Flower ResourcesDiscover the right flowers for your garden.
picture by : Thomas Jh . Baumann / Pixabay.com .
Of all the plants grow in my tree - shaded backyard , lily - of - the - valley is the one I enthral in the most . It kindles fond childhood memories of strolling through my grandmother ’s garden , where I first beheld those enchanting blanched flowers hanging like nance bell above the emerald - dark-green leaf . And the fragrance ! To this day , I still ca n’t wait for that intoxicating scent to fill up the bound air with its perfumed perfume , which is intellect alone to grow this resilient flowering groundcover .
Although its charms are many , lily - of - the - valley is a plucky little plant with a penchant for itchy feet . If you do n’t have way to let it spread to its heart ’s content , there are a numeral of lovely cultivars that are not only less assertive but also more flowery , with variegate leaf and orotund , more abundant peak . With such a multifariousness of choice , almost any nurseryman with a patch of subtlety can pick up newfangled way to enjoy this old - fashioned favorite .
On this page : Lily - of - the - Valley Basics|Growing Tips|Good Companions|Lily - of - the - Valley Types|Sources for Lily - of - the - Valley
LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY BASICS
Lily - of - the - valley(Convallaria majalis)gets its botanical name from the Latin words for " the valley " ( convallis ) and " belong to to May " ( majalis ) . Despite the name , it ’s not a lily or even in the lily phratry . It ’s actually a member of theAsparagaceae(which includes asparagus ) and belongs to the subfamily Nolinoideae , which it shares with other spreading groundcovers such as lilyturf(Liriope)and Solomon ’s seal(Polygonatum ) .
Zones:
Grow in zones 2 to 7 . This radical - hardy perennial in reality prefers cold weather , which encourages better flowering in the leap . Although it will support the warm weather of geographical zone 6 and 7 , it struggles in zones 8 and above .
Exposure:
Grow in full or partial shade . It does not like a spot that is too sunny or too hot or dry .
Bloom time:
establish plant will blossom in mid to later leap .
Height:
6 to 18 inches
Lily - of - the - vale spreading by fast - crawl rhizomes that travel just under the stain surface . Where they take rootage , modest conelike offshoots forebode “ pips ” contour that sprout the folio - pay stem and raceme of tiny , scalloped - edged bells .
Although lily - of - the - valley is wide turn in North America , it enjoys cult - like position in Europe , where it ’s considered one of the main harbingers of spring and is called the mayflower as a symbolic representation for the calendar month of May ( inhale the name of the boat the Pilgrims sailed from England to the New World in 1620 ) . Lily - of - the - vale is also a favorite blossom in the bouquets of royal brides , including Queen Victoria , Princess Astrid of Sweden , Grace Kelly , and Kate Middleton . Iconic British rock band Queen even has a song named after the plant .
Pros:
Cons:
GROWING TIPS
Photo by : visi110184 © Visions BV , Netherlands / VisionsPictures & Photography .
Planting:
Plant the pips or divide live plant life in early spring or free fall . Plant the pip about an inch below the soil logical argument with the narrow tips pointing up and the base facing downward , space them about 6 to 8 inches aside . Do n’t worry if the plant seem sparse at first . They will sate in the gaps during the second growing season . Although lily - of - the - vale tolerates most soil types , it choose damp , well - drained soil enriched with organic matter . At planting time , influence in a few shovelful of hummus or garden compost to help augment the dirt . If you set your pip in the fall , apply a easy layer of mulch before the earth freezes to keep them from heaving out of the ground before they are well - take root .
Watering:
Once institute , lily - of - the - valley rarely needs auxiliary watering because the dense foliage stamp down the vaporisation of soil moisture . During periods of drought , a sound drenching of the soil to keep it moist will help the foliage rest green and healthy all summer .
Dividing and transplanting:
Like many rhizomatous plants , lily - of - the - valley should be divided every few age to control its speedy spread and to keep the plants vigorous and bloody . Dig up and divide your plants when they are abeyant ( in other springiness or fall ) and gently separate and replant the radar target . If you have a mess of plants that need to be removed or relocated , simply chip at out large mats of roots with a coon and fall apart them into smaller clumps .
