In the spotlight
The French call it , source of the distinctive, old-fashioned fragrance Muguet. To the Germans, it is , both names confirming that now is the short, but heady season to enjoy the scent of , the native lily of the valley. Traditionally a choice flower for spring bridal wreaths, its natural home in southern and south-eastern counties is ancient woodland on freely draining, acidic soils (St Leonard's Forest in mid Sussex is one of its strongholds), yet woods on limestone from the Cotswolds northwards also suit it. Beloved of bees, the heady scent of lily of the valley, emanating from round, bell flowers suspended from wiry stems like miniature fishing rods, made it long susceptible to extensive picking in its wild habitats; until the mid 19th century, it even grew wild on Hampstead Heath. Slowly spreading by underground stems, has often naturalised itself in churchyards and gardeners have developed cultivars with double flowers, pink blooms and variegated leaves-but can any of them match the simple loveliness of the original?
