LILIES - RHS Lily Group

Gennady Firsov, PhD, is Senior Research Associate and curator of the arboretum and nursery
at the botanic garden of the Komarov Botanical Institute. Born in stanitsa Kumilzhenskaya
in the Volgograd region, he took part in the investigation of the flora of the area, and made
recommendations for the creation of the Lower Choper Nature Park in 2003. He is a member
of the IDS, of the British Conifer Society and of the Russian Botanical Society.
Harris Howland has been interested in lilies for over 40 years and now maintains a
relatively good collection of lilies and fritillaries. He has served on two occasions as
chairman of the Lily Group and collaborated on the Gardeners’ Guide to Growing Lilies.
Pat Huff, PhD, is Chairman of the Lily Group. An American living in Britain, she has
responded enthusiastically to the horticultural opportunities presented by her adopted
country. She gardens in Cambridgeshire and has special interests in species peonies and
caudiciform succulents as well as lilies and fritillaries. She is Editor of Plant Heritage, the
bulletin of the NCCPG, the Garden History Society News, and the Fritillaria Group Journal.
Steve McNamara originally trained as an engineer, but after a long spell in hospital started to
work in the London Parks Department and re-trained in horticulture starting with a City and
Guilds in Amenity Horticulture and then at Kew. After living in Canada for 18 years he moved
back to Britain to be Property Manager and Head Gardener at Branklyn near Perth where are
held several National Collections including the Mylnefield Lily Collection.
Brian Mathew, VMH was for 25 years, a taxonomic botanist in the Herbarium at the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, specialising in the petaloid monocotyledons. He is the author of
many books on garden plants, in particular bulbous genera.
Alan Mitchell is an optimistic amateur gardener with a passion for growing lilies who lives
in Scotland. He finds their difficulty a challenge and their diversity and beauty endlessly
engaging and therapeutic.
Gian Lupo Osti is an Italian dendrologist and past President of the International
Dendrology Society. He gardens in Northern Lazio on the hills overlooking Lake Bolsena;
he is particularly interested in peonies.
Charles and Lee Reynolds both served in the Australian Army. Lee joined the Education
Corps and when she left became a Business Manager and Consultant. Charles has a degree
in cello performance and after playing in the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra joined
the Army as an Artillery Officer serving on several occasions overseas. He is now in the
Reserves, and responsible for the entertainment taken to Australian forces overseas.
Arne Strid is Director of the Göteborg Botanical Garden and has a particular interest in the
flora of Greece and author of several books on the subject.
Pontus Wallstén, is a student at the University of Westminster in London, where he studies
Film and TV production. When he is not behind a camera, he can be found in his parents’
garden in Switzerland, taking care of his collections of rare plants from all around the
world. The highlight of these collections are the lilies, which Pontus spends a lot of time
photographing thereby combining his two main hobbies.
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