We can’t think of two things that we love more than our favorite flowers and the books we return to time and time again. Both make us deeply emotional, as well as appreciate the beauty that they bring into the world. The blooms we adore run the gamut, from traditional roses and fresh hydrangeas to sophisticated orchids. Naturally, we appreciate books from a host of genres ranging from classic to contemporary, romantic to mysterious, and so much more. It was only fitting, then, for us to combine these wholesome pleasure that make life more meaningful in a way that celebrates the spirit of both. At Nanz & Kraft Florist in Louisville, Kentucky, we’ve selected the our favorite combinations for gifting to a loved one or simply enjoying for ourselves. Let our inspired guide sweep you away!

The Classics

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Authored by Emily Brontë, one of the powerhouse sisters who wrote some of the best-known novels of all-time, Wuthering Heights is a true classic. The gothic romance follows Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, whose deep and powerful bond is tinged with drama and conflict. Many argue that the descriptions of the untamed Yorkshire moors is strong enough to be its own character, which is inextricable from the flowers that grow in its gardens: pink garden roses, broad-faced peonies, and delphinium that towers above the blooms below.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a prolific writer, but is perhaps best remembered for his great American novel, The Great Gatsby. The book highlighted the opulence of the Roaring Twenties with a critical eye on the excess of the era, as well as Jay Gatsby’s doomed love for Daisy Buchanan. While daisies are an obvious flower to represent this seminal contribution to the literary canon, green orchids bring to mind the green of money, as well as the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. The dual embodiment of luxury and longing inherent in this bloom match the book perfectly.

Mystery Thrillers

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Wildly popular on library queues and bookstore shelves, The Housemaid has masterful twists and turns that delight even the most discerning mystery lovers. The premise seems simple: a woman in need named Millie takes a job as a maid for a photo-perfect couple named Andrew and Nina Winchester. But the Winchesters are more troubled than they appear to the outside world, and soon the cracks in their façade become clear. White orchids reflect the elegance and sophistication of the Winchester home, down to Nina’s crisp ivory outfits, at least in the beginning…

His & Hers by Alice Feeney

His & Hers draws mystery readers in with its shifting perspectives and the delicious uncertainty of never knowing who to trust. The story is elegant with an underpinning of menace, revealing secrets with perfect timing while keeping tension high. Red dahlias capture the novel’s intensity, passion, and danger. Their blood-red color and dramatic form pay homage to a story in which attraction, ambition, and deception unfold simultaneously.

Romance

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus beguiles with its spellbound atmosphere, fierce competition, and slow-burning romance wrapped in magic. Every page is enchanted, wherein secrets shimmer beneath velvet darkness and nothing is as simple as it seems. Its appeal lies in the novel’s rich mood, elegant suspense, and stunning color palette of black and white with a splash of red. Red roses, black calla lilies, and delicate white accents capture the vibe, echoing the story’s passion, mystery, and striking theatricality.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The Duke and I, the Julia Quinn novel that inspired Netflix’s Bridgerton, chronicles Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset as a pretend courtship gives way to a real love story. Simon is determined never to marry while Daphne longs for a true match. But fate steps in and sweeps readers into the romance that defined an era. Tulips mark the moment beautifully because they herald the burgeoning love that revives the world every spring. In the book, Simon gives tulips to Violet Bridgerton, which underscores his bond with Daphne and the family around her.

Beach Reads

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand’s The Five-Star Weekend begins with Hollis Shaw, a beloved food blogger whose life is upended by sudden loss. In search of healing, she invites friends from different chapters of her life to Nantucket for a restorative seaside gathering. As the weekend unfolds, old wounds, buried truths, friendship, grief, reinvention, and the complicated nature of love all rise to the surface. Blue and white hydrangeas symbolize heartfelt emotion, remembrance, and the layered beauty of lives that continue to grow through change.

The Wedding People by Aliso Espach

Phoebe Stone arrives alone at a grand Newport inn in The Wedding People, where everyone assumes she belongs to the wedding chaos happening around her. From that premise, the novel opens into a witty story about grief, chance encounters, and the surprising ways strangers help us heal. Its emotional pull comes from balancing heartbreak with humor and romance with second chances. Ranunculus and white calla lilies suit it beautifully, reflecting wedding-day elegance and love rediscovered unexpectedly.

Fiction

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Shelby Van Pelt’s wildly popular debut introduces readers to Tova Sullivan, a widowed aquarium cleaner in the Pacific Northwest. Her quiet routine changes through her unlikely bond with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, and with Cameron, a drifting young man searching for answers about his past. Warm, witty, and profound, the novel explores loneliness, aging, belonging, and the way our bonds help us heal. Orange spider mums, with their curling petals, recall an octopus’s graceful reach, while alstroemeria adds a fitting note of friendship and devotion.

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Jordan’s present-day life is unsettled when a surprise return pulls her back toward the intense college bond she once shared with Sam and Yash. Spanning youth and middle age, the novel is a nuanced study of longing, memory, regret, and the power of first love. Its power lies in how sharply it captures desire, forgiveness, and the selves we leave behind in order to move forward. Orange lilies make a witty, luminous pairing for King’s name, while Peruvian lilies beautifully symbolize the loyalty and friendship at the story’s heart.

Our taste in books is just as nuanced, sophisticated, and personal as our taste in blooms, but both of these healthy pleasures say so much about who we are. Combining them allows us to curate a vibe as well as discover more about who we are and what makes us tick. At Nanz & Kraft Florist, we’re excited to accompany you on your flower-filled, literary journey of exploration and enjoyment.