Past Newsletters - May 2010
Le Reve Lilies: ‘The Dream’ Bouquet!
Le Reve Lilies are a great way to contemplate the wonders of life renewed and celebrate the ever changing facets of nature. Our senses become more atune to nature at this special time of year. All around flowers are in full bloom and the meadows are picturesque with wild flowers of all colors, and birds singing in tune. The whole air smells like a perfume in a department store, filled with notes of jasmine, lilies, orchids or lilacs.
Le Reve means “the dream” in French and Le Reve Lilies are particularly dreamy examples of Orientals. They are replete with beautiful shades of blushing pink, sunny yellow, and green, with burgundy accents (little spots or bumps toward the interior of the petals) and cinnamon-hued stamens. The velvety, waxy, and prickly textural variety, and the delicate veins of the petals bolster Le Reve’s reputation as a true work of natural art; one that rivals Pablo Picasso’s painting of the same name in magnificence.
This month’s complementary flower is Alstroemeria, another member of the botanical order ”Liliales”, whose delicate clusters of long-lasting flowers make a wonderful match for the larger and dominant Le Reve lilies. The other ingredients include Israeli Ruskus and variegated white and pink/lavender Wax Flowers. You can rely on them to provide diversity and structure within your arrangement and keep the bouquet looking fresh. An extremely fragrant lily, you may want to place this bouquet in an entry way to welcome your guest, or make it a center piece that refreshes a room, and your entire home for that matter.
The Peculiar ‘Origin’ of the Lily
There are many peculiar stories about the lily flower in history. One of which is that the lily was dedicated to the goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus, but more unusual is the reason why. It is commonly known that Zeus fathered Hercules with the mortal woman Alceme; however, he wanted his son to be more aligned with the divine. To achieve this he had the baby brought to Hera after he drugged her to sleep. Zeus placed the baby at her breast and Hercules nursed. Hera awoke in horrified surprise and flung the baby from her. Some of her milk gushed across the heavens and formed the Milky Way. A few drops also fell to earth and from it sprung the first lilies.
Whatever the true source of the flower, the most ostentatious in the world of Lilies are found among the Oriental hybrids. They have huge flowers, intense fragrance, and rich colors. If your garden seems a little dull in late summer, jazz it up with an enticing mixture of late bloomers. They have enormous blooms in vibrant shades of pink, crimson, purple, pure white, pink-and-white, and gold-and-white, just to name a few. The show is breathtaking and the perfume intoxicating; especially as the sun dips below the horizon. Plant your bulbs in autumn or spring and when they finally bloom between the months of June and August, grab a glass of sweet ice tea and head to the deck to enjoy the sunset and the sweet scents of your garden.
Lilies 101
There are five main classifications of lilies: Oriental, Asiatic, Tiger, Trumpet, and Turk’s Cap. The Oriental is the Grande Dame of the lily family, and because its cultivation is more costly, the flowers are more expensive to buy. A single Oriental lily stem with several flowers will often be all one needs to improve an arrangement of more subdued flowers. The Casa Blanca species, a huge and perfectly white flower, is a popular variety, as is the Star Gazer which is a bright crimson flower with darker red spots and white edges...and of course the Le Reve featured in this month’s shipment.
The first lilies to bloom are Asiatic lilies, typically in June. Some species bear as many as a dozen aromatic flowers on each stem! Wonderful in beds and borders, they’re also a great choice to plant along walls or in containers. If you want to add them to your garden, we recommend mixing them with tulips and daffodils to ensure a long season of gorgeous blooms. They’ll grow well in zones 3 through 8, in either full sun or part shade. Plant them in holes that are 6” deep and space them about 12-18” from each other. As with other bulb plants, the soil should drain well.
Trumpet lilies are also known as Aurelian lilies, have a strong and musky scent, large, trumpet-like flowers, and grow as high as four to five feet! They will begin blooming from late June through August, and are adapted to grow in zones 4 through 8.
