Saturday, May 1, 2010

Happy May Day to you all!

Last year I found out a lot about the French tradition of bringing muguet (which I spelt wrong at that time!) into the house on the first of May. Muguet is of course Lily of the Valley, and if you look at last year's post here you can find out more, and follow a link to even better information on the traditions. If you read that year-old post, you'll know that I resorted to buying some muguet from the florist's shop - they are over-flowing with it in the run up to the first of May. This year I actually have some flowering in the garden, but so little that I didn't dare either pick stems or uproot a plant to bring into the house in a pot. So off to the supermarket this time, where the pots are much cheaper but, I notice, the scent of the lilies is rather less pronounced... you get what you pay for!
I've put the pot on our mantelpiece with the Florentine mirror I bought in Edinburgh - yes, Florentine, not Venetian, sorry Michela! I had a feeling I was saying that wrong when I typed it first...
And this is what 191 buttons looks like!
j
Happy May Day to you all - tomorrow I'll be joining Josie-Mary and friends for Show and Tell Sunday, which is about favourite china this week!

15 comments:

Serenata said...

Happy May Day Floss! :-)

Cape Cod Rambling Rose said...

Happy May Day to you! =)

Me and Ma said...

What a lovely tradition :)

Lululiz said...

Have a wonderful day! I really like this tradition.

Michela said...

Happy May Day to you and yours!
i think I heard of this French tradition at school.When I was a child my garden was full of scented "mughetti", but unfortunately now they have completely disapperead..good luck with your tiny plants!
Please, don't feel sorry for your gorgeous Florentine mirror..I must confess you that we have Florentine lamps in our garage..we're not people with a parochial outlook!LOL!
xxx

Andi's English Attic said...

Happy May Day. Have never had any luck with growing LotV. It doesn't seem to like me. xx

harmony and rosie said...

Happy May Day. I've just been outside to check on our Lily of the Valley, they're in very tight bud and I can't wait to see more of them as they are one of my favourites. Have a lovely weekend.

Kate x

Suzy's Vintage Attic said...

Hi Floss

Happy May Day. Our Lilly of the Valleys are not quite ready yet. I can't wait for them to be in full bloom. The scent is absolutely heavenly!

Have a lovely weekend
Warm wishes
Isabelle x

Lyn said...

Happy May Day to you too.
Not one bit of Lily of the Valley here yet.
Love
Lyn
xxx

Ange said...

Happy May day to you Floss! It rained so hard the vide grenier at St Paul was washed out and there was NOOOO muguet on sale. I shall catch up tomorrow perhaps ;-)

Julia said...

I love Lily of the Valley! I have some that was in my grandfathers garden, and I have always taken a bit whenever I have moved. In the past my girls and I have always made may baskets to take to neighbors, but this year was the first,since I was a child, that no may baskets were made. But before my youngest daughter went to work for the day, I took the small vase of 'Muguet', from my bedside, walked into her room put it under her nose and said, "Happy May Day". Not the usual tradition, but it worked.

Jill said...

Happy May Day.

Hugs RosieP x

Kissed by an Angel said...

I love lily of the valley!!
xxxx

maryannlucy said...

Happy May Day x

LissyLou said...

mmmm i love Lily of the valley....its my birth flower....i love pictures of it too, i have a particularly nice one in my hall.....no real ones though..i really should plant some xx