WITH EACH SEED PLANTED, THERE IS A PROMISE OF SOMETHING GOOD. THE RESULTING LILIES ARE DIFFERENT, NEW, AND FROM THEM, A HANDFUL ARE SELECTED OUT OF THOUSANDS TO BRING FORWARD. THESE NEW ASIATIC LILIES HAVE UNIQUE TRAITS, UNSUSUAL BEAUTY AND ARE TOUGH AS NAILS FOR OUR VARIED CANADIAN GARDENS. HERE ARE THE 2024 LILYFIELD ORIGINALS.
‘BRINGER OF JOY’
‘BRINGER OF JOY’ was easy to pick out from the rest. Thick stems, flower petals of strong substance and special shades of pink to coral to salmon set it apart. It stood out in the field and the lily bulbs thrived without any extra winter protection.
Stunning lime green dashes speckled with red dots lead to a pale throat. Secondary pedicels form on mature plants allowing the plant to flower for an extended time during summer.
‘BRINGER OF JOY’ is the tallest of 2024’s introductions, standing at just over 4 feet once established.
‘GIVE ‘EM HEAVEN’
Fuzzy buds. What can I say? She is so cute. Before ‘Give ’em Heaven’ opens you will see the buds peaking out of the emerging foliage covered in down. This feature gives the upper stems, pedicels and buds a sage green appearance complimenting the baby pink of the flowers.
Not only does ‘Give ’em Heaven’ have that unique trait, it is also a well-behaved, beautiful garden perennial. The clear, baby-pink flower petals fade to the palest pink as the days go by. Up-facing flowers make it a great pick for a cut-flower arrangement.
‘OFF THE CHARTS’
The cherry red flowers with a light coloured centre makes ‘Off the Charts’ stand out in a sea of lilies. If you look closely you can see the darkest colouring, an effect of deep dark green nectaries, perfect for hummingbirds that come around our garden in August.
The matching throat and pollen filaments give ‘Off the Charts’ a flying appearance. Is it a bird? Is it a giant insect? Maybe just a flower with wings. I hope you enjoy this one in your garden in the coming years. A stand-out.