So, May rolled around again. You know, everyone talks about May flowers. Spring’s peak, rebirth, all that stuff. I saw somewhere online about lily of the valley being the flower for May. Sounded nice, delicate, smelled good apparently. Thought I’d give it a shot, you know, bring some of that specific May energy into my own backyard.
Getting Started
First thing, I actually went out and bought some lily of the valley pips. They looked like weird, dry little roots. The instructions seemed simple enough. Find a shady spot, damp soil, don’t plant too deep. Okay, I can do that. Spent a Saturday morning digging up a corner near the old fence where the sun barely hits. Loosened the soil, mixed in some compost I had lying around. Felt like I was doing everything right.
I laid out those little pips carefully, covered them up, patted the soil down gently. Watered them like the packet said. Stood back, feeling pretty hopeful. Imagined those little white bells popping up in a few weeks.
The Waiting Game… and the Weeds
Weeks went by. May started turning into June. That shady corner? Still just looked like dirt. Well, not entirely true. Some things started growing, alright. Weeds. Lots of them. The really stubborn kind that seem to thrive on neglect, unlike the flowers I was actually trying to grow.
- I checked the soil moisture. Seemed okay.
- I pulled the weeds, carefully, so I wouldn’t disturb the dormant pips (if they were even still alive).
- I even added a bit more shade using an old piece of board, thinking maybe it wasn’t shady enough.
Nothing. Not a single sprout from those lily of the valley pips. It was frustrating. Here I was, putting in the effort for this specific “May flower,” and it just completely failed. Total waste of a Saturday morning and the money for the pips.
What Actually Grew
Meanwhile, you know what was blooming like crazy? The wild violets I never planted. And some random yellow things that look suspiciously like dandelions, but taller. They were everywhere, happy as could be, needing zero help from me. Even saw some hawthorn trees down the street absolutely covered in blossoms – another May flower, apparently. Nobody planted those specifically for May, they just did their thing.
It really makes you think. You try and force something specific, follow the “rules,” buy the right thing for the right month, and you get nothing but weeds. But the stuff you ignore, the stuff that just shows up? It thrives. Maybe that whole “May flowers” thing is less about planting specific blooms and more about just noticing what actually decides to show up and grow on its own. Less forcing, more watching. Anyway, my corner is still just dirt and weeds. No lovely lily of the valley scent here.
