LILY SOCIETY

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29389, 16 December 1960, Page 19

LILY SOCIETY

More Than 100 Exhibits

A huge bowl of cream and white lilies reflected in a large mirror oh the stairway of a shop, announces the annual display of the New Zealand Lily Society which opened yesterday. Consisting of more than 100 exhibits entered by members, the display is entirely non-competi-tive, although one award made annually for the best grown stem (the Deal Cup) has been awarded to an anonymous exhibitor for a “Pink Martagon.” Discussing this year’s exhibition, the president (Mr A. Nettleton) said that this was not one of the best held by the society. As the season had been extremely bad there was not the variety available as on previous occasions he said. The society’s competitive festival, to be held for three days in January, could be expected to produce much better results, as there was usually a greater selection of more showy blooms at this time.

In spite of these disadvantages there are more than 20 varieties of lilies in the exhibition, ranging from the pure white of the familiar Christmas lilies, to the delicate shades of cream, yellow orange and pink of some of the hybrid blooms. They also vary considerably in size and shape from the rolled petals and small stature of some of the Asiatic species to the tall, bell-shaped blooms of the more common arum lily. Most of the exhibits are labelled, but there is no mention of exhibitors. The display will continue today and will close at 9 o’clock this evening.