Awesome Flowers

This fast-paced arcade game asks players to control a flower and a wasp to fight off various enemies in their otherworldly ecosystem. Caleb Wood, one of the concept artists behind the exceptional sci-fi series Scavenger’s Reign, created the game. It’s out now on Steam for Windows and supports single-player and local co-op modes.

There’s something magical about nature guidebooks filled with illustrations and insights about the flora and fauna around us. From mountains to ocean shores, wetlands to deserts, How to Read the Wilderness: An Illustrated Guide to the Natural Wonders of North America blends art and science to reveal intimate details of wild places.

Springtime brings flowers — including plastic posies. The LEGO Brick Botanicals jigsaw puzzle from Chronicle Books is a blooming, pretty one depicting a heck of a creative build using thousands of LEGO bricks and specialty pieces. Bonus: the 25 x 20” puzzle has 1,000 flat cardboard pieces that don’t hurt like real LEGOs when stepped on.

Natasha, aka Cannon Doll-X, is just learning about blacksmithing. She recently attended Catskills Maker Camp, where she picked up some new skills and shows us some of what she learned by welding and hot-bending a metal rose. The event looks like a great opportunity for makers of all skill levels to get hands-on experience.

This cheerful floral mug might seem inviting at first, but it also will keep idiots from stealing your mug. The 11 oz. ceramic mug wards off would-be mug thieves and other office pests with a subtle message that says “f*ck around and find out.”

Did you know that “margarita” actually means “daisy” in Spanish? Patron Tequila and St. Germain teamed up with artist and floral visionary, Maurice Harris, to create a bouquet of fresh takes on the classic cocktail. The floral secret ingredient is St. Germain liqueur, made with 1,000 handpicked elderflower blossoms.

When you look at a flower during a single moment, it appears completely still. But as Another Perspective’s 10-day time-lapse video shows, they’re anything but inanimate objects. Watch as a bunch of dandelions open and close to drink in light, then go back to sleep before eventually releasing their seeds.

Non-alcoholic drinks are booming thanks to modern spirits that deliver complex flavors and healthy ingredients. Distilled in the Pacific Northwest, zero-calorie, gluten-free Wilderton is made from globally-sourced botanicals in two flavor profiles: smoky Earthen, and citrusy Lustre. Tasty, guilt-free bases to mix, sip, and savor.

Artist Norihiko Terayama’s handmade acrylic desk accessory is filled with tiny dried flowers for a dramatic display. It’s also a functional ruler, as each stem is placed precisely one centimeter apart. Measures 1.5″ h x 11.8″ w x .31″ d. Available exclusively from Generate.

Don’t end up in the doghouse this Valentine’s Day. Instead, grab your sweetheart a bouquet from Florists.com and get $40 worth of flowers for just $20 when you drop by The Awesomer Shop. They have a huge variety of flowers, plants, fruit bouquets, and gift baskets, and even offer same-day delivery (for an added fee.)

One of designer Takao Inoue’s artistic goals is to capture fleeting moments and preserve them. His unique tabletop curiosity does just that, freezing a puffy dandelion about to release its seeds inside an acrylic block, illuminated in space with a smooth, OLED light source.

Do something nice for Mom this year with this great deal from Teleflora. She’ll get fresh, locally-delivered flowers, and you’ll get $40 in purchase credit for just $20 over in The Awesomer Shop.

Mrs. Kuroki was devastated when diabetes took her eyesight. Her husband created a vast flower garden in their yard, hoping that she will enjoy its scent as well as the company of visitors that it would attract. Their house is now a popular tourist spot. Photo by Morimori.

Bloemencorso in The Netherlands is a parade that features floats made from flowers. And by floats, we mean gigantic, twisting architectural structures and straight up weird animatronic animals.