The new LEGO IDEAS set 21353 The Botanical Garden boasts over 3700 pieces, 12 minifigures as well as 4 birds and 4 other animals. But its main claim to fame is the fact that it includes 35 different species of plant. With some interesting recolours already available via the existing Botanicals Collection, I thought it might be worth scouring the images of the set, and matching up the flowers with a list provided by the LEGO Ambassadors Network.

Although… That list might not quite be complete…

This won’t be a comprehensive review, as I don’t actually have the set in my hands, rather a tour in search of the plants matching the description. Once we are done, we will take a quick review of floral elements appearing in minifigure scaled sets over the years.

A guide to the The Botanical Gardens

1. Large Tree: Japanese Maple
2. Small Dark Green Trees: Weeping White Spruce
3. Pink Flowers : Pentas Lanceolata / Egyptian Starcluster
4. Purple Flowers: Purple Hydrangeas
5. Pink Flowers with white tops: Pink Ice Cream Tulips
6. Pink tulip-like flowers on bush: Hypericum with Pink Berries
   
   
7. Yellow Potted Flower: Yellow Tulip
8. Pink Flowers: Pink Zinnias
9. Large Tree: Eucalyptus Pauciflora
10. Large Tree: Date Palm
11. Medium Tree: Alpine Larch
12. Lime Green Plants: Sarracenia Oreophila (Pitcher Plants)
13. Medium Tree: Bamboo
    
    
14. Plant with pink flowers: Pink Lupines
15. Tall Plant with Yellow Crowns: Yellow Angel Trumpet Plant
16. Plant with Orange Crests: Bird of Paradise
17. Large Red Flower: Rafflesia arnoldi (Corpse Flower / Giant Padma)
18. Mushrooms: Assorted, including Amanita Pantherina (Dark Tan), Amanita Muscaria (Red), and Amanitas Flavoconia (Yellow).
19. 2X Leafy Plants: Asplenium Scolopendrium (Hart’s Tongue Fern)
20. Vine: Himalayan Ivy (Hedera nepalensis)
21. Pink Flowers: Pink Astilbe
22. Coral Flowers: Anthurium
23. Small Light Yellow Flowers: Yellow/Welsh Poppy
24. Tall Plant with Cherry Elements: Coffee Plant
25. Orange/White flower: Orange Banksia (Banksia Prionotes)
26. Short Cactus with Yellow Flower: Parodia magnifica
27. Tall Green Cactus Trio: Pachycereus Marginatus (Fence Post Cactus)
28. Tall Green Cactus with Pink Flower: Echinopsis Grandiflora (Torch Cactus)
29. Cactus Cluster: Aztekium Hinton
30. Hanging in Café: Philodendrons
31. Undocumented: Could this reddish orange plant be an Orange Zinnias?
32. Yellow and orange flower Undocumented
33. Red flowers in front of the windows of the main hall: Are these roses? I think they are Roses
34. Climbing the wall of the gardens outside the cafe: Probably Ivy
35. Printed on the tile : 4 leaf Clover

Well, that’s a start. The supplied images so far do not give a good view of all the flowers – particularly on the inside wall to the right of the entrance at the front.

A History of minifigure scaled Flower elements.

Let’s take a look at the floral elements designed to be used with minifigures/minidolls over the years. This is not an exhaustive review of every way used to build a flower out of LEGO bricks, or any flowers aimed at a different scale, rather, we will look at the elements designed as flowers/stems in minifigure /minidoll scale sets over the years.

In the Beginning

When I was a kid, there were very few elements available that looked like flowers. The classic flower (3742) and stem(3741) elements were introduced in 1977, and there was nothing to compare, until a couple of years after I entered my Dark Ages.

This element always leads to a little discussion and debate – and continues to – as to which is the best way to display it… with the stud (and the centre of the flower is the diameter of a standard stud) facing up or down

Of course, the advantage of having a stud side is its is its ability to bind other elements:

More angular, and larger flowers(4728 – flower; 4727 – stem) appeared in 1985. They initially appeared in ‘BASIC’ sets, and made their way into Fabuland sets around 1987. Along the way, they made their way into Belville and finally appearing in some of the early friend sets, and Disney princess. A closed stud version was introduced in 2007, and continues to thrive in Creator 3in1 and Classic sets.

The Iconic foliage elements (small: 2423; larger: 2417) debuted in 1987 as part of Castle’s Forestmen Sub-theme. Over the years they have appeared in 19 different colours!

In the mid 90’s we gained some leafy elements (6255) that we could stack with our flower stems

The 21st Century: plates with hollow studs and pinholes

We start to see a shift in the type of floral elements available, shifting towards 1×1 round plates, with petals – initially with 4 petals (Scala, 2000, continuing until 2020. Element 33291) and a 5 petal version,24866, appearing in Friends in 2018, and new spreading its wings across the LEGO Range. These 1×1 plates have hollow studs that accommodate a standard bar, as well as a central pinhole, allowing them to be attached onto stems.

