Pink (Dianthus) … Pure love

  Plum (Prunus domestica) … Keep your promises

  Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) … Be of good cheer

  Polyanthus (Primula) … Confidence

  Pomegranate (Punica granatum) … Foolishness

  Pomegranate blossom (Punica granatum) … Mature elegance

  Poplar, black (Populus nigra) … Courage

  Poplar, white (Populus alba) … Time

  Poppy (Papaver) … Fantastic extravagance

  Potato (Solanum tuberosum) … Benevolence

  Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) … You are delicious

  Primrose (Primula) … Childhood

  Protea (Protea) … Courage

  Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) … Strength and health

  Queen Anne’s lace (Ammi majus) … Fantasy

  Quince (Cydonia oblonga) … Temptation

  Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus) … You are radiant with charms

  Raspberry (Rubus) … Remorse

  Redbud (Cercis) … Betrayal

  Rhododendron (Rhododendron) … Beware

  Rhubarb (Rheum) … Advice

  Rose, burgundy (Rosa) … Unconscious beauty

  Rose, moss (Rosa) … Confession of love

  Rose, orange (Rosa) … Fascination

  Rose, pale peach (Rosa) … Modesty

  Rose, pink (Rosa) … Grace

  Rose, purple (Rosa) … Enchantment

  Rose, red (Rosa) … Love

  Rose, white (Rosa) … A heart unacquainted with love

  Rose, yellow (Rosa) … Infidelity

  Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) … Remembrance

  Saffron (Crocus sativus) … Beware of excess

  Sage (Salvia officinalis) … Good health and long life

  Saint-John’s-wort (Hypericum perforatum) … Superstition

  Saxifraga (Saxifraga) … Affection

  Scabiosa (Scabiosa) … Unfortunate love

  Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) … Change

  Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) … Presumption

  Snowdrop (Galanthus) … Consolation and hope

  Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) … Parental affection

  Speedwell (Veronica) … Fidelity

  Spirea (Spiraea) … Victory

  Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) … Purity

  Starwort (Stellaria) … Welcome

  Stephanotis (Stephanotis floribunda) … Happiness in marriage

  Stock (Malcolmia maritima) … You will always be beautiful to me

  Stonecrop (Sedum) … Tranquility

  Strawberry (Fragaria) … Perfection

  Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) … False riches

  Sweet briar (Rosa rubiginosa) … Simplicity

  Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) … Delicate pleasures

  Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) … Gallantry

  Tansy (Tanacetum) … I declare war against you

  Thistle, common (Cirsium) … Misanthropy

  Thrift (Armeria) … Sympathy

  Thyme (Thymus) … Activity

  Trachelium (Trachelium) … Neglected beauty

  Trillium (Trillium) … Modest beauty

  Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) … Fame

  Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) … Dangerous pleasures

  Tulip (Tulipa) … Declaration of love

  Turnip (Brassica rapa) … Charity

  Verbena (Verbena) … Pray for me

  Vetch (Vicia) … I cling to thee

  Violet (Viola) … Modest worth

  Wallflower (Cheiranthus) … Fidelity in adversity

  Water lily (Nymphaea) … Purity of heart

  Waxflower (Hoya) … Susceptibility

  Wheat (Triticum) … Prosperity

  White Monte Casino (Aster) … Patience

  Willow herb (Epilobium) … Pretension

  Winter cherry (Physalis alkekengi) … Deception

  Wisteria (Wisteria) … Welcome

  Witch hazel (Hamamelis) … A spell

  Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) … Cure for a broken heart

  Zinnia (Zinnia) … I mourn your absence

  Author’s Note

  When I began The Language of Flowers, I owned only one flower dictionary: The Floral Offering: A Token of Affection and Esteem; Comprising the Language and Poetry of Flowers, written in 1851 by Henrietta Dumont. It was an ancient, crumbling hardcover, with dry flowers pressed between the pages. Scraps of poetry, collected by previous owners and stored between the yellowed pages, slipped to the floor as I scanned the book for meanings.

  Three chapters into Victoria’s story, I myself made the discovery of the yellow rose. In the table of contents at the beginning of Ms. Dumont’s beautiful book, the yellow rose appears as jealousy. Hundreds of pages later, in the very same book, the yellow rose appears again: this time as infidelity.

  Reading through the book more carefully, I found no explanation for the discrepancy, so I went in search of additional dictionaries, hoping to determine the “correct” definition of the yellow rose. Instead, I found that the problem was not specific to the yellow rose; nearly every flower had multiple meanings, listed in hundreds of books, in dozens of languages, and on countless websites.

  The dictionary included here was created in the manner in which Victoria compiled the contents of her boxes. Lining up dictionaries on my dining room table—The Flower Vase by Miss S. C. Edgarton, Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway, The Language and Sentiment of Flowers by James D. McCabe, and Flora’s Lexicon by Catharine H. Waterman—I scanned the meanings, selecting the definition that best fit the science of each flower, just as Victoria would have done. Other times, when I could find no scientific reason for a definition, I chose the meaning that occurred most often or, occasionally, simply the one I liked best.

  My goal was to create a usable, relevant dictionary for modern readers. I deleted plants from the Victorian dictionaries that are no longer common, and added flowers that were rarely used in the 1800s but are more popular today. I kept most food-related plants, as Victoria would have, and deleted most nonflowering trees and shrubs because, as Victoria says, there is nothing wistful about the passing of sticks or long strips of bark.

  I am grateful for the assistance of Stephen Zedros of Brattle Square Florist in Cambridge and Lachezar Nikolov at Harvard University. This dictionary would not exist without their vast knowledge and generous support.

