"Those who have experienced Paris have advantage over those who have not. We are the ones who have glimpsed a little bit of heaven, down here on earth." - Deirdre Kelly






Saturday, May 21, 2011

Show & Tell Friday: Lys de la Vallee

Lilies of the Valley - from my garden

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose
I would always greet it in a garden"
- Ruth Stout

I am city girl, born and raised. I was fortunate to grow up in an apartment building directly across the street from a park and, beyond that, was Lake Michigan. So, although I didn't have a front yard or backyard, the view from every front window was miles of green, countless huge gorgeous trees, and a breathtaking lake - so large it looked like an ocean. Maybe because I grew up in a 'concrete jungle,' I always wanted a garden...

A little more than 20 years ago, right before Christmas, my family and I moved from the city to the suburbs. We built our home on a 1/2 acre lot, with a large pond that ends at the bottom of my backyard. I spent the entire winter planning my garden. In early May, the mother of my then boyfriend came out to help me plant my garden. In her trunk, Kathy had 2 large black plastic garbage bags. In them were 5 Hostas from her garden. They were from her mother's garden. I had told her how nervous I was about planting my own garden - I had never dug in the dirt, and I was so afraid that I would kill whatever I planted ;-) Kathy assured me that there was no way that I could kill Hostas - these were 40 years old - and she was right. Her gesture was so kind and loving.

The next spring I noticed these beautiful green leaves poking up from the Hostas - all I knew was that they weren't weeds, otherwise I had no idea what they were. I asked my next door neighbor - Anne - what they were: Lilies of the Valley. There were so many, I easily filled a vase with them. And the scent! So beautiful!

Midwestern weather is a singular thing - always unpredictable in its predictability. It's been known to snow and/or rain in May. Or we could go from Winter to Summer in one week, completely skipping Spring. But, no matter the weather, I know when Spring is here, my Lilies of the Valley bloom. Their bloom time is sadly too short. But, for 20+ years now, from 1-5 weeks, I have fragrant Lilies of the Valley on my desk.

Happy Spring Everyone!


Previous Show & Tell: Shanna
Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple

Me & Mr. Gorgeous @ Mon Ami Gabi - welcoming Spring.



2 comments:

  1. I love lily of the valley as well. One of my favorites, but alas it's time is so fleeting

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Electic Ark,

    Yes, the lily of the valley's time is fleeting. But maybe that adds to her stunning beauty. Such a tiny seemingly fragile flower, gorgeous and powerfully fragrant. A fitting tribute to Spring I think...

    ReplyDelete

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