Gilding the Lily


The lily has been popular for centuries, being admired for its beauty by the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. The lily remained popular in medieval gardens. It was used in the coats of arms of French royalty and was depicted in tapestries of the 15th century.


Gilding the lily is a misquotation of Shakespeare: “To gild refi ned gold, to paint the lily,… is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” William Blake, Emily Dickinson and Katherine Mansfi eld also wrote about lilies in their creative work.


There are about 110 lily species (genus Lilium) and most lily species are native to the northern hemisphere. You need to be careful when ordering since there are so many plants that have ‘lily’ in their name which are not from the lily family.


Lilies and Symbolism Due to its popularity with so many cultures over time, the lily has been given diff erent meanings and symbolism. Its interpretation as a symbol of renewal and rebirth, means it is often requested for fl oral tributes at funerals. However, it has a wide range of other meanings, including: fertility, hope, motherhood, birth, purity and innocence, meaning that you can recommend it to your customers looking to make a statement with fl owers for every occasion.


12 F&wb Summer 2013


Did you know? Roman soldiers used lilies as a balm for burns and wounds. A mixture of honey and


lily was thought to fi ght off wrinkles when rubbed on the face.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87