Pests and diseases:
These tough , long - lived perennial are rarely bothered by pest or diseases . The most mutual ailments are fungous leafage spotting and diadem rot . The best preventive measures are to cut out your lily - of - the - vale patches regularly to improve aura circulation and to make indisputable the dirt drains well . Also deflect using overhead sprinkler to irrigate your plants .
Forcing indoors:
You do n’t have to wait until spring to enjoy lily - of - the - valley ’s reckless fragrance . It ’s well-fixed to drive the spot to flower indoors over the winter , much as you force spring bulbs . Dig them up in the fall after they ’ve been disclose to a few hard hoar , and pot the pips with the thickest , healthiest root word , keep the tips just below the ground control surface . Place the sens in a brilliant location at way temperature and keep the soil evenly moist . In just a few weeks , they will begin to blossom . you could also pot lily - of - the - valley in the give in the same personal manner to grow outdoors in containers . Watch thisvideofrom White Flower Farm to see the potting process .
LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY TYPES
Photo by : Monique Dumas - Quesnel / Millette Photomedia .
Convallaria majalisvar.rosea
All existing cultivar of lily - of - the - valley have blank flowers , except for this endearing nonconformist , which expose pretty pallid pink toll that twist even darker pink when the plant is locate in full shade . Looks beautiful alone or intermixed with white lily - of - the - vale .
Height:6 to 8 inches
Photo by : Karl Gercens / Millette Photomedia .
Convallaria majalis’Fernwood ’s Golden Slippers '
Many of the newer lily - of - the - vale cultivars do n’t meddle with the pristine knockout of the Hellenic white flowers but alternatively sleep together up the look of the leave , wee them broader , brighter , and more colourful . Because the leafage keep its color all summertime long , that can be a real plus in the shade garden . This sensational cultivar features bright Au leaves in the spring that gradually change to chartreuse later in the time of year .
Height:6 inches
exposure by : Christopher Burrows / Alamy Stock Photo .
Convallaria majalis’Hardwick Hall '
This welcome visitant from across the pond has been develop for multiplication in the garden at England ’s historic Hardwick Hall . Its broad , variegated folio have creamy yellow tolerance , and the abundant snowy flowers are exceptionally large . Also try ‘ Crème de Mint ’ , another outstanding variety with creamy gold leaf edge .
Height:9 to 12 inch
picture by : fotoflora.com / Alamy Stock Photo .
Convallaria majalis‘Albostriata ’
Broad Funka - like leaves sporting creamy yellow stripes make this lily - of - the - valley a standout in the specter garden from springiness through late summer . It ’s also better behaved than most varieties , incline to grow in thumping rather than spreading out of bounds .
Height:8 to 10 inches
Photo by : visi39873 © Visions BV , Netherlands / VisionsPictures & Photography .
Convallaria majalis’Prolificans '
This cultivar is truly fecund , with each peak forming clusters of as many as six smaller cupful - shaped blossoms . The individual bloom heads are so full that they give the impression of being double flower . Also try ‘ Flore Pleno ’ , which is interchangeable in coming into court but has honest bivalent flowers .
Convallaria majalis‘Geant de Fortin ’ ( Fortin ’s Giant )
imagine of this exceptional cultivar as lily - of - the - valley ’s bigger brother . The strongly perfumed flowers are twice the size of it , the foliage is broader and greenish , and the height is significantly tall , rising to almost human knee level . Also seek ‘ Bordeaux ’ , another salmagundi with prominent , more abundant blooms .
Height:12 to 18 in
GOOD COMPANIONS
Over time , just a few lily - of - the - valley plants will become a lucullan rug of green that can easily stand alone as a groundcover . But if you prefer a bit of variety , try combining lily - of - the - vale with other vigorous shade - tolerant plants that wo n’t bear in mind its unbridled ontogeny riding habit . Here are some idea :
