Set Review - #10314-1: Dried Flowers Centerpiece - Icons - Botanicals

The Botanicals line has continued strong with set #10314-1: Dried Flower Centerpiece which was released 1 February 2023. This one was priced at $49.99, but with all the sales can be found for around $38 right now. It’s going to be retiring soon so look for it to fall even lower as retailers look to get rid of inventory. The set contains 812 pieces which works out to $0.062 per piece. This isn’t bad although most of the pieces are rather small. If you really like the set, you can get more than one to make a larger display as shown on the back of the box. I just purchased one to build so onto the review…

The set contains seven parts bags and two instruction booklets. It’s possible to split the set up between two people so you could have one person build bags one through three and another builds bags four through seven.

Bag one assembles the base of the first half of the arrangement. Nothing overly extraordinary to report here.

The second bag adds in some of the plants around the edges of the base. The use of pieces is great with pumpkin pieces, crowns, whips, and Technic gears along with some of the usual plant pieces. Even if you don’t like botanical sets, you get some great colored foliage pieces for MOCs or forest scenes so it’s a good parts pack.

The third bag finishes up this half of the arrangement. The standout is the flower with the oar pieces connected to orange wrenches around a steering wheel type piece. The Ninjago hat as the center is great too. You also add in some other flowers to include some made with orange epaulets.

Bag four starts the other half of the arrangement. It looks very similar to bag one.

Bag five is similar to bag two. The build isn’t exactly the same, but there is some repetition between the two. It’s a smaller build so not too painful here.

Bag six finishes up most of this arrangement with the highlight being the rose. It’s impressive how the designers figured out how to overlap the wheel well pieces to create a flower like shape.

The last bag connects the two halves and also gives you the option to build a separate connecter piece. Buying two sets would allow you to connect the four halves and make a fun arrangement. You could put a real candle in the center or some other fun brick designed item to have a cool table decoration.

Here are a few shots of the final build. It’s not very large, but my NLS found a way to display it in our house for the fall and it looks great. If you’re a fan of the Botanicals line, I recommend picking this one up before it is gone if you haven’t already. If you are looking for a good parts pack with some foliage pieces, this is one to look for some sales on Black Friday to grab it at a discount for parts.

Happy building!

Set Review - #10329-1: Tiny Plants - Botanicals Collection

I have quite the backlog. So much to build and so little time. I can’t wait until I get to some of them too. I’ll try my best to get reviews out. This one is #10329-1: Tiny Plants. It’s another one from the Botanicals Collection and it was released on 1 December 2023. It retails for $49.99 and with 758 pieces, it works out to $0.066 per piece. I found this one for $39.99 and I’m sure if you look around, you can find it for this discount too.

The box is similar to others in the line with the full set shown on the front along with the Botanical’s logo, set name, and Icons and 18+ greebling. The back shows another view of the set and then the set displayed in a photography studio along with a drawing of the set showing the dimensions of one of the plants.

This set contains six parts bags and three instruction booklets. I built this one with my two kiddos. Each of us took an instruction booklet and two bags so it’s one that you can build together if you want.

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The build is broken into groups of three plants each based on the type of plant. The first group is Rainforest Plants. Bag one builds two plants. The first one is a Jade Plant (forest green). It’s the first one in the build to use minifigure hats for the leaves. It also is your first build of a small pot which are repeated throughout the build, but isn’t so repetitive if you split the build up. The next one is the False Shamrock plant which is made up of Purple butterfly pieces. It’s a pretty good fit if you do an internet search for the plant to see what one actually looks like.

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The second bag builds the Laceleaf. This is the tallest of the three and has the largest pot to build. You use a red shell piece, some red horns, and some yellow flowers to create the flower of the plant.

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The next group of plants are the Carnivorous Plants. Bag three builds the first two of these. Again, they have the same sizes of pots as group one with the first two in the group being the smaller ones. The first build is a Venus Flytrap. It definitely looks like it could clamp down on an insect, but the pieces can’t actually close so you can’t build a brick insect dying inside without some modification. Next up is the Red Sundew plant which uses some brushes and pink epaulets to create the shape of the plant.

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Bag four builds the last of the carnivores. This one is the Pitcher Plant. To me, this one doesn’t quite look like the actual plant, but you get the idea. This one also uses minifigure hats which is a fun touch for this build.

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The last grouping are the Cacti. Bag five builds two plants to include the first which is a small Succulent. I find the choice of a plant odd for this set as we had a whole set focused on Succulents in 2022. I guess this one comes in a little round pot versus a small little block so it’s different (slightly). The second build is a Prickly Pear cactus. This one has printed tiles which is way better than stickers and while small, gets the point across.

