Pages

Monday, May 18, 2020

FLOWER OF THE MONTH: LILY OF THE VALLEY


Happy May! I can't believe how quickly time has gone ( and how quickly the days are blending into one due to the quarantine ) we are continuing the flower of the month series and wanted to showcase this beautiful little specimen, Lily of the valley. It’s a beautiful plant with a delightful and aromatic scent, but adding it to the garden without the right preparation can lead to major headaches in the future ( aka it's a spreader ) 




GROWING TIPS

1) Scout out a nice area where your soil drains well. For drainage peat moss, compost, ground bark, or decomposed manure all work well and are widely available. Lily of the valley plants like soils that provide average amounts of moisture but will not be happy in waterlogged settings.

2) Plant your bulbs where they will get light to moderate shade. 

3) After planting, water generously, soaking the soil to settle it around the roots. Top growth will begin to form quickly, usually in just a week or so, depending on the amount of available warmth. 

4) When in bloom, feel free to cut the petite bell-shaped flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants whatsoever. 

5) After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don’t cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight, create food through photosynthesis, and strengthen the plants for the future. Water as needed. Leaves may be removed if they yellow later in the season. This depends on location as lily of the valley make a nice evergreen groundcover in many areas where the weather is warm to moderately cold. 

6) Your lily of the valley will rest for a few months before beginning the next growing cycle in spring.



We hope this blog post helped you with any of your gardening needs, 
till next time!