Garden log 5/6/24. I’m slowly digging out the large European lily-of-the-valley patch I inherited; they’re lovely, but invasive in Illinois, sadly. It spread by both seeds and rhizomes, so if you grow them in a home garden here, birds transplant the seeds to woodland areas, where it forms dense colonies that choke out native plants. I’m hoping to replace it with Canada mayflower, a pretty native with a similar habit (no scent, alas).
But that said, it’s a long process digging the lily-of-the-valley out, it keeps coming back, and it’ll probably take me a few years to eradicate it from my garden. So in the meantime, I still collect a bouquet in the spring, and enjoy the scent. If you’re a neighbor and want to collect a little bouquet, please feel free — they’re in the southern corner next to the sidewalk, next to the little green “Mary Anne’s Garden” sign. You’ll be doing me a favor, since it’ll make it easier to dig it out. 🙂 332 Wisconsin, the blue and purple house.
It’s a traditional Mother’s Day bouquet.