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Bag six builds the Pincushion. It almost looks like it would hurt if you touched it with all of the tan flower holders as spikes. The pink flowers above the darker pink to make it look like it is flowering is a nice touch too. I like how they did this one. Again, it’s in the larger pot out of the three in this group.

Here is the final set. Much like the Succulents set, you get nine plants in total. $50 seems a bit steep to me even if it works out to $0.066 per piece. To be honest, I thought $40 seemed a bit much too considering the size of what you are getting. I realize there are unique pieces and some prints, but it still feels small. Maybe it’s just my head hasn’t adjusted to inflation yet. If you can find it for $40 or less, I did think it was a fun build with some unique plants. If you are a MOC builder, you do get your hands one some fun pieces whether they are hats, butterflies, or brushes. If you are a fan of the Botanicals, I’d add this one to your collection at the lower price point (or more if it goes there).

Happy building!

Set Review - #10309-1: Succulents - Botanical Collection/18+

The Botanical Collection has become very popular ever since #10280-1: Flower Bouquet was released in 2021. #10309-1: Succulents is from the 2022 releases in the collection. I purchased it on sale during 2022, but it sat a bit until I was able to build it with my NLS. I finally got to it, so here’s the review. This set was released in the US on 12 April 2022 for $49.99. It contains 771 pieces and the price per piece works out to $0.065 per piece. This isn’t too bad, but you have to keep in mind that the set contains a lot of smaller pieces versus larger bricks or plates.

The front of the box shows the full assembled set. It has the 18+ design and shows that it is part of the Botanical Collection. The back shows another view of the various succulents, some actual succulents, and then how you can connect the various “pots” together in different ways.

The set contains four parts bags labeled one through three with number three having two bags. The instructions come in a cardboard envelope for protection.

There are three instruction booklets which correspond to the three separate bags. This build can be split up so that three different people work on it at once. I took booklet one. My NLS took booklet three. We did a team build for booklet two.

Similar to previous botanicals, the booklets have little tidbits throughout about the build, the items you’re building, and the parts usage.

The first bag starts with the Orange Echeveria (in the middle of the picture). Each build starts in a similar way with a base and then the 1x2 brick with Technic axle holes around the base for connections. Then you put the panel pieces around the edge of the top. Then you build the succulent. Not much to the Orange Echeveria. It’s a pretty simple build.

The Aloe Plant is built next (on the right). The highlight here is the use of the rubberized Jurassic Park dinosaur pieces for the aloe leaves/stalks. The color is pretty accurate and the plant actually looks like a little aloe plant.

Last up is the Hens and Chicks succulent (on the left). This one was a fun build with the various layers expanding out on each other. The color usage is great too as you get some pieces in colors that don’t show up often.

The second bag starts off with a small unnamed succulent (one on left). It’s a simple build, but the highlight here is the usage of the Forestmen hat from the Castle line for leaves. You get four of them in this build.

Next up is the Lavender Echeveria (center). It’s hard to see the parts inside when it’s located close to the other succulents, but if you put it individually, you can spread out the petals a bit. I’m not sure where the petal pieces came from. A mech set maybe?

Last up is the Moon Cactus (on the right). There’s a bit of repetition in this build as you construct the cactus and the top part, but it’s small so not too bad. The color on top is a new one for me. I like the pinkish-reddish color.

Bag three starts off with the Ball Cactus (in the center). I can’t remember where I’ve seen the claw like pieces around the cactus before, but I like the use of that piece type to achieve the look of a small cactus.

Next up is the Burro’s Tail (on the right). This one is composed of Jurassic Park dinosaur eggs. You definitely get a lot of them. The SNOT piece inside to hold up all the branches kind of stands out and doesn’t ‘fit in well, but at least they are the same color as the egg pieces.

Last up is the Red Echeveria (on the left). This one is pretty cool looking and matches up well with the succulent pictured on the back of the box. The tips of each leaf have an abrupt break at each point, but it’s not so bad where it causes the plant to look awful. I’m okay with it.

Here are a few shots of the set from different angles. Overall, I like the set and the different builds to create the numerous succulents. My NLS already placed some of them around the house for decoration. I definitely recommend this one if you’re a fan of the Botanical Collection. However, I don’t recommend getting it at full price. $50 seems a bit much considering the size of the set. When I was done, it looked rather small considering the price. I picked it up for $40 before Christmas and I suspect it will be discounted again this year. Definitely wait for the discount and maybe get another bonus along the way if you can like Target’s or Amazon’s BOGO sales or getting a gift card for purchasing a certain amount.

