So, I have a little treat for you, dear reader, on this Monday morning.

I started a floriography series a few weeks ago, and in my first post I mentioned how a friend at Floristry School introduced me to the topic, and thus began a love affair, with her as my guide, to appreciating flowers with all their meanings. When you read a floriography post on here, I think it’s only fair that you should know that it really is all because of my friend, Maya.
WELL, today, Maya has written a little summin’ summin’ for you, and it is as lyrical and lovely as she is, and I feel incredibly lucky to have made such a life long flower friend. If you’re feeling worse for wear after your bank holiday weekend, then grab that cuppa and settle in to this wonderful little letter. I’ll let Maya continue from here…

Hi! My name is Maya and I am a senior florist at the Electric Daisy Flower Farm in London N6. I met Hannah of Lily and Liz under the most beautiful of circumstances, both of us learning our craft at flower school a few years ago. We arrived with the same back pack and left the best of friends.

Flowers are my everything and I live breathe and sleep them, they are my best friends and I spend my nights dreaming about them. I have been interested in the meaning of flowers for many years and done a lot of research on the subject. When you learn the meanings of flowers they take on personalities and the world of floristry becomes deeper than you could imagine. A perpetual overanalyser I love to delve in to this realm of floral fancy and I have come out with a few favourites. One of them is my good friend the Lily of the Valley. I thought it would be nice if we could hear from her and hear her message to all of us. Without further ado lets listen to the voice of the Lily of the Valley which symbolizes the return of happiness, an apt message in today’s strangest of times.

It is the month of May and you can find me in the dappled sunlit forests of Northern Europe.
I know you have suffered a long and tough few months but with the return of the sunshine I bring the return of happiness.
I bring with me a message of hope in my tiny scented white buds.
This deep sadness we have been feeling, this feeling of grieving for life as we know it will come to an end.
We will move forward in to new times of joy and learn lessons from our struggle and just as I bloom regardless of the world, so will you.
For I am Lily of the Valley and I delight your senses.
I bring with me purity and innocence and I hope to remind you of simpler times.
Perhaps it is encouragement that you need, and this I can provide too.

I signify fighting through the winter months only to surface in to the peak of spring sunlight.
I signify May, when spring turns to summer and easy going freedom returns to us.
I am the prized flower of Ostara, Germanic Goddess of the dawn and I bring dawn to night time.
I celebrate love and luck.
For hundreds of years I have been given by French lovers to each other on the first of May I represent prosperity and blessing for the year ahead.
I want to remind you that we entering in to summer, the play time of the year.
Throughout these special months life is carefree and long walks give us breathing room.
My dancing white heads smell clean and fresh and sometimes can be found hidden behind lush green leaves, I am small but mighty in scent and meaning, we are all small in this world, small but mighty.

Thank you again Maya - such a beautiful message and much needed today. Love ya, can’t wait to create together again x

In Conversation With: Lily of the Valley