Lily of the valley

Some years ago, BH gave me some lily of the valley plants which I planted beyond the beech screen at the bottom of the garden. They did not thrive there and have now vanished from view.

While rather nearer the ponds, between the oak tree and the nut tree, quite a colony of them seems to have been established, with at least one coming into flower, left in the snap. BH thinks that these one came from FIL, possibly with FIL, from Devon. Also that they do not often flower here. Perhaps the wet winter helped on this occasion, for which see, for example, reference 2.

According to Wikipedia: '... convallaria majalis is widely grown in gardens for its scented flowers and ground-covering abilities in shady locations. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit ... In favourable conditions it can form large colonies...'. We can do the shade bit, but I am not sure that our dry, hard, brown clay counts as favourable conditions, as I associate the lily with boggy woods in valley bottoms. Like those at Newbridge, a little to the northwest of Ashburton. See which reference 1, from which, as it happens, the lily is absent.

Not sure either what business the RHS has giving awards to wild flowers. By what right does it give the work of the Lord marks out of ten?

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/04/botanical-walk.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/12/second-report.html.