Happy building!

Set Review - #10311-1: Orchid - Botanicals - 18+

2021 saw the release of #10280-1 Flower Bouquet and since then the Botanicals Collection line has been pretty popular. In 2022 we saw two more sets in the theme get released. The first one is #10311-1: Orchid. This one was released in the US on 15 April 2022 for $49.99. It contains 608 pieces which works out to $0.082 per piece. The good news is that at the time of this post, a few retailers in the US have had it on sale as of late. I purchased it from Target and was able to get the VIP point offering from LEGO too. It’s not as many VIP points as buying direct from LEGO, but it’s better than nothing and the set was on sale.

The box looks similar to the Flower Bouquet with the black coloring and and 18+ greebling. The front shows the front side of the set. The back gives another view, dimensions of the flowers, a picture of the actual flowers, and a few close up shots.

The set comes with four numbered parts bags, two longer Technic axles, and an instruction booklet. Bag one contains a piece separator.

The first bag builds the internals of the pot for the plant. It is a good example of how to make something round out of bricks that are typically square. You build an internal structure using plates and then connect the outside with Technic beams and pins.

The second bag adds the design to the outside of the pot. I’m not sure of the official name of the blue color, but I like the shade of blue. If you end up not liking the set, getting some of this blue color is a decent perk. Repeating the step a bunch of times isn’t exactly fun, but my NLS and I built it together so we shared the load.

The third bag builds some leaves, stems, and roots. Like the flower bouquet, this one has little blurbs in the instructions that explain what you are building or where a piece came from in the LEGO world. The instructions can be challenging to follow all of the angles of the stems, but in the end it doesn’t matter a whole lot as you can have the stems grow in whichever way you want them to grow.

Here’s the final build. The last bag builds 6 flowers and then 2 of the smaller ones. The design of the larger ones is pretty cool. I especially like the frog piece that is mixed in. You can place the flowers wherever you want on the stems, but we did our best to follow the instructions.

Definitely a fan of this one. It looks pretty realistic and my NLS was even willing to set in the house as she was glad to not have to water it (still have to dust it).

Definitely look to pick this set up on sale. I’ve seen it a few places for $41 at the time of this posting. Maybe it’ll go down further for Black Friday sales.

In the meantime, happy building!

Set Review - #10289-1: Bird of Paradise - Botanical Collection - 18+

LEGO’s journey into plants started with #10280-1: Flower Bouquet. This set is another addition to the LEGO plant line. It’s #10289-1: Bird of Paradise. It was released in the US on 19 June 2021 and contains 1,173 pieces. It retails for $99.99 and works out to $0.085 per piece. LEGO had the set on sale for $69.99 around the Christmas 2021 time frame and I picked it up then. I thought $100 was a bit much for this set and I assume it was put on sale as it was not selling as good at the Flower Bouquet has sold.

The box has a picture of the set assembled on the front and then another picture on the back. The back also shows some details, lists dimensions, and shows what the set looks like if you place it in a staged room in your photography area.

The set contains 10 parts bags numbered one through five. The instructions come wrapped for protection.

The instructions provide some details about the actual plant and include a picture of the set designer Chris McVeigh

The first bag starts to build the pot for the plant. It’s always interesting to see how different designers come up with ways to create rounded builds using a system built on right angles. This one is unique from what I have seen in the past and it uses mostly common pieces. The only one odd is a 2x2 double plate with textured sides. I’m not sure why they used this piece versus two plates, but it’s cool that you get multiples of these pieces with this set.

The second bag adds the outsides of the pot for the plant and then it adds a top section with Technic pieces. The outside pieces of the pot are all the same… well you build three one way and then three another way, but they are mostly the same. The Technic section comes into play when you attach the plant pieces next.

The third bag adds the larger leaves for the plant and some of the smaller leaves on the bottom. I followed the instructions for where each one goes, but you can place them where you want. You can also adjust the height of the leaves as well. Again, I just followed the instructions for the height of each leaf.

The fourth bag adds the flowers to the build. There are three, but you could probably make your own if you could come up with all the additional pieces. I’m not sure how common the purple sabre is in LEGO, but maybe you could some up with alternative pieces to use to make it.

The last set of bags, number five, adds a whole bunch of 1x1 brown plates. It’s actually two different colors of brown. You dump them in as the “dirt” and then the build is done.

Overall, the build is pretty quick and not too exciting. As mentioned, there are a few newer pieces, but the set is mostly a build to display piece. My NLS liked it and found a place where she wanted a real plant, but there wasn’t enough light to actually grow one. I guess I’m not the primary audience for this type of set.

