My grandmother's favorite flower was Lily of the Valley. Lily of the Valley has a pretty distinctive scent. They grow in the shade and back in St. Louis, where my grandparents were from, my grandfather had Lily of the Valley 'volunteers' growing under the porch of his mother's (my great-grandmother's) house. He used to smell them as soon as they'd start to bloom in the spring and crawl under the porch to gather some for my grandmother. They were a funny couple, always playfully bickering and more than occasionally really grumbling. Whenever I think of him crawling under the porch to get her flowers I have to smile. Once they moved to Miami, where they don't grow unless you force the pips in winter, she had to make do with the fragrance, soap or sachets of Lily of the Valley. They split up in their early sixties but when my grandmother died at 69, he followed after her less than six months later. He still had Lily of the Valley scented sachets in the house among his things.
Just lovely! Thank you for posting so many beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteMost welcome!
ReplyDeleteIt really IS lovely, and the story that goes along with it--that of a long-lasting love which saw its ups and downs, but proved in the end to be as firmly-rooted as the hardiest plant--is just as beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteI love them! They and forget-me-nots are my mom's favorite flowers. Her wedding bouquet included them, and her veil had fake lily of the valley flowers sewn into it. My sister and I both used this veil at our weddings, so the flower holds a special sentimental value for me in addition to my loving its delicate beauty.
ReplyDelete