Tiger lilies grow wild alongside roads throughout the US. They do well in zones 3 through 8, and grow to heights of four feet. The pink, orange, red, and yellow varieties are amazing to see!
The Turk’s Cap, or Martagon lily, forms somewhat of a turban shape, and grows shorter than other lily species (only about 30 inches). The flower is often described as nodding with the segments rolled back. It also grows well in zones 3 through 8.
Special Care for Your Oriental Lilies
According to the experts, it’s best to add plant preservative to the water, but only about half of the typical amount. Make sure to trim each stem with a sharp blade in order to help increase their ability to drink before adding them to your arrangement. This is a very important step with all cut flowers. Plus, it’s best not to simply add water and forget about it – for maximum vase life, change the water as soon as it begins to cloud (and wash the vase with antibacterial soap) to ensure your flowers have the conditions needed to live as long as possible.
Lily Planting Guide
• While it’s more common to plant during fall, lilies may also be planted in spring.
• Lily bulbs don’t ever go dormant, so plant them right away.
• Plant bulbs in a sunny location with good drainage.
• Dig a six inch deep hole.
• Add bulb fertilizer or bone meal to the bottom of the hole. You’ll want to fertilize them again in spring, too.
• Loosen any root tangles and plant the bulb in the hole with the roots spread out.
• Fill the hole with soil and get rid of air pockets by packing it down well.
• Plant the bulbs at least 8 inches from each other, or as recommended for the given variety.
• Ensure the bulb is well watered until the ground freezes to ensure proper growth of the roots.
• Mulch well in areas that get frost.
The Twist and Turns of the Alstroemeria!
Accompanying your Le Reve lilies this month is the graceful Alstroemeria, a flower indigenous to South America and sometimes known as the Lily of the Incas or the Peruvian Lily. It thrives in diverse areas, from the desert areas of the Pacific coastline, to the heights of the Andes, to deep into tropical Brazil.
Interestingly, the leaves of the Alstroemeria plant twist as they emerge from the stem and grow, so that the bottom is facing upwards when the flower blooms. The main stems of the plant grow as high as three feet and have a few short “peduncles” that will each produce up to four flowers. The appearance of these clusters makes a great accompaniment to larger flowers in an arrangement. Just a few years ago this flower was somewhat uncommon within the flower industry, but it is becoming increasingly popular due to its beautiful, multicolored, velvety petals, long vase life, and ease of growth. Mostly grown in Peru, Chile, and Brazil, cultivators in Holland and the UK have created hybrid varieties that can be bought year-round in pink, orange, red, cream, peach, purple, and yellow!
Care Tips: Since Alstroemeria leaves typically wilt before the flowers (which often last as long as two weeks), we advise removing the foliage before creating your arrangement. Be careful when handling the flowers as it is easy to break the stem joints which are a bit brittle.
Wax Flowers
The Wax Flower is a very versatile and rather recent addition to the world of cut flowers. They have a vase life that is often over two weeks and are very popular as cut flowers in Australia and other countries. The flowers grow from a medium or large shrub, often 6-9 feet tall, and they bloom in late winter – often lasting into summer. The petals are small and waxy, and offer up several different hues. Every cluster has a different personality due to the intricate form of the flowers, the dark centers, and the varied ways they look as they open slowly. The leaves, which are needle-like and resemble rosemary, offer a very soft scent – you can simply bend a few of them to release their soft perfume.
Wax Flowers are versatile enough to be the lead attraction in a bouquet, or used as a wonderful accompaniment to another bolder flower, as with this month’s featured arrangement. They are also commonly found in wedding bouquets.
Pollen Cleaning Tips
If you wind up with lily pollen on your clothes (which is a common occurrence anytime one handles these flowers), experts advise leaving it alone until dry, then dabbing it with a cloth or lifting it off with some tape. They suggest not using water, but we’ve never had any problems getting rid of pollen stains with any of the popular pre-wash stain removers.
