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| Lily of the Valley |
Got a dry, shade spot in your garden where nothing else will grow? Mine is under the eaves on the east-facing side of my house next to two large oak trees. When it does rain, it rarely reaches the ground. What little that does is sucked up by the oaks. So this is where I set up my potting bench. I also am always looking for any plants that will survive in this dark, dry place.
When I picked up some Lily of the Valley pips from a garden club plant exchange, I wanted a spot for them that was well away from other planting beds as I had been warned about how this plant can take-over and be very aggressive. I put them in the dry shade area just to get them in the ground.
To my surprise, not only did they survive but they actually thrived. Just plant them and forget about them. They will take care of themselves. I highly recommend this sweet, little flowers to beginning gardeners who want an easy success to give them confidence to tackle more labor-intensive plantings.
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You Can Grow That! is a campaign created by garden writer and master gardener C. L. Fornari. On the fourth of each month participating garden bloggers will write about something you can grow. Stop by the You Can Grow That! Facebook page to read all of the posts.
I used to love growing the Lily of the Valley years ago when I lived in New England. I don't think there is a plant with such sweet charm anywhere to compare. And now they are available in pink, too. It's almost enough to make me move from sunny, hot inland SoCal. Almost.
ReplyDeleteLily-of-the-Valley grow very well in zone 6 New England. They are a spring favorite. The blooms pack an amazing scented punch.
ReplyDeleteI love lily of the valley. It thrives on its own, and yet spreads peace and lovely variation along a garden border.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the info. I've been wanting to look them up to see how to grow them. Now I Can Grow That!
ReplyDeleteI might have a spot..it's so pretty...
ReplyDeleteGlad you all came by - Lily of the Valley is a classic pass-along plant so you may get some from a veteran gardener as we all have plenty to share. :-)
ReplyDeleteI adore Lily of the Valley! At the end of last summer I bought 30 "pips" and planted them under a sycamore tree in our backyard (in Brooklyn, NY). Sadly, only ONE of them has come up! I'm hoping that next year some of the rest will make their way above ground. :(
ReplyDeleteIn the fall and early spring, Lily of the Valley is commonly sold as pips, the rhizome from which the flower grows. The pips should be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked. During the year, Lily of the Valley may also be sold as a container plant and can be transplanted into your garden at any time during the growing season.
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