies to his keen powers of observation and his delight in the beauty and fragrance of wild flowers.”
Eleanour Sinclair Rhode, Shakespeare’s Wild Flowers, Fairy Lore, Gardens, Herbs, Gatherers of Simples & Bee Lore
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As I discover new (and old) books exploring Shakespeare's gardens, Shakespearean symbology, and the Elizabethan language of flowers, I will add them to this list of literature and garden history lovers’ (and lover of everything in between) dreams. Through the Amazon Affiliate Program, any eligible purchases you make through Amazon links on this post will help me earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Your support is greatly appreciated in furthering the growth of The Pleasaunce! 𓇗
Botanical Shakespeare: An Illustrated Compendium of All the Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Trees, Seeds, and Grasses Cited by the World’s Greatest Playwright by Gerit Quealy
Shakespeare’s Gardens by Jackie Bennett
Shakespeare’s Plants and Gardens: A Dictionary by Vivian Thomas and Nicki Faircloth
A Shakespearean Botanical by Margaret Willes
Shakespeare’s Nature: From Cultivation to Culture by Charlotte Scott
A Gathering of Flowers from Shakespeare by Gerard Brender a Brandis and David Hoeniger
Shakespeare in the Garden by Mick Hales
A Shakespearean Botanical by Margaret Willes
Shakespeare in Art by Jane Martineau and Desmond Shawe-Taylor
Shakespeare’s Flora & Fauna by Trafalgar Square
Herb Garden Design by Ethne Clarke and Clive Nichols
Shakespeare’s Flowers by Chronicle Books
Shakespeare’s Flowers by Jenny de Get
Ann Hathaway’s Cottage by Levi Fox
A Illustrated Introduction to Shakespeare’s Flowers by Levi Fox
A Rose by Any Other Name: A Survey of Literary Flora from Shakespeare to Eco by Robert F. Fleissrer
Shakespeare’s Flowers by James A. Warner and Margaret J. White
Fantastic Garlands: An Anthology of Flowers and Plants from Shakespeare by Lys De Bray
The Flowers of Shakespeare by Doris Hunt
A Literary Herbal by Avril Rodway
Shakespearean Plant Names: Identifications and Interpretations by Mats Ryden
Jessica Kerr’s writing paired with Anne Ophelia Dowden’s illustrations place you in an Elizabethan garden, the English countryside where Shakespeare grew up, then back to the kitchen garden to pick some herbs. As you travel through the meadows and orchards of the Elizabethan era, you will better understand and appreciate the symbolism of these much loved plants and flowers used in Shakespeare’s works. ‘Shakespeare’s Flowers’ is a must add to your gardening library. 📚
“When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smocks all silver-white
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight,”
from Love's Labors Lost
Flowers and Trees of Tudor England by Clare Putman
The Shakespearian Gardens by Levi Fox
America’s First Shakespeare Garden by Edith Hubbart
Shakespeare Gardens: Design, Plants, and Flower Lore by Annie B. Carter
Shakespeare’s Wild Flowers, Fairy Lore, Gardens, Herbs, Gatherers of Simples and Bee Lore by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde
Flora and Folk-Lore of Shakespeare by F. G. Savage
Flowers from Shakespeare’s Garden by Walter Crane
Shakespeare’s Garden: With Reference To Over A Hundred Plants by Leonard Holmesworthe
The Plant-Lore and Garden-Craft of Shakespeare by Henry N. Ellacomb
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