Stems

A new stem element family appeared 2012 – initially in series 7 of the Collectable minifigures – a stem that could be held by a minifigure(99249), with 3 pins for flowers. This has been revised to an element that can stack (having a hole for a bar at the top – 24855) in 2018, while a 6-stemmed version, amounting to a full-on bouquet(19119), appeared in Elves in 2015.

More recently, a smaller stem (68211) has become available. It works well to support a single flower, or a tight bunch of flowers. Of course, it looks great as a carrot top as well.

The coming of friends, and their hair accessories

The arrival of LEGO Friends in 2012 introduced a new generation of floral elements, used as hair decorations, they have a single pin connection, which also allows them to piggy back on other elements with a pin hole in them, such as the rounded studs, which can be attached to plates, foliage elements or leaves.

Friends also introduced a ‘bugs and flowers’ pack which came in bright light orange and red. It came with three separate flower designs each with a pinhole within a bar connection, and included a 7 petalled daisy, hibiscus and a rose.

2018 – now. Not only, but also

Along with the 5 petal stud, a new daisy element (32606, subtle mould change in 2024 to 4367) and leaf (32607) arrived in 2018. The back of the daisy is a standard bar, with a pinhole in the middle. It can sit on a stem, or in a standard hole. The hole is long enough that there is room for a second pin attachment in the centre of the flower.

A new leaf (32607) also arrived, proving a stud/bar holder on top, as well as an anti stud underneath. It joins the increasing collection of rounded plates that also arrived around that time.

If you are trying to convey the idea of growth in plants, then a young shoot is probably necessary. A three leafed version with a single pinhole came into being, and is just right to attach a pin accessory to, such as a floral hair ornament.

Finally, in 2024 we have 2 new flower elements. One is a peony/rose element (5904) which has already been seen in the wicked sets. Here is a closer look at this new element:

The other new floral mould to arrive this year is the tulip, debuting in the Ideas Botanical Garden set, I haven’t had the chance to play with it in real life yet.

And another thing…

There are a few elements that I have not focussed on here, and they are more recent vine/stalk elements which are still relatively scarce on the ground. From the branching stalk with bar, bar holder and stud (1566) and the 1747 Stalk with bar and bar holder and 2 leaves. For reasons I do not understand, I cannot find any of the latter element in my collections today. People who have seen my build space might understand why. These elements fit the ‘candle element’, and came into service in 2022.

Finally, Also the Bar 1L with Angled Hollow Stud (75578) superhero ‘flying action plate on a bar’ takes on a new lease of life when coloured green, and having a flower and leaf attached. The vine elements are the same width as the ‘Candle’, and is as round as a stud, and has a short bar on one end, and a hole that accepts a bar in the other.

In Conclusion

Over the years, we have had a remarkable selection of elements appropriate for creating flowers at minifigure scale. The last few years have seen quite a proliferation flower, leaf and stem elements, greatly building on the palette that we had available prior to 2010.

The pin, rather than bar, connection has been relatively under utilised in the LEGO system over the years, typically holding feathers or other hat and hair accessories in place. After initially being utilised with the classic flower, subsequent floral elements have continued to incorporate the pin hole, while also utilising bar or hole connections, as well as studs and anti studs allows the addition of small flower elements with nought but a pin connector to other floral elements, to good effect.

A technique that is put to good use in the new LEGO Ideas Botanic Garden. (To say nothing of a nifty recolour of the banana peel element.)

In this article, we have focussed on the floral elements that appear in minifigure scale sets: NOT the botanical collection per se, many of which are intended to be a little more lifelike in their appearance.

I hope you have enjoyed this whistlestop tour of the Botanical Gardens, as well as the review of LEGO (minifigure scale) flowers from over the years. What is your favorite plant included in the Botanical Gardens? Leav your thoughts and comments below!

Gift With Purchase for Insiders Purchasing the Botanic Garden

If you order this set during the first week of November 2024, and are a LEGO Insiders member, you will also receive 5009005 Entrance Gate. With another bird, butterfly and grounds keeper, will this be the enticement you need to purchase this set?

The LEGO Ideas The Botanical Gardens is available for LEGO Insiders from 1st November 2024 for all from 4th November priced at €329.99 / £289.99 / $329.99 / 429.99 CAD / 499.99 AUD. Please consider using our affiliate link:The Rambling Brick might receive a small commission from any purchases you make, helping us to offset the costs of maintaining the blog.

If you have enjoyed this post, please feel free to share it with your friends, families and communities. You can also keep up to date with us by following The Rambling Brick on our socials: Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Tumblr (or just sign up for our mailing list) and find some extra content on Instagram and TikTok.

We really value your feedback: please let us know what you think about the sets we review, and the articles we post. And if you wish to support the Rambling Brick, consider clicking on our affiliate links before going shopping at LEGO.com. The Rambling Brick receives a small commission, and it costs you nothing extra.

Until Next Time,

Play Well!