Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is a forest plant, much appreciated for its fragrant summer flowers.
Its low spreading habit also makes it ideal for growing as a ground cover plant. Lily of the valley thrives in a moist, shady spot and gradually spreads to form dense clumps of lush, green foliage.
Newly planted lily of the valley struggles to grow in cold, wet conditions, so it pays to plant the crowns into pots in March and then grow them indoors before planting out. By mid-May they will be developed enough to be planted in your borders. This head start will increase the likelihood of flowers in the same year.
How to plant lily of the valley
Lily of the valley plants are readily available as rooted crowns. Soak these in water for half an hour and then plant in individual pots to establish before planting them in their final growing positions from May onwards.
