Review: Lego 40588 Flowerpot

This cute set, 40588: Flowerpot(ad link) was available in 2023 through several gift with purchase promotional periods from Lego.com's shop. I picked up a copy second hand more recently.

While not officially marketed as part of the Botanicals Collection, it is very much in that style, and surely would feel missing from anyone collecting that range. It's also a great parts pack, with nice quantities of appealing and unusual elements. Continue below for my thoughts...

The arrangement includes a large bulbous vase, comprised of four parts more commonly used to make hot-air balloons, and then a variety of flowers of foliage. The two tall brown stems, which I think are meant to be pussy willow or similar, give a lovely structure to the arrangement, with other flowers lower-down spilling over the vase edge, making it feel quite lively.

Unlike some of the flower bouquet sets that don't come with their own vase, the arrangement is fairly firmly defined in the instructions. Although some of the stems have various connection points that can easily result in variations of arrangements, and the way they are all attached via an interior grid system in the vase makes it easy to modify.

As pictured at the top of the page, the arrangement looks it best viewed from the front, although it's quite presentable from most front-favouring angles, and above. From behind it looks like a little more obviously made from Lego, so looses a little of the botanical illusion, although it still looks reasonable I feel.

As charming and pretty as this set is, what really excites me about it is the parts! This little thing is a real treasure trove of unusual and appealing parts, especially if, like me, you like building Lego plants!

Naturally, as a plant-building set, this is packed with useful elements in greens and browns that lend themselves to form stems, branches, leaves, and flowers. I'm particularly fond of all the brown and green bar-based parts (including and similar to the part originally introduced as a minifigure candlestick). There's also a nice selection of Technic parts in organic colours for building more robust flower stems or trees (depending on your scale)

There are some quite novel parts too, such as an abundance of yellowish-green eggs (sixteen of them!).

And of course the big panels that make up the exterior of the vase. In bright light yellow this uncommon part is so far unique to this set in this colour.

So all round this is a pretty great set I feel. A lovely display piece, and a great parts pack. Exactly what I want from Lego!

As this was released as a gift with purchase, it's not one you can routinely buy alas. However they're fairly abundant on the secondary market now, so if you fancy a copy to add to your botanical displays, or parts collections, you should be able to track one down. You might try hunting via my ad-links to eBay or Amazon to support this blog :)

Please do check back soon for more of my Lego reviews of sets new and old! You can keep up to date with The Brickverse, by following me on social media; you'll find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.