I wrapped the periwinkle tightly around the base of the mums like a ribbon...Would she react to the wild bouquet of mums and periwinkle, “truth and tender recollections?” I felt sure she would...Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers
Last summer on one of the hottest days of the year, I responded to a voice from the past: please stop by her home; she had something to give me. When I arrived, she had a number of small containers for me to take home and plant in our yard. They included periwinkles and an old fashioned rose bush already displaying the palest of pink roses - exquisite.
The giver explained, “Last year you wrote a column about not being able to find any periwinkle seeds. These should be enough to start a bed. If you want more seeds, look for Vinca seeds. They are periwinkles.”
When we first moved to town, her path and mine frequently crossed . We have children about the same age; and during those early years she worked at a place where I shopped. I had not seen her since we had moved to the coast; and I am certainly touched that not only did she read my column, she also reached out to solve my problem.
I picked up the plants just days before we were to start on a cross country trip. Although we would leave the sprinkler system activated, I was afraid that those tender shoots would not survive the hot days ahead. Therefore, I tucked them, still in their pots, in a partially shaded area that would receive plenty of water and hoped for the best. Fortunately, they survived and the rose bush even bloomed in the fall. With this winter’s cold weather, I continued to nurse the tender plants and covered them along with those plants we display on our porch.
Now that’s it May, we’ve repotted these gifts but left them on the porch. I have also purchased Vinca seeds to speed the growth of a periwinkle bed. And now we wait.
From the get-go, the rose bush was determined to bloom. The very first buds of this season numbered 15, and I’ve enjoyed watching each one open. The aroma is delicate but undeniable that of a rose. Now repotted in a large container, we’ve place the hardy bush in full sun where I can see it daily.
In February as I waited to plant, I read The Language of Flowers, a novel literally built around a young 21st century florist fascinated with the Victorian age tradition of allocating specific attributes to different flowers. Although ancient civilizations in the Middle East conveyed messages through flowers, actual flower dictionaries were published during the Victorian era. It became popular to use flowers to send secretive messages. This cryptological communication was dubbed floriography.
As I read Diffenbaugh’s book, I took particular notice that periwinkles represent “tender recollections,” recalling something fondly. Early on, I had fallen in love with the periwinkle bed already established at the first house my husband and I bought in Dallas. I remember it fondly. Hopefully, my future bed here in Georgia will prove to be as prolific.
I’m grateful that my friend acted on her recall of a column I had written earlier. I’m always touched when someone responds to words I’ve written. And when I picked up the plants, the two of us reflected about those days when our children were young.
Additional flower dictionaries expand the “tender recollections” concept to “pleasure of memories” and “sweet memories.” Each bloom that appears on these gifts will bring pleasure and always prompt me to remember this gardener’s thoughtfulness that hot summer day. Thank you.
2016
Great story .