Every time there was rainy day in April, my father, the king of corny jokes, loved to remind me of the old saying “April showers bring May flowers,” but he would then add “and what do May flowers bring?” Of course, by the time I was 10, I knew the answer, but that didn’t stop him from announcing his punch line with a broad smile and deep chuckle-“Mayflowers bring Pilgrims!”
Thanks for the history-botany-climate lesson Dad.
But he was right, those rainy April days were more bearable knowing that in just a few weeks, the flowers of May would be in full bloom, and May is the blooming time for one of my favorites-Lily of the Valley. Small little flowers they are, but on a damp morning, the garden would be redolent with their bright fresh sweet scent.
These lily of the valley must have been a family favorite, because my aunt, Dad’s elder sister, grew them prolifically in her own garden. When she retired and sold the house, I managed to acquire a few of the pink varieties. They smell just as nice, but seem to have a special glow in the setting sun. Don’t you think?
