Leanne Dowd’s new book is the definitive work on Canadian lilies and the hybridizers!
What is lovelier than a lily in midsummer? When all the other perennials are taking a rest, the lily perks up the garden with a burst of colour and charm. And at last, it appears that the dreaded lily beetle is also taking a rest. A parasitic wasp released here in 2015 has reduced the threat considerably.
Enter Leanne Dowd, Neepawa gardener, who grows thousands of lilies. It is safe to say that she has one of the largest collections of lilies in Canada. And many of them were bred by Manitoba lily breeders: Wilbert Ronald, Frank Skinner, Ieuan Evans have all contributed to the book with personal accounts.
Leanne’s greatest love is reserved for martagon lilies, also known as Turk’s cap lilies for the way they hang upside down on a stem. They are much loved by gardeners with shade trees because they do well in dappled shade with a little morning sun. They are also giants in the garden, growing as tall as six feet with as many as four dozen blossoms that continually emerge as the plant grows.
But Leanne doesn’t stick to martagons. Canadian Lily Hybridizers and their Lilies covers the lily world of Asiatic lilies that were introduced by Canadians.
Her book has been endorsed by lily growers around the world, including the North American Lily Society and lily growers in Europe.
If you love lilies, you will also love this book. We are particularly proud at Pegasus Publications Inc., (your publishers of Lifestyles 55), to have produced this beautiful hardcover version for Leanne. It will make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift this spring.
Thank you to Sandy Venton for her help in making this happen and thank you to our own Karl Thomson for his hours or work on the layout and photo corrections.
To get your copy of the book, contact Leanne at https://prairie-smoke-growers.myshopify.com.
Watch for Leanne at her booth at the Living Green Show at the Red River Ex on Easter weekend this April.
