When I was a little girl, I absolutely loved this time of year. In April, all along the edges of our yard and in the fields nearby, there would be daffodils, azaleas, dogwoods and red bud trees in bloom.
But in May, we began to see my other favorite flower in our yard – the lily of the valley. I love white daisies, which I've always called my favorite flower, generally speaking. But lily of the valley, well, for some reason those delicate little flowers just sang out to me. I loved to pick them and carry them around, pretending I was a bride. They make such a pretty bouquet.
Traditionally, lily of the valley stands for purity of heart, sweetness, humility, happiness and love's good fortune. The flowers are supposed to protect your garden from evil spirits, and it's known as the official flower of the month of May.
Whatever. I just thought they were really pretty. Still do.
I haven't seen any of these growing anywhere in Florida, and I confess I miss them. So I'm placing some here. It's May. It is time for me to go barefoot and have my bouquet of lily of the valley.
