The fragrant, waxen white bells of the native woodland gem lily of the valley, which ring in the merry month of May, symbolise romance and carry good fortune.
LILY of the valley has been cultivated for centuries, grown initially in herbal and medicinal gardens, its spent flowerheads, when ‘distilled with wine and drunk in quantities of a spoonful’, able to ‘restore speech unto those who have the dumb palsey and are good against gout, and comfort the heart’, according to notes in Gerard’s Herball of 1597. In contrast, the red seed-containing berries, produced in September, are regarded as highly poisonous if ingested.
However, lily of the valley, known as muguet by the French, had already long been cultivated for its fragrant blooms. It’s said that, on May 1, 1561, France’s Charles IX was given lily-of-the-valley flowers for good fortune. He was so appropriately charmed that, on each subsequent year, he gave small perfumed sprigs to the ladies of his Court.
In 1948, May 1 was pronounced as Labour Day, also known as fête du muguet, which the French celebrated annually by giving tiny, romantic or good-luck muguet bouquets to family and friends.
Although today we largely consider lily of the valley a garden plant, it was also cultivated in great quantities as a cut flower. Its crowns can be lifted and planted in pots or large wooden boxes in autumn for gentle forcing, under glass, to produce winter-flowering houseplants or stem for cutting, after which they can be happily replanted outdoors.
Vigorous, broad-leaved Convallaria majalis Fortin’s Giant was considered the optimum forcing and cut-flower variety, its tall, long stems perfect for floral arrangements and bridal bouquets. Bridal Choice offers 8in-long flowering stems, weighty with wide cupped, perfumed wedding-worthy flowers.
Esta historia es de la edición May 08, 2019 de Country Life UK.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 08, 2019 de Country Life UK.
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