This month our flower of choice is the pink lily. Pink lily flowers are very significant with many layers of meaning compared to even other colours of lilies. We explain all in our complete guide to pink lilies, with our tips on how to grow them and gift them.
Significance
It is quite often used as a symbol of motherhood and you will often see if gifted to new mothers. This month it is also associated with Breast Cancer Awareness. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month in the United States, United Kingdom and many other countries. It is a time to bring awareness to this challenging disease and the thousands that struggle with it.
Show your support by volunteering your time with a local organisation or perhaps by participating in a race for the cure. Or simply show your love and support by giving a beautiful bouquet of pink lilies, as a silent symbol of solidarity with a brave fighter of the disease.
Growing Lilies
Lilies can be a fun flower to grow and autumn is the perfect time to start growing them! It’s best to plant your lily bulbs between September and November because they need a cold dormant period before they spring into life after winter.
Make sure that you plant the bulbs in an area that drains well if the soil stays too wet bulb may rot. The area should also get full sun, lilies need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. If the area is too shady the stems will try to lean towards the sun, which often ends up with them falling over.
Loosen the soil of the chosen area to a depth of about 12 to 15 inches. Planting the bulbs deeply will help stabilize the plant as it grows. Additionally, it’ll keep the bulbs cool when temperatures rise during spring. Enrich the soil with leaf compost or organic matter to encourage good drainage.
Planting and watering
Set the bulb in the soil with the pointy side up. Fill the hole in with enriched soil and gently pat it down. Then, it’s best to plant the lilies in groups of 3 to 5 but with plenty of space between them.
Lilies can be watered freely, especially if they are planted in an area with low rainfall. Keep the soil covered in moist mulch to keep the bulbs cool. You want the soil to be moist, but never wet to avoid rotting.
Once your lilies start to flower you will see the true beauty of these gorgeous flowers. If you want to use the flowers for bouquets it’s best to cut the flowers when they are buds, just before they’ve bloomed. This will ensure that they last longer in your arrangement.
Send Love and Support
Lilies are easily one of the most gorgeous and popular flowers around the world. The pink lily flower is such a significant bloom and features in many momentous and empowering events in a woman’s life such as birthdays, graduations or International Women’s Day.
This month if you’re encouraging and supporting a family member or close friend battling breast cancer remember to show them your love through a beautiful bouquet of pink lilies.
Surprise with our beautiful lily bouquets anywhere in the world with FloraQueen’s international delivery service. We help people share smiles in over one hundred countries and make it easy to surprise with the best bouquets.