Simply Lily of the Valley

These treasures are a combination taken from my garden and Patsy’s garden (my lovely neighbour). I have always been fond of Lily of the Valley and never managed to grow it anywhere. I remember visiting my great Aunt in Chelmsford who’s garden path was always heady with the scent of this tiny and stunning plant every May. When Arne Maynard used the pale pink variety in his garden for Laurent Perrier at Chelsea Flower Show in 2012, I fell in love with it’s beautiful delicate pale pink bells. I remember asking the flower seller on the King’s Road, who also sold plants opposite Habitat, if he could get any pink lily of the valley and he told me there was no such thing and I didn’t know what I was talking about, I was bubbling with frustration at his disbelief but rich with the knowledge that I was right! It wasn’t long after the show that a welcome email from Woottens came through with an offer for 3 pots of Convallaria majalis Rosa which I bought and those poor things sat on a concrete floor outside my flat for a few months before they found their own bit of earth in Gloucestershire.

This year they came into their own and nature put on a beautiful display of perfection that she always does so brilliantly; their scent was utterly heavenly.

It wasn’t long after my seeing my own planting success that Patsy popped over with a beautiful spray of her own harvest, knowing how much I loved them she was only too pleased to share hers and created a stunning little hand tie. I couldn’t resist to go and admire the amazing carpet of white bells that had erupted all over her garden, such a sight. It’s a little late in the day to post these now and they are well and truly over, but I know a post is rather overdue and garden photography is difficult to keep up with at this time of year… the meadows are in their prime, as are herbaceous borders, everything needs capturing!

Patsy’s garden is one I can only aspire to, I’ve attached a couple more shots of Rose Cottage, each season has been carefully planned with colours and textures. It’s difficult to resist glancing into her garden each month just to get a glimpse of all the jewels and gems that quietly take their place on centre stage, she is far too modest to take any credit of course!