Oriental lily

Where does the meaning of oriental lilies come from?

Lilies are among the oldest flowers in cultivation, long associated with purity and majesty, and in Victorian floriography the white lily stood for purity and modesty of heart. Oriental hybrids, bred largely from Japanese species, are prized for their generous trumpet blooms and heady evening fragrance. Their calm elegance makes them equally at home in celebration and in sympathy work.

What does each colour of oriental lilies mean?

The studio buys oriental lilies in white and pink, and at the bench each colour is read for its own meaning, a shade of the whole: purity and refined beauty.

• Whitepurity and quiet remembrance
• Pinkprosperity and heartfelt admiration

When are oriental lilies in season?

Oriental lilies are in season all year round, so they are in the studio this month.

In the studio's bunches it is a focal flower: the one a bunch is built around, with the others chosen to frame it.

When should you give oriental lilies?

Oriental lilies carry purity, remembrance and elegance, and the studio's guide to occasions lists them for sympathy, weddings, anniversaries and congratulations. Each of those pages shows the other stems that say the same thing, and the bunches made for the day.

• Sympathylisted beside anemone, hydrangea and chrysanthemum bloom
• Weddingslisted beside garden rose, spray rose and peony
• Anniversarieslisted beside garden rose, peony and dahlia
• Congratulationslisted beside peony, dahlia and sunflower

Which other flowers mean the same as oriental lilies?

The studio's guide to the meaning of flowers files every stem by what it says. These say the same as oriental lilies, so a bunch can carry the message in another season or another colour:

• Purityspray rose, freesia, gypsophila and ammi
• Remembranceanemone, carnation, scabiosa and limonium
• Elegancegarden rose, dahlia, ranunculus and hydrangea

What goes well with oriental lilies in a bouquet?

Pairings follow the florist's rule: one voice leads and the others frame it, so a bunch has a focal flower, a secondary one, texture and green. Oriental lilies are a focal flower, and in the studio's pairings they sit with these, each with a meaning of its own:

• Lisianthusa secondary flower, which means appreciation and lifelong bonds
• Stocksa secondary flower, which means lasting beauty and a happy life
• Eucalyptusfoliage, which means protection and healing
• Ruscusfoliage, which means thoughtfulness and humility
• Gypsophilatexture, which means everlasting love and innocence
• Ammitexture, which means sanctuary and delicate beauty

How do I look after oriental lilies in a vase?

The studio's care card for a hand-tied bunch says: Your bunch is tied so it stands on its own. The string is part of the arrangement, so leave it on. Cut a couple of centimetres off every stem at an angle with sharp scissors. A fresh cut drinks; a dry one seals over. Stand them in a clean vase of fresh, cool water with the flower food we sent. Top it up daily and change it every two or three days. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, because leaves in water go slimy and spoil the water. Keep them out of direct sun and away from radiators, and never next to the fruit bowl: ripening fruit gives off a gas that ages flowers. A cool room overnight does them good. If the house is warm, a north-facing windowsill or a hallway is kinder than the kitchen. Take out anything that goes over before the rest. One tired stem makes the whole bunch look tired, and it hurries the others along. Every flower keeps its own pace: tulips go on growing in the vase, lilies open a bud at a time, and the softest stems are over first. How long they go on depends on the stems and the room they are in.