There is a very small patch of Lily of the Valley in my garden, hidden rather well under dead leaves directly behind a fence, so I cut them ALL this year to enjoy them to the full.
😀
I wish you could smell them – this is one of the few scented flowers I love indoors!
They are really a May flower in my eyes, as the German name – Maiglöckchen – is “Little May Bells”.
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The other vase on our Easter brunch table this year had the last Summer Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’) in it.
These have been fabulous, flowering for about three or four weeks now, and I will definitely plant more bulbs for next year. They stand tall above other spring flowers, and their bell-shaped flowers like giant snowdrops draw attention to themselves.
A note on last week’s vase: the white Hellebores lasted only a couple of days, but the Periwinkle lasted about 4 days. Short-lived, but still giving a lot of pleasure!
Thanks once again to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting In a Vase on Monday. If you visit her site in the course of today you will find her latest post and others linked in the comments section – always a treat to see what people around the globe are picking from their gardens, and so inspiring too!
Do you have any Lily of the Valley growing near you?
😀
Words and Herbs 
I think your two vases of white bells look lovely together. Lilies of the valley are wonderful in a vase. In the garden the flowers are often hidden amongst the leaves and you don’t notice them. And of course you get to enjoy the wonderful fragrance.
I keep picking them up to sniff them – aah, wonderful! 😀
Yes, we do have Maiglöckchen. I think in a week or so they will flower and scent! 🙂
Hope you have enough to pick a few too Uta. 😀
Yes! Plenty!
I have a small patch under a tree…it hasn’t come up yet, so I’m quite happy to see yours 😀
Mine are in full sun so they may be a bit ahead… it’s been so warm here. A wonderful spring!
I have just transplanted some Lily of the Valley from a neighboring garden. It is blooming here too! Our snowflakes are long gone, though. Hope you had a lovely Easter.
Don’t they smell good! I shall try planting more bulbs in the autumn – these few seem to have appeared from nowhere the last few years!.
The only flowering plant so far are the forsythia. Not fragrant, but glorious in their yellow splendor.
I love forsythia – a real sign that spring is on the way, and so colourful after the winter too. 😀
Lovely! I really must plant Leucojum this autumn. We had lots of Lily in the Valley growing along the house wall but in full sun, so I moved them to our magic wood where they seem very happy. I go there to inhale their delicious scent 🙂
I bet the fairies in your woods appreciated that Annette… 😉 I shall be planting more of both these flowers in the autumn… isn’t it funny, we have only just got half way through spring and we are already thinking ahead to autumn! LOL!
I wish I did. Those are beautiful. Nicely done, Cathy.
Thanks Alys! 😀
Such pretty messengers of spring. I’ve got a lot of Snowflakes in my garden from the previous owner and I’ve tried to dig some of the bulbs out last year as the green foliage took over for weeks after they’ve stopped flowering.
Wish I could send you some of the bulbs as they are very well established – they’ve come back at least as full and strong as last year 😉
That is one disadvantage of lots of spring bulbs, but a lot of the bulbs’ leaves have already been hidden by the next plants coming on now. Good to hear the snowflakes come back as strong in the following year. 😀
None in the garden but I may have to get some!
I am so glad I cut these and brought them indoors to enjoy, as they are barely noticeable in the garden… a flower made for a vase if ever there was one! Hope you can plant some too! 😀
Nice bouquets Cathy. Both flower choices seems so delicate and perfect for the occasion.
Thank you Susie – they were ideal for the Easter table. 😀
The Summer Snowflake is lovely in a vase, are they growing is a moist or dry part of your garden, they might be a nice addition to the Spring Walk. Lily of the Valley are lovely too, I’ve heard that they can be difficult to grow so you are lucky.
Hi Christina. The snowflakes are in the driest parts of the rockery/garden and get lots of sun… March and early April we had no rain for several weeks and yet they started blooming then and have been wonderful ever since. I think a white patch would look lovely among the colour in your Spring Walk!
So do I, thank you
Your vases of Lily of the Valley are beautiful Cathy! We have more and more of the Lily of the Valley show up ever year. When we first moved to the mountain, there were only a few native plants and now they have taken over in some areas down near the creek! 🙂
That’s good news Michael – so often I hear the opposite, that the wild flowers are dwindling.
Love both your vases, unfortunately Lily of the valley, for some unknown reason doesn’t like it here. On the other hand Leucojum Gravetye Giant loves it here and is spreading nicely!
I think Lily of the Valley is one of those plants that chooses where it wants to grow and can then thrive. I must find out what kind of soil it likes. Glad you have the Snowflakes too. I shall definitely plant more!
The vases look great, I like the simplicity of the white and green in the crystal.
No lily of the valley here, but you’ve almost convinced me to give it a try just for the fragrance. Growing up my mother had a patch that didn’t seem to do much of anything other than spread, maybe I just never noticed, and should give it another try 🙂
Thank you Frank. You really need to smell these flowers! They don’t smell until you put your nose up close, but when you inhale once you just have to breathe it in again and again…. I think I’m addicted! 😉
I love both your vases this week – perfect for a late easter. I am trying to establish Lily of the Valley in my garden. After a few years without luck a neighbour has given me a clump from her garden that hopefully will establish well here.
Good luck with the Lily of the Valley… some flowers seem so choosey! 😀
My leucojum has done well this year too, and after several failed attempts to establish lily of the valley I actually now have some with flowers! Hurrah (unless they become the thug that some people say they are!) – and thanks for the brave suggestion of cutting them all at once as I think I shall do the same. Isn’t it lovely to realise the joys of simple vases like yours – they are delightful, and thanks for contributing.
I’m so glad I cut them all Cathy – the perfume seems even stronger today and they still look pretty. I can quite understand why they have been the scent for soaps and so on for as long as I can remember! That’s encouraging to hear that yours are established now. I will definitely plant some more in a similar position for next year and keep my fingers crossed!
I grow them on the Northeast side of the property and I adore them and if you mix them with a few early Lilac blooms I swear you forget all about winter 🙂
Hi there Eunice! Oh yes, the lilac is blooming here now. 😀 I visited a friend the other day and she has both purple and white lilacs. Smelt beautiful!
ME too but not open yet 🙂
Simply beautiful Cathy, I enjoy flowers and lilies always move my spirit, thanks for the inspiration today! Blessings and hugs my sister!
Thank you Wendell – glad you enjoyed the vase. Have a nice Sunday!
I love lily of the valley but don’t grow it…I know it does quite well here in shady locations. Very cold hardy. I have to look into the Summer Snowflakes, though – I wonder if they would grow here?
I should imagine so, as they are very hardy. Worth a try!