Lovely Peruvian lilies

I was never fond of lilies. Any kind of lilies as i think they look arrogant and bold. Not until i found the Peruvian lilies, which i have fall in love with over and over again. Even my heart blooms when thinking about those lovely, dainty flowers. 

It all started when i was planning for a tea party for my brother and cousins. I was looking at the recipes, selecting what cakes to bake and sandwiches to make. Of course, a tea party needs to come with bouquets of flowers in pretty vases to give a soothing ambiance as they enjoy the sweet savouries together with their selection of tea. And so, i googled for flowers and of course daisies and roses are the common flowers used for tea parties. I was thinking of something different. Something soft, dainty and graceful which makes you think of laces and ribbons. As i was searching over Google image, i saw a beautiful bouquet - soft, dainty and graceful. 

Photo from: www.arabiaweddings.com

I managed to locate a florist here in Kuala Lumpur that sells a variety of Peruvian lilies. You can find it at Weng Hoa florist in Petaling Street, but i'm sure you can find it at other florist as well. Their price for the Peruvian lilies is quite decent (RM18) per bouquet and they have quite a variety of colors too. I bought two bouquets, pink and yellow just enough for my table of 8. 

As i research about the Peruvian lilies, i started to feel that there's something special and different about it. It is a native flower of South America but it's beauty has spread all over the world. It is also known as alstroemeria, named after a Swedish botanist who brought it to Europe in 18th century upon his trip to South America. Today, the Peruvian lilies gives meaning for friendship and devotion and thus people send these lilies to their loved ones to express their love, support and compassion. The depth of its meanings is a compliment to its beauty and simplicity. 

These lilies can last for about 2 to 3 weeks in a vase of tap water. After a week, one by one the petals started to fall, making me feel like it is the end of Spring. I let it fills my table and oh my, how dainty are the petals and yet, the rest still remain beautiful. At times, there's sadness in my heart, looking at the petals fall as i was captivated by its beauty.