The Cosmos Flowers riff on LEGO Botanicals Daisy bouquet released earlier this year. With a few flowers and some lavender like blooms, you could almost suspect it of trying to be a copy of this earlier set. I suspect we will learn that this is not the case.

The set is aimed at builders aged 9 and up, has 177 pieces and will be priced at $AUD24.99 / 14.99€ / $USD14.99 /£12.99. The LEGO Group sent this set over for an early review.Let’s take a closer look.

The set comes in a small box, containing three paper bags, with 3 bright green axles, 14 studs long.

The set comes with one instruction book.

The set has a good collection of shields in white, bright pink and bright reddish violet. There are 24 1×1 1×1 tiles with vertical clips; some green octagonal panels and 24 transparent handles with a single stud (along with a few in dark red. We have golden bars and handles. Finally, there are a couple of green foliage elements, along with green claws and a collection of connectors. It’s quite a varied collection of elements for such a small set, particularly focussing on bar, clip and hole connections – relying on the 3.18mm system for mush of the construction, as we will see soon.

The Build

We start with the white flower, followed by the bright pink and finally the magenta, centering around the petals: each flower uses a similar construction: each petal is a 3 element construction: the handle element threads underneath the handle of the shield, and a tile with vertical clips is attached on the end.

These are arranged around the central octagonal frame. The centre flower has layers of smaller floral elements.

I have to admit, I think I was pretty spoiled by putting together the 11505 Woodland Mushrooms last weekend: beyond the stems in the foliage elements, that set did not have a lot of repetition. By the time this set is complete, we will have made 24 of these 3-part petal elements. These are fiddly, and there are lots of opportunities get them a little off: You need to ensure that:

• The handle is aligned appropriately with the shield
• The clip is aligned appropriately with the shield and
• The handles are equally inserted through the shield’s handle.
• The clips are then located centrally around the octagonal frame

In the first instance, I found this process to be a bit frustrating. In fact I struggled to get them to line up. I finished the build and created a MOC with it. Then I returned it to the intended state.

The flower is built up over a petalled element. A couple of the flowers attach to the stem using angled connectors. There are also a couple of foliage elements attached using a technic bush with connector bar. An angled stem branches off the white flower with a small bud, ready to bloom.

We then move onto a lavender-like flower – These are alternating magenta flowers and dark red studs, secured by a white bar down the center.

These are supported on a branch of gold bars – it’s an interesting decision to step away from green for the stem.

The final bouquet fits into a small vase. I had a problem with the leaves on the stems of the flowers trying to spin the flowers around, and facing away. This, combined with the difficulty in arranging the petals evenly across each flower had me feeling a little disappointed with the overall model.

I borrowed the pots featured in the new Water Lilies set, stacked them up on each other, exploiting the great new circular plate, and set the flowers up in that…

To be sure, this is a feature that has a lot of folks excited about the water lilies: these plates are a game-changer, binding together stacks of panels that lack a firmer attachment.

And then I got Creative…

I was initially feeling a little frustrated after first putting the flowes together, and I wanted to take a look at what else might be possible.

This started to make me think of some form of layered skirt, with a single leg. So, I added the curving bar, and attached a couple of connectors to the end. I added a lavender flower as a torso, with a central bar – strengthening the torso, and providing somewhere for arms to attach: I slid the technic bushes with a connecting piece over the torso, adding a leaf over the shoulders. I used a lavender for one arm, and a foliage element, with an added bar for another.

From here, things fell together. It feels as though we have a dancer from the bottom of the garden.

This model reminds me of the variety of elements and connections possible with this set – while the majority elements have a fairly limited number of connection points there are enough parts that offer the chance to expand on this to allow some interesting results.

Troubleshooting

I realised I needed some better images of the original model: I returned the flowers to their intended state: As I worked on them, I came to realise that by laying the flowers face down on the table, I could line up the depth of insertion of the handles a little more easily, as well as ensure the petals were all flat, compared to each other. Much better! Until I discovered this, I was ready to dislike this set a lot. This was like the light being turned on for me. And from here on, I have come to really appreciate the options and techniques available.

My Thoughts

I was initially quite frustrated by the effort required to line up the handle with the shield, and then ensure the clip plate was aligned correctly, and then attach them evenly to the octagonal frame.

The process became easier with each flower. But they were unevenm, poorly spaced and leaving me cursing. I didnt want to keep the set together – so I went on a tangent and built the dancer.

I needed some better images of the entire set together, and reconstruction became a lot easier after I discovered the ‘lie the flower flat’ method of petal alignment. And now I’m happy to think about flicking between the original set and MOCs, like I did back in the 70s and 80s with my classic town and space sets.

This model might try your patience, but will be worth the effort. I’m not going to lie: this process initially caused me a lot of frustration, and made it very easy to disassemble the model and play with the parts: It turns out that practicing the connections, and getting experience with the parts palette, isn’t such a bad thing to do.

Despite my initial frustrations, I have warmed to this set as I got to know the parts involved and became more familiar with the techniques for dealing with them.

I’m sure many of you will be able to create far more interesting forms with the included elements, but I found them far more inspiring than I expected. While firmly wedged between System and Technic builds, Botanicals is certainly developing a design language all of its own.

It’s a solid 4 out of 5 arbitrary praise units. I don’t see Cosmos flowers in our garden very often, and I initially thought that this was a fanciful model, but I think it straddles the bridge between realism and the fantasy stereotype that I learned to draw as a kid. As a model aimed at builders from 9 and up, I think this is a good thing. Cosmos and Daisies form the template by which we are taught to recognise and draw flowers from an early age, despite the wider variety of forms that can be found in nature

I must admit, my relationship with this set has been a little rocky. The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster here: initially frustrated by the petals, I was inspired to create further models based around the set, and then returning to the intial model, more comfortable with the challenges it offered, and seeing new forms in the model. It’s a great collection of parts, demonstrating a variety of techniques to use them.

Set 11514 Cosmos Flowers is aimed at builders aged 9 and up, has 177 pieces and is priced at $AUD24.99 / 14.99€ / $USD14.99 /£12.99. It was released on 1st June, 2026.

This set was provided by the LEGO Group for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!

Post script:

I really am enjoying this set as a parts pack. Today I imagined the shields as scales. Or are they feathers?

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