LILIES - RHS Lily Group

somewhat decadent, in that we parked beside or nearby lilies and with the
minimum of physical effort observed them, photographed them and then drove
on to the next location. Although it was very convenient that most of the lilies
we found were growing by the roadside, I couldn’t help but wonder at their
possible incidence and distribution away from the roadside. Starting from a
group of roadside lilies, it would have been interesting to have organised a posse
of hill-walking lily chasers and had them fan out over a few kilometres with the
objective of recording the location of any lilies they found, to be discussed when
the posse met at an agreed point on the map. This information could then have
been transcribed into an excellent and informative article for NALS members with
an interest in indigenous species lilies. Later, when I put this suggestion to David
Sims at the NALS Convention, he said he thought it should be done as both the
activity and the results could be very interesting.
Another lily-related topic I discussed with David and Charlie was the concept
of maintaining national collections of plants. David had previously informed me
that he was an admirer of the concept, so I questioned him as to why there is
no national collection of American species lilies, as this could raise the profile of
these beautiful and diverse plants and, concomitantly, the desirability of growing,
the two dozen or so, indigenous lilies. I also asked Charlie for his views on this
matter. Their answers seemed to highlight a difference in gardening tradition
between the UK and the USA, where the former country seems to have favoured
the concept of national collections more than the latter. Both David and Charlie
also pointed to the preference for hybrids among American lily growers, as these
are easier to deal with and more adaptable, to the climatic variations across the
states, than are indigenous species. However, I was left wondering if, with interest
and motivation, it would really be beyond the bounds of possibility to locate a
garden(s), in a more or less temperate state(s), that could be landscaped into
environments to approximate to the requirements for dry and wetland lilies? I have
to admit to a selfish motive, in promoting the development of a national collection
of this nature, as the interest I hope it would generate might lead US lily nurseries
to stock all of the indigenous species – not just L. pardalinum and L. superbum
– whereby I could add to the 11 American species I grow currently.
Time marches on inexorably and it is now almost four months since I said
goodbye to Charlie, Barb, Kathy and David at the end of the NALS Convention
in Edmonton. Although, as indicated in the second paragraph of this article, I
had met Charlie at the RHS Lily Conference in 2004, I had not met Barb or Kathy
before we arrived at Barb’s house in Reno. Yet, we all got on well with each
other, so as the American’s say “how come”? I’m not sure what the answer is,
but perhaps it’s a tribute to our shared interest in the lovely quarry of our chase
– the lily. Or, perhaps lilies just make nicer people of us all.
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