It's Lily of the Valley Week!

How Green Is My Valley (of Moss!)

Somewhere between the Ides of March and today, I start to believe we are really heading toward warmer weather. But it's not so much the weather that inspires me, it's the flowers and trees in bloom - at last.

Today, I head down the path to the side of my garden to see if they are blooming, the flowers that can change my mood in an instant.

Muguet de Bois -This all started with one bulb!

In particular, I'm moved by the tiniest flower called Muguet de Bois or - Lily of the Valley. My backyard garden is full of these tiny blooms that inspired a perfume to be created to immortalize their intoxicating scent.


Although I love to see them filling out my flower beds, these are my favorite flowers to cut and bring inside.

A nice way to start my day

Sometimes it's the small things in life that can bring you so much happiness.

Something Old, Something New, Something Not Borrowed and Something Blue

That's a lot of Lilies of the Valley!

 

May - A Good Name For This Month  



This month showed us that we can't depend on weather reports, what happened last May or what we can expect in weather till June. Whether the sun 'May' or may not shine keeps us in a holding pattern in our garden plans. Still, after much heaving and hoeing, shoveling and planting, our cottage garden is starting to take shape. But though I still fight the fight to keep deer from my Hostas, the deer leave my Lilies of the Valley alone!
 
I don't remember when I first planted the Lilies, but over the years they have spread and I can't get enough of them. If you walk slowly through the yard you can catch their sweet scent. They never last long enough, but for now I can snip some stems and even enjoy them inside, when the pollen is too much to bear.
 
In the meantime, my Confederate Jasmine is looking a little straggly and I think it's had its last hurrah. This is the next aromatic treat that I enjoy, when we sit in our porch at the end of the day. By the time the Jasmine blooms, the pollen season is over and the porch is open for all to enjoy.
 
With all the blooming and warm temps finally here, it reminds me of the colors of spring and summer, that can be brought inside to enjoy year round - soft blues and greens.
 


Soft Colors Are Easy On the Eyes

 



So I'm off to find another Confederate Jasmine and to wage war on the deer (in an animal friendly way). This year my plan to steer the deer away consists of planting Garlic-Chive around my Hostas. We'll see if it works! It's gardening by the way - nothing is guaranteed, anything can happen!

 
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