🌱plant of the week🌱 Known for their fragrant scent, this hybrid lily tends to have larger flowers than its Asiatic cousins, and is one of the few ‘true lilies’ in the world – many plants have ‘lily’ in their name but are not technically part of the lilium family. With bold, open petals, they come in a range of colours such as pink, yellow, white and purple. They are sometimes known as stargazer lilies as the flowers appear to look up towards the sky. Lilies are among the oldest cultivated plants, with evidence of cultivation in Asia dating as far back as the 2000 BC. They were grown by Ancient Greeks and Romans for both ornamental and medicinal purposes. 🌺🌺🌺 Lilies are toxic to cats, so keep them away from curious felines, however they are not known to be poisonous to humans and are still used in traditional medicines. Some lily bulbs are edible and similar to a starchy root vegetable, and can be found in Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese cuisines. In the Victorian language of flowers, lilies symbolise love, ardour and affection for loved ones. The Oriental variety prefers a cool, sheltered position, and planting time for bulbs is winter into spring. ... ... ... ... #mattersjournal #plantoftheweek #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #botanical #orientallily #orientallilies #stargazerlily #stargazerlilies https://www.instagram.com/p/CCr25f0nDME/?igshid=j55gwhvvkufz