The Madonna lily

Remember that the most beautiful things in life are the most useless-- peacocks and lilies,
for example.

John Ruskin

We don't have peacocks outside the back door (unfortunately) but we do have dozens of tall lilies blooming right now. The white trumpet lilies were beautiful in the early sunlight. This is my favorite season in the garden-- and over too fast.

I don't know if my white lily is a true "Madonna" lily (l. candidum) but it looks close. The "Madonna" lily is one of those pin-up girls of the flower world, and you'll find hundreds of photographs on the Internet if you Google it.

They say "Madonna" might be the oldest domesticated flower, for the simple reason it is lovely. The ancient Minoans cultivated it, and it's been a symbol of purity for 3,000 years. That is a long time to be pure. In the church, the white lily is also the symbol for the Virgin Mary. It was venerated because the petals suggested a spotless body, and the gold anthers a soul shining with heaven.

Who doesn't love them? And of course lilies come in bright colors: orange, rich gold and a dark cantaloupe. I'm still deciding whether to order the new "Purple Prince" trumpet lily from the fall bulb catalog. Just the name makes me want it. Not to mention the racy thought of a dark purple "Prince" next to a pure white "Madonna."


The modest rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat'ing horn,
While lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn, nor a threat, stain her beauty bright.

William Blake