Mike1958 Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 All of the local shops and florests are stocking lilly of the valley which i gather is associated with a French May day tradition. Can anyone please explain what they are generally given for?Many thanks,Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 You give lily of the valley to your friends and neighbours on the 1st of May as a sign of friendship and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Juste un petit brin de muguet! [IMG]http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r116/Missyesbut/lily-of-the-valley.jpg[/IMG]Bonne journée et bonne chance à tous ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisb Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 I remember the first year we were here, there was a knock on the door April 30th, and a chap I had never seen before was standing there with a young lad. 'Would it be possible for my lad to have a bit of your Muguet?' he asked - 'Of course', I said, thinking that he wanted some to give his mum ..................I was then gobsmacked to see them pick armfulls of the stuff (We have got a huge patch of it) - 'He is going to sell it in town tomorrow', he said!!! He must have made a fortune!!! They have never been back since!Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 I have to get some from the woods tomorrow, i got shown it's whereabouts last year by a neighbour. It's a bit off the track though so i hope i can find it (need to take a machete to get through to it!) She'll be expecting some now i have been let in on the secret!!!Oh and got given a freebie bit in Intermarche today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Any clues as to the right part of a wood to look? Or is it specific to certain woods only? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Oooh no this is very top secret Dotty. Someone planted it in this spot years ago and now there is a huge mass of it..............It's an official hamlet secret .....so secret i am not going to be able to find it! If this gets out i didn't tell you...OK?? This is on a par with ceps you know!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Dotty - Lily of the Valley can grow in full shade (so take a torch [;-)]) deep woodland or semi-shade. It prefers moist soil. So woodland near streams might be worth exploring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Oooh I know just the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Normally we (the amicale laique) sell brins de muguet in the village to raise funds. But due to the very hot spell we've had in the last fornight (>31°) all the muguet from our usual source has 'gone over' so this year we aren't , also due to some local 'difficulties' with the florist [:@] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Well i found it after getting soaking wet trousers after walking through a field of waist high wet grass and then finding a sort of gap to get through to the woods where it is! Yep all finished........i picked the last few dead flowers and gave them to my neighbour anyway......she was happy![img]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/louweezel/IMG_5003.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 I bought 2 lovely tall terracotta pots filled with 5 or 6 plants from Lidl a few days ago. They were at €2.49 each and when they've finished scenting the living room I'll make some space for them in a shady border...The very same pots were selling at €4.50 from Leclerc...[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy1 Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 We have loads in our garden, unfortunately most of it isn't in flower yet! I remember from last year it seems to flower in about mid- may, not much good for May 1st! Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 It's also the day for playing practical jokes on your neighbours.Last year our next door neighbours "stole" their neighbours garden furniture. [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 As far as I can gather here it is only a certain category of people( low income unemployed ?) who can actually get a licence to sell muguets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Lots of familys here were selling it outside of their houses but mainly in the poorer areas. I cant see any of them worrying about a license or any Gendarmes wanting to enforce the law on a jour ferie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 [quote user="Missy"]Juste un petit brin de muguet! [IMG]http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r116/Missyesbut/lily-of-the-valley.jpg[/IMG]Bonne journée et bonne chance à tous ! [/quote]When I told my daughter last night that her father had bought me a spray of Lily of the Valley to celebrate May 1st I was astonished to be told that Lily of the Valley is mildly poisonous: viz from:-http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/poison/poison.htmlLily of the Valley can cause "Irregular heart beat and pulse, usually accompanied by digestive upset and mental confusion."Not worrying enough to put me off my nearly-favourite flower but interesting none the less.Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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