I’m a bit of a sucker for Lily of the Valley. It was Christian Dior’s favorite flower, you know, and I’m fond of classics. Of late, though, Lily of the Valley doesn’t get used as often as its distant cousin the cala lily. Not for me. I’ve frankly never cared much for calas. Part of it may be the association in my mind with funerals. When I was a girl, calas were for mourning, not celebration.
But sweet, simple, pretty lily of the valley always struck me as a most cheerful flower. They are far better suited in general to a less formal setting, at least by themselves, but when combined with other flowers that stand more on their own dignity, they can be quite charming as a filler:
as you can see here.
But what about lily of the valley on its own? Take a look below the cut and see.
It can be relaxed yet elegant, as in this simple bouquet:
…or rustic and charming as in this one:
Now wild about white? Lilies of the valley also come in colors:
I worked for a woman who had her wedding pictured framed on the mantel. It was so lovely, she and her husband coming out the door of the church. Her bouquet was an enormous bunch of white lilies of the valley, which I’d never seen before. It was very simple & elegant, but also a little luxurious.
Luxurious for sure! Those teeny tiny stems with a few blossoms each are EXPENSIVE! During the year after my mother died, I often bought myself a few stems of lily of the valley because they were her favorite flower, and having them on my desk at work honored her and reminded me of her.
Considering they grow like weeds here I keep meaning to plant some in my yard (safely in buried containers to keep them from taking over the yard). Maybe this year!
Huh… that explains a lot, Kai Jones. I’m pretty sure I planted some of these a while back, not knowing that they share certain characteristics with mint. They’ve spread wildly every year. Not that I mind. Grass be damned, I prefer these!
I worked for a woman who had her wedding pictured framed on the mantel. It was so lovely, she and her husband coming out the door of the church. Her bouquet was an enormous bunch of white lilies of the valley, which I’d never seen before. It was very simple & elegant, but also a little luxurious.
i love this look. it’s so simple, elegant, and timeless. if i remember correctly, charlotte carried lilies of the valley when she married harry in sex and the city.