Lilacs are a huge hit in Vermont in mid-May. Shelburne Museum held it’s annual Lilac Festival over the weekend, but for me, Convallaria Majalis, or lily-of-the-valley, are the true spring treasure. Not only do I love, love, love the fragrance, but I think they are seriously cute and have such a sweetness to them. Lucky for me I have quite a bit of convallaria beneath my office window that are ripe for the picking.
It’s a tough little plant with dainty white bell flowers that thrives in shade and easily spreads through rhizomes that produce tiny shoots known as “pips”…ain’t that cute?
It seems like convallaria has always been a popular and classic-looking wedding bloom. Grace Kelly carried the most adorable posie of lily-of-the-valley along with a prayer book for her April wedding in 1956 and it’s clear to anyone that she was a stunning bride!
While it may be an elegant choice for a bride’s bouquet, it can be pricey to source out-of-season. I have had lily-of-the-valley blooming in my Vermont garden as early as mid-day and start as late as the first week of June if Spring had a slow start. Here are some shots that I took in my garden this morning.