  For PK

  Acknowledgments

  In a book filled with mother-daughter relationships, I would like to thank my own mother first: Harriet Elizabeth George, a strong, brave woman who learned to be a mother through purposeful study, fierce love, and a community of support. My relentless optimism and belief in the possibility of creating positive change, both internally and externally, would not exist without her.

  I would also like to thank the community of women who mothered me: my stepmother, Melinda Vasquez; my mother-in-law, Sarada Diffenbaugh; my grandmothers, Virginia Helen Fleming, Victoria Vasquez, Irene Botill, Adelle Tomash, Carolyn Diffenbaugh, and Pearl Bolton; and the fathers in my life, for making each of us better mothers: my own father, Ken Fleming; my stepfather, Jim Botill; my father-in-law, Dayanand Diffenbaugh; my brother-in-law Noah Diffenbaugh; and my husband, PK Diffenbaugh. I wouldn’t have had the knowledge, confidence, or time to write this book without all of your love and support.

  I am grateful to my early readers and dear friends: Maureen Wanket believed in this book and in my potential from the very first page, and her belief was contagious; Tasha Blaine read my first draft and told me the truth—I will love her for it, forever; Angela Booker sat next to me and encouraged me as I rewrote the end—again, and again, and again; Jennifer Jacoby and Lindsey Serrao talked me through the storms of my own motherhood and inspired me with their joyful mothering; Polly Diffenbaugh taught me to dissect a flower and use a field guide, and (more than once) lectured me on the intricacies of scientific classification; Jennifer Olden shared her
expertise on attachment disorder; Priscillia de Muizon told me lovely, vivid stories of her childhood on a vineyard; Janay Swain answered my endless questions about foster care; Barbara Tomash sat beside me on the edge of Papa’s lake and dreamed up section titles; Rachel McIntire painted the blue room and shared the inner workings of the floral-arranging world; Mark Botill inspired me with his intelligence and humor; Amanda Garcia, Carrie Marks, Isis Keigwin, Emily Olavarri, and Tricia Stirling read my first draft and told me to keep writing; Wendi Everett, Wendi Imagire, Tami Trostel, Josie Bickinella, Sara Galvan, Sue Malan, and Kassandra Grossman loved my babies and gave me time to write; and Christie Spencer cried over my plot summary and reminded me of the power of a good story.

  My agent, Sally Wofford-Girand, is the person responsible for seeing the potential in my early drafts and pushing me to be better. I will never be able to thank her enough for her vision, encouragement, and commitment to this book. Jenni Ferrari-Adler made me think about pacing, character, and plot just when I thought I was done (and I was, of course, far from done!), and Melissa Sarver kept us all focused and motivated. Jennifer Smith, my brilliant editor at Ballantine, has made this book immeasurably better through her careful reads and wise suggestions. She has been a delight to work with from the very beginning.

  I would like to thank my writing teachers, in the order they appeared in my life: Charlotte Goldsmith, for teaching me to write letters in a tray of sand; Linda Holm, for giving me a journal and demanding I fill it; Chris Persson, for reading my first short story, telling me I was a writer, and then helping me to become one; and Keith Scribner and Jennifer Richter, who, in addition to teaching me much of what I know about writing, helped me survive college by offering me a glimpse into their own lives as young writers, teachers, and parents.

  Finally, I would like to thank my children, for teaching me to be a mother and loving me through my mistakes: Tre’von, Chela, Miles, Donavan, Sharon, Krystal, Wayneshia, Infinity, and Hope. And Megan, wherever you are.

  About the Author

  Vanessa Diffenbaugh was born in San Francisco and raised in Chico, California. After studying creative writing and education at Stanford, she went on to teach art and writing to youth in low-income communities. She and her husband, PK, have three children: Tre’von, eighteen; Chela, four; and Miles, three. Tre’von, a former foster child, is attending New York University on a Gates Millennium Scholarship. Diffenbaugh and her family currently live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where her husband is studying urban school reform at Harvard.

  In the language of flowers, camellia means my destiny is in your hands. Author Vanessa Diffenbaugh is launching the Camellia Network in order to create a nationwide movement to support youth making the transition from foster care to independence.

  www.camellianetwork.org

  Discussion Questions for

  THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

  1. What potential do Elizabeth, Renata, and Grant see in Victoria that she has a hard time seeing in herself?

  2. While Victoria has often been hungry and malnourished in her life, food ends up meaning more than just nourishment to her. Why?

  3. Victoria and Elizabeth both struggle with the idea of being part of a family. What does it mean to you to be part of a family? What defines family?

  4. Why do you think Elizabeth waits so long before trying to patch things up with her long-lost sister, Catherine? What is the impetus for her to do so?

  5. The first week after her daughter’s birth goes surprisingly well for Victoria. What makes her feel unable to care for her child after that week ends? And what is it that allows her eventually to rejoin her family?

  6. One of the major themes in The Language of Flowers is forgiveness and second chances. Do you think Victoria deserves a second chance after the things she has done (both as a child and as an adult)? What about Catherine? And Elizabeth?

  7. What did you think of the structure of the book: the alternating chapters in the past and the present? In what ways did the two storylines parallel each other, and how did they diverge?

  8. The novel touches on many different themes (love, family, forgiveness, second chances). Which do you think is the most important? And what do you think was the ultimate lesson?

  9. At the end of the novel, Victoria learns that moss grows without roots. What does this mean, and why is it such a revelation for her?

  10. Based on your reading of the novel, what are your impressions of the foster-care system in America? What could be improved?

  11. Knowing what you now know about the language of flowers, to whom would you send a bouquet and what would you want it to say?

 


 

  Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

  (Series: # )

 

 


 

 
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