I think the set is priced a bit high. This is especially considering many of the parts are the 1x1 plates that you add in as dirt. I’m glad I caught it on sale. If you’re looking to pick this one up, definitely wait for a sale to pop up. Maybe it’ll happen again for Christmas time 2022.

Happy building!

Set Review - #10280-1: Flower Bouquet - Botanical Collection - 18+

Set #10280-1: Flower Bouquet is the first in the Botanical Collection from the 18+ line. It’s been a hit since it was released in the US on 2 January 2021 and was out of stock for quite a while. If you aren’t familiar with this set, you should start with the designer video here. The set contains 756 pieces and retails in the US for $49.99. That works out to $0.066 per piece which isn’t too bad. Recently Amazon.com and Walmart had the set on sale for 20% off so I reached in and bought one on sale.

Onto the review… The box is a reasonable size, but isn’t super huge like a Modular Building. It is black and has sand green branding for 18+. The front shows the full set while the back breaks out the set a bit so you can see the details. It also shows the height of the flowers and what it looks like in a vase. Note that the set does not come with a buildable vase so you either need to provide your own or build one.

The set contains six parts bags and an instruction booklet which is sealed in a bag. Five of the bags are numbered with one through three. One is made up of some of the stems and larger leaves.

The instruction booklet does have some information on the set designers as well as details throughout about parts used and other details. Most of these details weren’t useful to me as a regular builder, but I could see them being fun for new builders.

The first two bags labeled number one build two daisies and three roses. The daisies are the smallest of the flowers in the build, but they still get a point across that they are daisies. Besides the stem, they are probably the easiest to duplicate and get pieces for.

The roses are some of my favorites in this set. There are three and I like the color. I’m glad they didn’t just go with a standard red rose. The roses can also be posed so that they are either more or less open as the petals are on hinges. One of the roses is straight up while two are built with an angled stem at the top. Each rose has a leaf which looks like it was a wing from a dinosaur on one of the Jurassic Park sets.

The second set of bags builds three more flowers and some greenery. First up is a California Poppy. The orange color on this one really pops out which is cool. Other than the stem, the flower parts are fairly common so you could probably build this one in other colors as it is a pretty simple build.

Next up are two green plants. I don’t know my way around a florist other than I have frequented numerous florists to purchase the real things for my NLS. And no, those purchases weren’t meant to appease any of my LEGO purchases. This one is pretty simple to put together and it uses two green bush like pieces that I haven’t seen since… maybe a Pirates set back in the day? It’s been a while, but cool to see them back in use. The green plants help to mix up the bouquet so it’s not just flowers.

Lastly, you build two snap dragon flowers. These are cool in real life and I enjoyed the brick built versions. One is pointed straight up and the other has an angle at the top of the stem. Both of these have two leaves which also appear to be from some dinosaur part (maybe). The color choice on the snap dragons is great and I like how the top is pink and then it gets darker at the bottom.

Bag three finishes up the set with lavender, three pieces of greenery, and an aster flower. The lavender is built first. I’ve had a lavender plant in the past at a house I once lived at and I’m not sure this flower matches the plant I had. Maybe it’s a different kind? The one we had didn’t have the brown on the flowers. It was mostly green with the small purple flowers. Not a big deal… I like the use of the crown and a golden leaf by each flower. I’m sure they’ll be used in future MOCs coming soon by various builders.

Next up are three more types of greenery. These are just giant leaves which have a pivot point so you can bend them as desired. The very tip is a sand green surf board which is a pretty cool piece. Not much to these when you build them, but it helps to mix up the bouquet.

Last is the aster flower. The color on this one is great, but the build was a bit of a challenge. It was hard to tell which way you attached the clips and how you lined them all up. In the end, I don’t think it matters too much and our aster flower looks great.

Here’s the final set. No, it does not come with a vase. My NLS went through multiple vases before picking the one we did. Then we had to adjust them so they were just so. Thankfully, you can adjust the height of each plant by adding or removing Technic pieces. This allows you to position the flowers so they meet your own intent which is a cool feature.

My NLS thought this set was great. Not only did she help build it, but it now has a prominent place in our house unlike the rest of the sets I build that are either tucked away (or displayed too high up for her to reach). I’ll take it as a win! She’s excited that she doesn’t have to water them and won’t kill them. Just need to get some canned air to dust them off every now and then.

Overall, I really liked this one. It was good to see LEGO break away from some of the traditional builds and do something like flowers. Haven’t decided whether we’ll get into any of the other plants or not. The price on this one is decent and the 20% off sale definitely helped entice me to purchase. Well done LEGO!

Happy building!