Lilies

Beautiful varieties for home and garden 

Reviewed by Lorraine Hunter  

A symbol of sex and passion, of goddesses and virgins, the lily is a flower with 1,000 stories to tell and Naomi Slade tells us a lot of them in her book LILIES beautiful varieties for home and garden. 

She discusses just about everything we might want to know about the lily, from its early history and botanical origins to the latest in hybridization methods. She details its scent, anatomy, classifications and some nine divisions. There are tips on designing with lilies and dealing with pollen staining and a list of lily organizations around the world. 

This book is a contemporary guide featuring more than 50 of the most striking and glamorous lily varieties available, from the towering Arabian Knight to the fiery Viva la Vida and the pink pollen-free Distant Dream and the tall blonde bombshell Yelloween. The photography by Georgianna Lane is fabulous—bright, bold and colourful—with lots of large closeups. 

There is detailed information on lily growing and care, both in the garden and in containers, as well as sections on buying, planting, growing for shows, pests and diseases, plus a two-page glossary of lily terms. 

This is a book for anyone who wants to grow lilies or who just wants to learn more about them. LILIES beautiful varieties for home and garden, by Naomi Slade, photography by Georgianna Lane, Gibbs, Smith. 

Lorraine Hunter is a freelance writer, editor of Trellis magazine and a Toronto Master Gardener. 

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