At the nursery of J. de Jong & Zonen, in addition to peonies, other perennials are also cultivated. The specialty of the nursery is Lily of the Valley (Convallaria Majalis). A special flower that has been cultivated in Aalsmeer for a long time. The flower makes Lily of the Valley so special due to its delicate white, bell-shaped flowers and wonderful, familiar fragrance often used in perfumes. Additionally, the plant brings good luck, if you believe the French. There, on May 1st, a Convallaria Majalis is traditionally given as a gift to a beloved family member or friends.
Specialist Cultivation Work
Sorting the plants can be done during the winter months. That's one of the reasons why this plant was cultivated by many growers in the past. The selection work kept you busy during the winter months and could be done indoors in the shed.
The selection of the plants is done by sorting the growth tips by quality. Each plant has a bud from which the plant will grow, also called a growth tip. However, not every growth tip contains a flower, and this is where the grower's eye is important. They can feel and see from the growth tip whether the plant will develop a flower in addition to leaves. This can only be done by hand, which makes sorting a lot of work.
Plants without flowers are replanted in the ground to continue growing. The flowering plants are also sorted by quality. The best quality plants are used to cultivate into cut flowers for wedding bouquets. There, despite its small size, the flower is very popular. Various famous wedding bouquets contain this flower, such as Catherine (Kate) Middleton's wedding bouquet.
Aalsmeer Family Business
J de Jong & Zonen is a family business that has been located in Aalsmeer for over a hundred years and has been cultivating Lily of the Valley for approximately the same amount of time. In the past, Lily of the Valley was a by-product cultivated by many growers, but nowadays J de Jong & Zonen is the only one left in Aalsmeer. After the Second World War, many nurseries began to specialize in other plants and flowers. In Aalsmeer, these were usually cut flowers such as roses. Fortunately, the second generation in J. de Jong's family business had already developed such a love for this product that they continued to cultivate it. Lily of the Valley has now even grown to become the largest product group cultivated at the nursery.
French Tradition
In the 20th century, the tradition originated in France and Belgium to give a loved one, usually mothers and grandmothers, a bouquet or pot with three Lily of the Valley flowers on May 1st to wish them good luck. Lily of the Valley has symbolic value due to its delicate flowers and wonderful fragrance. The flower has been given for hundreds of years to bring good luck and it is used to celebrate the end of winter.
Spring Indoors or in the Garden
The flowering Lily of the Valley plants are very suitable for forcing in a pot. By placing them in a warm room, for example your living room, the Lily of the Valley will grow and bloom earlier than they would outdoors, allowing you to bring spring into your home sooner. You can compare it to spring bloomers like Daffodils and Hyacinths.
The plants you buy from the nursery can therefore be placed directly in a pot in your living room, allowing you to enjoy the wonderful scent of spring early. It is of course also very nice to give the flower to the Francophile in your life for a little luck.
View the Lily of the Valley in our webshop here.
