Earlier this year, LEGO released two sets in the LEGO Botanical line that many LEGO fans, including myself, really liked. The #10368 LEGO Botanical Chrysanthemum and the #10369 LEGO Botanical Plum Blossom. The two sets come with matching stands and vases and feature intricately designed flowers made with interesting pieces and in beautiful and vibrant colors.
The building instructions of both sets mention that in a tradition that spans more than a thousand years, these flowers are often portrayed in ink-and-wash paintings as part of a classic quartet of beautiful plants known as The Four Gentlemen or The Four Noble Ones. Together, they represent the virtues and continuous circle of the four seasons. The chrysanthemum represents autumn and inspires us to share joy and withstand adversity, while the plum blossom represents winter and reminds us of our inner beauty and grace in times of adversity.
I built these two sets a month ago and enjoyed them both. The stands and the vases utilize some interesting sideways building techniques, and I really like the matching yet different shapes and colors. The flowers combine LEGO Technic elements, botanical pieces, and recolored small LEGO pieces and accessories like bananas and cupcakes for the chrysanthemums, and eggshells and crowns for the plum blossoms.
A unique feature of the LEGO Botanical sets is that there is a lot of room to arrange them exactly to your liking, similarly as you would do with real flowers. Many pieces are connected with bars and clips, or LEGO Technic connectors, which allows them to be bent and shaped in different orientations without compromising durability. This is quite different than building with standard LEGO elements where structures are a lot more rigid once you assemble them.
Once built, the sets look beautiful on display. They are colorful, tasteful, and not too big or small. Perfect for a shelf or desk at home or in the office. The prices aren’t bad either, at $29.99 each. I felt that I got my money’s worth both in terms of the building experience and the decor possibilities.
Since both instruction booklets introduced the four flowers as a collection, I was really hoping that LEGO would eventually release the remaining two of The Four Gentlemen. So I was delighted when it was revealed that LEGO is releasing the #10343 LEGO Botanical Mini Orchid, and the #10344 LEGO Botanical Lucky Bamboo in January 2025. I guess the sets already brought me luck, as LEGO sent both of them out to fan media for early review and thus I had a chance to build them during the holiday break.
Just like in the last two sets, the building instructions include lovely paintings and photos of the real flowers as well as a little bit of write-up about them. The orchid represents spring and symbolizes nobility, friendship, and integrity, as well as new beginnings, while the bamboo represents summer and because it is able to bend without breaking in harsh winds, it stands for humility, honesty, and loyalty.
The reddish-brown stands are built exactly the same as the earlier two sets. The vases also use the same pieces as in the first two sets but without the narrow neck section. Effectively, these four sets show us how to build nice little matching vases with LEGO elements.
Again, the flowers utilize LEGO Technic elements, botanical pieces, and recolored small LEGO pieces and accessories. The peachy-colored shields for the orchid are especially nice, as well as the use of wheelchair wheels in tan for the bamboo shoots.
Speaking of the bamboo, I thought it would be the least interesting to build, as it is just stalks and leaves, but I actually really enjoyed it. There is a hint of water in the vase using translucent elements, and some brick-built pebbles that sit loosely in the vase. It also includes 2×2 round tiles with unique prints; three for the bamboo stalk tops, and one lucky coin with intricate design hidden inside the vase.
Each set takes about an hour to build, and as I mentioned, it is an enjoyable experience. They are all different yet make a cohesive collection due to the matching vases and stands. I really like how the four of them look together. From the LEGO Botanical collection, there are now my favorite sets and I highly recommend them.
If you would like to check them out, the first two sets are still available and the second two will be available starting on January 1st at the LEGO Botanical section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Botanical collection? Do you have any of the sets? And what do you think of this series of four flowers? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!
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I got the first two already, and I agree, they are wonderful! And I’m so happy they made the remaining two!
I built the chrysanthemum with my girls, and we had a blast. I think we’ll make the rest of the sets our next family project! Even though these are marketed for adults, my kids were better at connecting and arranging the small bits.