Hi.
I have a dear friend who is getting married May 20. She wants to carry lilies of the valley... but can you believe a stem is $5 apiece??
I'd rather give her actual plants that she can bring to bloom and carry whatever is ready (we are zone 5b, in Ohio) but I'm not sure what would be the best way to get some that are ready to go May 20 (which is her wedding day). She could put the plants into a deep basket and carry the actual plants... or...?
your suggestions, please! (or any offers of actual plants we could give her... I have none of these in my garden as yet or I'd give her ALL of mine.).
Thanks in advance.
Janie
lily of the valley question
Goodness, I wish you were close by: I have nearly 300 square feet of lily-of-the-valley that threatens to take over the yard. I take it she wants it for the scent? A little goes a VERY long way (too much feels overwhelming), and some could be tucked into the bouquet for very little cost... you may be able to find a friend willing to part w/ some blossoms. Folks who have it established in a flower bed will almost certainly be able to spare some, since it reproduces rapidly.
I know brides used to carry stock in their bouquets for the scent (not the blossom).
But if she wants a bouquet of simply lily-of-the-valley, it's usually just 3-5 bunches for the traditional bouquet.
Zeppy: would you consider a trade? I don't have a lot but I do have some good things... what would you like?
Really? How does one mail something like this? I wish I could say when they will bloom and for how long, but it's hard to predict (especially this year.)
mailing plants is actually pretty simple.
Dig up the plants...
wrap moist paper toweling around the roots...
put the roots into plastic bags with twisty ties on them...
get a free box that fits them at the post office...
mail the plants!
I have a few things that will grow anywhere - but they might be on your state's thug list so check that out first... before I send!
I'd also be happy to pay postage if you just want to get rid of some of your lily of the valley plants... delighted to do so, actually!
Thanks for asking. This is called a trade and they are one of the most delightful parts of being on DG.
edited that some people wash all the dirt off the roots and others don't.
This message was edited Mar 27, 2006 7:43 PM
Oh goodness, I'm obsessed with lily of the valley. I haven't seen one bell in real life yet. I bought some from ebay and they're so tiny. They have been in the ground for over two months but I have not seen any new growth. Zeppy, would you consider a sale? I've learned from the internet that lily of the valley pips grow much faster, stronger, and healthier. I really don't care if they're pips or plants; I just want to have at least one bell in my garden next Spring. I'm so desperate! I'm dying to get some this year. Please please Zeppy!!
Thanks.
elaine.
you need to maybe put some bone meal on those lilies... water it in well... my dad swore by it.
Maybe Zeppy would like a trade!?
Thanks Janiejoy. Cool, I still have a whole bag of bone meal, I sure will feed them tomorrow.
It's still cool if Zeppy wants to sale :-o) since I have nothing worthy to trade :-o((
Zeppy, if you want to get rid of some of your lily of the valley, I'm game. I love the plant! And I have none in my yard. Well, actually I don't have any flowers in my yard.
I don't have anything to trade, though. That's the problem. The only thing I have an excess of is weeds.
Goodness, I haven't checked in here at all. Sorry! Now, this is rotten, but I'm having a bad garden/ yard year and some time ago the lily of the valley started getting a terrible case of leaf spot. I am trying to control it, but a nursery person told me we might lose some. I don't think sending diseased plants out would be a great thing to do at this point... we're getting leaf spot on some nearby plants as well. I'll try to get a pic of it. Ugly!
And I don't need anything, so trades wouldn't matter anyway. :) Sharing plants is fun. Just not when they're infected...
I will be tearing up some lily of the valley in the near future. Send me a d-mail to remind me, and I'll save you some. :)
-Joe
Sounds as though you all haven't a problem growing one of my favourite plants :-)
I am in the north of Canada, and I know it grows here .. my Mom had a beautiful garden filled with Lily of the Valley and Violas.
I have tried growing it, from a plant, under spruce trees .. it died .. then I tried partial sun in a west facing flower garden .. they died :-(
This year I chose Nicotiana for fragrance .. but I still would SO like to have my own Lily of the Valley.
So lay it on me .. what the hec should I do ?
Marilynne
Sounds like some people will be getting lucky with traded plants -- maybe everyone doesn't know this, but Lily of the Valley roots (pips) should be planted horizontally. If you plant them vertically, which looks like it would make more sense when you see the plant, you will not have good luck.
My 2¢ toward getting them off to a good start.
Suzy
These plants like limey soil, so under conifers is not a good idea. We had a huge (well, 3x10) growth surrounding a limestone boulder when I was a kid, and they produced loads of blooms every spring.