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LILY OF THE VALLEY On 1st May, in the countdown to our launch, The Perfume Society ‘flower-bombed’ women we admire with little bunches of this pure white nodding flower – from photographer Mary McCartney to chef Angela Hartnett, TV’s Lorraine Kelly to architect Zaha Hadid, actress Sienna Miller to Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman…
For such a tiny white flower, lily of the valley packs a heck of a scented punch. Just a few sprigs of Convollaria majalis can fill a room with their green, cheery sweetness, helping to bid farewell to the drear of winter. (The second part of its Latin name refers to the fact that it flowers in May.) Personally, we can’t think of a soul who doesn’t love this flower, which pushes up from the bare soil to lift our hearts. The tradition of giving nosegays of lily of the valley dates back to May 1561. King Charles IX of France – aged just 10 – was presented with a little bunch of muguet, the flower we know today of lily of the valley. That gesture was meant to symbolise luck and prosperity, and the ‘boy King’ so loved the idea that he began to offer posies of this so-fragrant flower to the ladies of his court each year, on 1st May. Around the start of the 20th Century, that tradition really took off, and French men began to present lily of the valley to women as a sign of their affection. Nowadays, it’s a more general custom: muguet is given between friends, family or even colleagues. In France, 1st May is now declared a public holiday; in the country, families 10 The scented Letter
get up in the morning and head to the woods to pick the flowers. But there are political undertones, beneath that innocent façade: 1st May is ‘Labour Day’, and you may also spot sprigs of lily of the valley on the lapels of workers demonstrating and parading, which is another May Day (or ‘fête du travail’) tradition. There are even special regulations that allow French people, and some organisations, to sell these flowers on 1st May without paying tax or having to fret about the usual retail regulations and red tape. The scent of the flowers itself, of course, is almost spicy, so sweet and green, with hints of lemon. Yet ironically, it’s impossible to extract the scent of lily of the valley from the flowers themselves. They’re too fragile to survive being steam-distilled, and the technique of enfluerage (using solvents or waxes to tease out the scent) doesn’t work, either. Thank heavens, then, for the skill of the perfumer – because by mixing other aromatic compunds, it’s possible to come up with a lily of the valley note that even someone with the acuity of a Miami airport sniffer dog couldn’t tell from the real thing. How’s it done? Often, through the use citrus and florals such as jasmine, orange blossom, rosy or green notes – and some of the most magical synthetics in a perfumer’s palette, with names like Lilial, Lyral and hydroxycitronellal. Lily of the valley plants themselves, though, have a surprisingly dark side: all parts of the plant are highly poisonous. (And for sure, keep your children away from the appealing-looking red berries which ripen some time after the flower fades.) But personally, nothing could put us off growing them. Plants can be a little tricky to establish, but it’s worth trying (and trying again, if at first you don’t succeed). Dried crowns take ages to get going, and often come to nothing. Clumps from friends can be moody,
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We were following a wonderful French custom: on May Day, lily of the valley is given by men (and women) to those they love and admire, as a symbol of springtime – and a token of admiration. We’d love to encourage it as a tradition here: what lovelier way to herald spring…? (So lily of the valley has become The Perfume Society’s ‘adopted flower’.) But of course, lily of the valley needn’t just be enjoyed in May. As a fragrance note, it features in one of the world’s most celebrated scents – Diorissimo – among other lovely, white flower creations, just waiting for you to sniff them out…