Flower Fridays - The Lily

Flower Fridays are back!  Thanks to Kathy for requesting lilies, and with Easter only a week away, it's perfect timing. There are several types of lilies: Asiatic (shown above), Longiflorum (aka the Easter Lily shown below), and Oriental (shown at bottom of the page).  Lilies come in a range of colors, and are known for their strong smell.  If you want lilies in your wedding bouquet, ask your florist to remove the stamens, as they shed pollen that stains EVERYTHING!  Lilies can have up to 7 blooms per stem, and have a relatively long vase life!

Asiatic - These are the most affordable and attainable option; the blooms are also the smallest of the 3 types.  They are available year round, and come in a variety of colors, such as orange, yellow, pink and white.

Longiflorum or Easter Lily - This lily is only available for a short period of time around the Easter holiday.  The trumpet shaped white blooms face outward from the center, rather than upward like Asiatic.  This lily has strong religious ties - tradition has it that the beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ’s sweat fell to the ground in his final hours of sorrow and deep distress. Churches continue this tradition at Easter time by banking their altars and surrounding their crosses with masses of Easter Lilies, to commemorate His resurrection and hope of life everlasting.  The Easter Lily also has associations with the Virgin Mary.

Oriental - Oriental lilies have fewer blooms and are more expensive than Asiatic, but the blooms are bigger, so less is needed to make a big impact.  The white Casablanca lily is most commonly requested by brides.