Arum Lilies

These flowers have a very special place in my heart. My Dad, who was a Head Gardener at Orleton Hall in Shropshire for some 40 years used to grow these flowers for the House. He used to display them with Maiden Hair Fern to make a lovely bouquet. So every time I see them I'm taken back to the walled kitchen garden where Dad spent the whole of his working life - with the exception of when he was called up to fight in the Second World War.

Dad was in the Royal Artilary on the Bofors gun. His detachment went over to Normandy on D Day. Dad did not go with them as he injured his knee in the previous weeks and was not fit to travel. He said he went over 7 days later and caught up with his unit somewhere in France.

So this flower is a memory of Dad and also to all those servicemen who were part of the D Day landings, those who followed later and those who never came back.