Friday, May 7, 2010

Lily Of The Valley

One year ago last spring I found some thick leafy green plants growing in the middle of the forest. I noticed that they spread quickly as they sprouted up in that dark forest. Every day I passed by them, I noticed how many more there were. They covered the forest floor like a thick lawn of grass. But then one day I noticed something even more special about them.

On one day, after a heavy rain, I noticed that these weren't just another ordinary plant. I saw that there were little white flowers hanging upside down from the leaves. They looked to me like little white bells. I marveled at their small size and their brilliant white color.

I soon began taking many pictures of them that day. But when I got home, none of my pictures came out okay. Every last one of them were blurry. My camera just couldn't handle the combination of the white color of the flowers and the darkness of the forest. I was very upset that I lost this stunning beauty.

So I went back to the forest as soon as I could to find the flowers again. They were long gone! I began searching high and low, but the only answer I had when I looked was forever no. Since then I've been thinking about these long lost little white flowers constantly.

I hoped if I waited long enough, and kept my eyes open, I would once again find them. I began thinking I would grow old without ever seeing them again. But on this spring day, I finally found these flowers of May! I got my second chance to claim these pictures of these tiny flowers. And I also found out what they were!

These flowers are known as Lily Of The Valley! Well, the Lily of the Valley doesn't know how long I've waited for this moment. It took a long time, and I've grown more experienced with nature since then, But now I have them! And even though they have let me go from the spell they cast on me, their beauty in my mind will always remain.

It seems as if they have given me the gift of sight this year. I found these little flowers everywhere I looked. The forest is still dark, but my sight is much better now. This time I had the experience not to pass up the chance to get the pictures of the Lily of the Valley.

Now, there is one thing I should mention about these flowers. The Lily of the Valley is highly toxic, especially to your pets. Keep them away from your dogs and cats. The odd thing is that these flowers are in a place where many people like to walk their dogs. I wonder if they know.

Do you see the carpet of green on the forest floor? All of those plants are Lily of the Valley, every one of them. There is a fallen tree just right of the center. The plants almost completely cover it. This makes it a very nice part of the forest, especially with those little white flowers.

After doing a little reading, I found that these are really very popular flowers. There are even many legends written specifically about them. In one legend they are known as Our Lady's tears. I'll let you look that up for yourself so you can have the full story if you want it.

It took me a year to find the answer, and the Lily of the Valley doesn't know.

Nature Center Magazine - Today we have a special Free Wallpaper feature for you. The photographer this time is a 13 year old boy named Tim. Please go take a look, and leave him a few comments encouraging his love of photography and nature.

17 comments:

  1. Intricate photos of this wonderful flower. I used to see a lot of these when I was a kid about 60 miles south of where I now live.

    Don't you love solving a wild mystery? Especially after you have waited a year?

    Bill:wildramblings.com

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  2. A warning about them--they are invasive and you may be sorry if you plant them in your garden! You will be fighting them from taking over everything all the time. Ugh. We used to have a patch in our yard when I was growing up and my black cat used to lie in that patch to keep cool in the hot summers. So, while they may be toxic, he never ate them but just enjoyed their lovely fragrance and company.

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  3. They're ALIENS attempting to take over the world. It's more than likely someone dumped some in the woods there. I have some that escaped the original owners garden and they now cover about an acre of my woods.

    Try taking flower photos when the sky is overcast. It's tough to get a good photo when the sun is shinning directly on a flower. The bright light bleaches out too much detail.

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  4. Beautiful post. The photos are lovely.

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  5. I remember a song about them when I was a kid at camp. "White choral bells upon a slender stalk, Lilies of the Valley line my garden walk." Beautiful pictures!

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  6. The smell is fantastic, a favorite of mine, but I too found how they spread. One of the early May Day traditions in 1561, Charles IX of France handed bouquets to ladies of the court. A kiss was asked for a thank you.We often passed out May baskets where I grew up, but I have found many who never heard of the tradition. Check my blog for a May Day story.

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  7. If I am you, I should have an appointment with them earlier. Send them SMS, or call them.

    Two years is far too long, we can get old very easily.

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  8. You've captured the essence of the flowers, Ratty. They are so lovely and the photos very detailed in that you can see every fine line. I would love a lily of the valley carpet :) so lush and green.

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  9. Lily of the Valleys are very pretty. I did not know they are toxic to animals. I don't have any in my yard thank heavens. But they are wonderful looking little white flowers. Thanks for the great photos.

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  10. Those delicate little bells are just LOVELY! Thanks for showing them, Ratty!!!

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  11. I love this flower and used to have some in my garden but they don't seem to have re-appeared this year...after reading what you said about the animals I'm not sure I want to get hold of any more though!!

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  12. I have lily of the valley in one of my flower beds. I normally pull a ton of them out every year and they really haven't taken over too much space. I love the smell of them every spring when I go out my back door. No worry about Duke getting into them since they are on the opposite side of the house from where he goes.

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  13. They do look like white bells! So pure and beautiful :)

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  14. You have impressed my human with the third photo down - she said the photo is "stunning!!" (Yes, TWO exclamation mark stunning!) Thanks for mentioning that the lilies of the valley are toxic to us kitties (and dogs too). I think pets that are allowed outdoors are less likely to munch on them, but indoor-only cats like me and my roommates can get bored, and as my human says, we will "put our mouths on anything."

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  15. Beautiful pictures of the Lily! Like you said, they multiply quickly. We had some on our front lawn!

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  16. My sis has some of these in her garden. The fragrance of them has been a favourite of mine since I was in my teens an used to use Lily of the Valley talc. Sis has promised me some for my new garden. I know they have to be stringently controlled.

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  17. An year's worth of wait finally paid off. It's really small yet has a captivating beauty, even its name sounds extra special. And the lush plush carpet on the forest floor looks inviting for a leisurely stroll. Wish I had a nature reserve right next to my home. =D

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