When the lilies of the valley are blooming - the nightingales sing

If you ask what flowers bloom in the spring, many will certainly answer: "Snowdrops and lilies of the valley!". The lily of the valley is the only one of its kind, the most gentle and graceful spring flower that blooms in the forest.

When the lily of the valley is blooming, the forest is filled with a tart, dizzying scent. Like small pearls adorn the snow-white flowers of the lily of the valley against the background of dense, wide dark green leaves, which seem to emphasize the fragility of the inflorescences.

Translated from the Latin language, the lily of the valley has a very romantic name, which sounds like a "lily of the valleys blooming in May". Already in the very name of the flower the answer to the question "when the lily of the valley is blooming" is laid is the period from the beginning to the end of May, although sometimes the bloom is prolonged until the middle of June.

The lily of the valley surrounds many legends. According to one of them, this flower is a symbol of Ostara-the rising sun. The Greeks assured that the flowers of the lily of the valley are droplets of the sweat of the goddess Diana, who dropped them during the salvation from the fauns. In ancient Russia the lily of the valley was a symbol of unrequited love. According to legend, it grows where the sea princess Volkhov, who was in love with Sadko, shed her tears.

Do not forget about this flower and in fairy tales. For example, the Irish argue that when the lilies of the valley are blooming, the fairies use their flowers as stair steps. They climb up on them and weave the cradle from the long leaves of the reeds. And someone claims that the pearls of the lily of the valley are the crumbling Snow White necklace. Its bells serve as flashlights for gnomes and a refuge for elves.

In England there is a belief that nightingales begin to sing in the forest, feeling the aroma that fills the forest when the lilies of the valley are in blossom.

In France, there is a tradition that dates back to the 16th century. Every year, on May 1, the French celebrate the flowering of lilies of the valley as a national holiday. They give each other bunches of these flowers with the wishes of love and hope.

Lily of the valley - together with a bear, a swan, perch, birch and granite, is a natural symbol of Finland.

Despite the seeming fragility, lily of the valley is a very hardy flower and can last for a long time in cutting. That is why he is very fond of florists, often used for decorating rooms and for making bouquets. However, the rich aroma of the flower can play a cruel joke - it is toxic and in small unventilated rooms can cause headaches.

Lily-of-the-Valley capricious - he does not like the neighborhood in a flower bed with other flowers, so he pushes them out. And the other flowers delivered with him in the vase will quickly fade, unable to withstand the excretions and aroma of the flower.

The aroma of the lily of the valley is widely used in perfumery. However, this is not a natural aroma, but artificially synthesized.

In medicine, leaves of the lily of the valley are used , tincture of which is an excellent cholagogue.

Lily of the valley, a symbol of love, fidelity and purity, is so popular that it was "kicked out" during the year, along with hyacinths, daffodils, tulips. And if in nature it blooms only in the spring, this is no longer an obstacle, because you can get a fragrant snow-white bouquet even in the winter season. Lily of the valley is grown in gardens and greenhouses, many unimaginable in its beauty new varieties.

And yet, he will always remain a flower for us, warming us with his tenderness at the turn of spring and summer.