Ooh boy, summertime. There’s a lot to love about a summer day spent outside, isn’t there? Let’s set the scene:Pollen wafts on the warm winds while the sun beats d
06.06.2023 - 21:33 / gardenerspath.com / Matt Suwak
How to Grow Lily of the Valley: Your Planting and Care Guide Convallaria majalisThe first time I encountered lily of the valley, I smelled it before I saw it.
I was hiking near a forested swamp and was caught off guard by something that smelled pleasant. But aren’t swamps places for fetid odors and that delicate, lingering stench of standing water?
I wondered what it could be.
I followed my sniffer and spotted a large patch of green-leaved plants with stalks of hanging white flowers. It took half a moment to identify what I was seeing because absorbing plant and animal ID guides was a favorite pastime when I was growing up.
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These white flowers left an impression on me, and I knew they had to go in my family’s garden. It took some shopping (this was before smartphones and the “Everybody Gets a Website” age), but we acquired some and planted them. Beautiful, fragrant flowers, here I come!
Flash forward a couple of years and that little patch dedicated to lily of the valley grew into a huge swath of nearly uncontrollable green.
It took a few seasons of dedicated removal, but we did finally curb the lily of the valley, and added some plastic barriers to prevent it from spreading more in the future.
It’s a beautiful plant with a delightful and aromatic scent, but adding it to the garden without the right preparation can lead to major headaches in the future. Let’s get into what lily of the valley is all about, and how to add it to your yard and garden with minimal future fuss.
What is Lily of the Valley?Botanically known as Convallaria majalis, lily of the valley grows naturally throughout the northern hemisphere in
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