life cycle | lily of the valley... Five years ago, my friend and I went to the annual Wolfe's Neck plant sale in Freeport. It was there that I first picked up a couple of rhizomes of Lily of the Valley to plant at my new house. I was so thrilled. I love Lily of the Valley. The bring back childhood memories of visiting my grandmother's home in the Berkshires. All around the base of this huge tree in her yard grew these fragrant, delicate delights.
With each new Spring comes additional shoots of these flowers (shown above mixed with some hostas). My hopes are than in a few more years, they will have spread along the boulders of granite that line the slope of our woods.
My biggest surprise was discovering the red berry that forms on some plants long after the flowers have dropped. Never before had I noticed this. This little berry actually contain seeds. Since Lily of the Valley generally propagate via rhizomes, it is neat to learn that these previously thought sterile plants can actually set seed. Though I have heard the harvesting and saving these seeds can be especially tricky, it is something I'd definitely like to check out more.
Frost frozen flat to the bare ground, this joyous plant dies back down to wait out the long, cold winter.
11 comments:
Lily of the Valley is defintely one of my favorite shade plants! So delicate and beautiful...
Lovely post. I can almost smell the frangrance from here!
My other grandmother (Harriet) always had lilies of the valley ... and I have planted some of hers all over but sadly not here ... I never knew they can grow berries!
It is not only one of my favourite shade plants, I am in love with the flowers for bouquets. I have a huge clump, that was in the garden of my 1880 house when I bought it. Last year, I picked 300 flowers, so beautiful.
A month ago, I purchased a variegated lily of the valley, what beautiful leaves.
Lovely post... Allison!
I'm recalling the feel and scent of the air in Maine as I sit here in front of the computer screen.
Imagination... memory can be quite powerful.
A lily of the valley bouquet is a fine way to start the day! Alice
Lovely photos, Lily of the Valley is something I always plan to have but never quite get round to getting any!
I love Lily of the Valley too. I have so much of it that each spring I have to pull out a bunch, because it's begun to take over more of the garden than I'd like! I had no idea a red berry could appear; I've never seen one! I will keep my eyes open for that phenomenon next year!
What a wonderful plant lily of the valley is. Loved the photos.
thanks everyone for the lily love!
i know that lilies can become invasive, but secretly i am kinda hoping the do. right now they are segregated in one small corner. one day i hope to be able to pick 300 like Deborah!
Oh, do I have story of invasion to tell! Lily of the valley is a delight in flower, and the fragrance is heavenly -- plus, it's my sister's birthday flower. However, in our light sandy soil with tons of root competition under the Norway maples, these little darlings scoot in all directions faster than you can say, "Hey, what's that doing there!?!?"
As much as I love them, I regret planting them now, as they also seed prolifically for me -- yes, those pretty red berries aplenty -- and are now everywhere. Everywhere, and threatening to invade my neighbour's yard, too. Beware.
I've transplanted a few pips to a small islet of soil by my back steps, and hope that they take there. But, elsewhere, these little fellas might get their wings seriously clipped in the coming rethink of my garden.
mine don't look like they really want to take off in all directions, but then again, the huge jutting granite boulders around my property could be not helping that situation. i'd probably regret it in the long run, but short term thinking, i like the idea of lily of the valley run amok.
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