In Florida it's all about the Flowers

A first bloom on my tulip tree.

When Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, discovered Florida in 1513 he gave it the name, La Florida, for a very good reason. Florida is all about the flowers, every shape, size and color you can imagine.

I first came to Florida thirty-one years ago this month and knew instantly that I had to stay. I got off the plane in Daytona Beach and fell in love with the balmy temp, sunny blue skies and fragrant flowers everywhere.

Azaleas in my yard.

Though I've moved away from Florida from time to time over the past years, I've always moved back. Although I have to admit the beaches are a big draw, I can't stay away from Florida's beautiful flowers. Even in the midst of winter, flowers bloom everywhere in Florida.

It's the end of January and my yard is abloom with azaleas of every shade, in addition to little white wildflowers that look like daisies. My tulip tree is just starting to bloom and my Easter Lilies will be gracing my yard in no time at all. Then I have an assortment of periwinkles, marigolds and other flowers I can't even name. And all this in the middle of winter.

More azaleas in my yard.

Florida is a huge state with a subtropical climate in the north and a tropical climate in the south. I live on the Panhandle which means azaleas, magnolias, jasmine, gardenias, camellias, wisteria, mimosa, more flowers and blooms than I can even begin to name.

Daisy-like wildflowers in my yard.

I have a passion for flowers, not cut floral bouquets, but flowers growing in my yard, in pots, around the neighborhood, in parks, well, everywhere.  I particularly like driving through the older neighborhoods which tend to be a panopoly of blooms in a riot of colors all year round.

Now this is where I confess that if a book has flowers on the cover, or if some flower is in the title, well, I stop and take a closer look at that book. Consequently, I read and enjoy a lot of books with flower titles. For this reason, I've put together a list of flower fiction just for you.


Fiction with Flowers (in no particular order):

The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss*
Beach Roses by Jean Stone
Caramel and Magnolias by Tess Thompson
Blood Orchids (Lei Crime Series #1) by Toby Neal**
Torch Ginger (Lei Crime Series #2) by Toby Neal**
Black Jasmine (Lei Crime Series #3) by Toby Neal**
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley**
Daisies in the Wind by Jill Gregory
The Blood Upon the Rose by Tim Vicary*
Flowers in the Blood by Gay Couter
Return of the Rose by Theresa Ragan**
The Women of Magnolia by Kate McCabe
Magnolia Park by Kate McCabe
Rawhide and Roses by Maddie James**
Flowers on Main (Chesapeake Shores) by Sherryl Woods
Where Azaleas Bloom (Sweet Magnolias) by Sherryl Woods
Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine by Marcia Lynn McClure**
Magnolia Moon (Callahan Brothers Trilogy) by JoAnn Ross*
Winter of the Passion Flower (The de Vargas Family #1, Steampunk) by Annie Seaton
He Kissed Me Between the Geraniums and the Daisies by Janice Silkworth
Magnolias, Moonlight and Murder (Elle Avery Mystery) by Sara Rosett
Prairie Rose (A Town Called Hope #1) by Catherine Palmer**
The Orchid Keeper's Son by Barbara Arnold
Please Don't Eat the Daisies by Jean Kerr*
Millie's Rose by Donna Sturgeon
Wild Orchids by Karen Robards*
Paper Roses (Texas Dreams #1) by Amanda Cabot*
Elly in Bloom by Colleen Oakes
The Pink Rose by Alicia Roberts
Flowers for Victoria by Sunni Jeffers
Sleeping with Anemone (A Flower Shop Mystery) by Kate Collins
The Flower Trilogy: Violet, Lily, Rose by Lauren Royal
Summer of Roses (Summer's Child) by LuAnne Rice*
Magnolia Creek by Jill Marie Landis
Coming Up Roses by Catherine Anderson
A Field of Poppies by Sharon Sala
Roses in Moonlight by Lynn Kurland*
A Garden in the Rain by Lynn Kurland*
Staying at Daisy's by Jill Mansell**
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Yellow Rose Bride by Lori Copeland
Orchids in Moonlight by Patricia Hagan**
Flowers from the Heart by Louise Armstrong
Summer Rose by Elizabeth Sinclair**
Blood on the Orchid (A Wolfgang Fenstemier Mystery) by R. Harris Harrison**
Murder at the Azalea Festival (Wilmington Series) by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter
The Iron Rose (Pirate Wolf Series) by Marsha Canham
Daisy's Back in Town by Rachel Gibson
The Scent of Jasmine (Edilean) by Jude Deveraux
Death in the Orchid Garden (Gardening Mysteries) by Ann Ripley
Magnolia Dreams (Richmond ) by Virginia Gaffney
The Thorn (Rose Trilogy #1) by Beverly Lewis
Black Rose (In the Garden Trilogy) by Nora Roberts
Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz
For the Roses by Julie Garwood
Orchid Blues (Holly Barker) by Stuart Woods
Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott
Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott
Daisy Miller by Henry James*

* Books I've read and Loved
**Books TBR on my Kindles

Other Flower Books (not to be missed):

Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway
The Power of Flower Colors by Rebecca Yaacov

As you can see from all the books listed above, I'm definitely drawn to books with flower titles. Hey, what can I say? I love flowers!