Talk about lucky–I was offered some new lily bulbs to test-trial in my garden this year. Of course I said yes! And you can see how beautifully they’ve grown in these pictures.
These are so new, they aren’t being offered for sale yet. What makes them unique? Look closely, and you’ll see that the breeder has developed lilies that don’t have stamens, the parts of a flower (technically, the anther and filament) that contain pollen.
This is a big deal because Oriental lilies are beloved for their gorgeous blooms and sweet fragrance–but not for their stamens, which dust everything that comes in contact with them with yellow-orange pollen. That pollen stains clothes and skin. The stains on your hands last for a couple of days. If you get the pollen on your clothes–well, hope you like wearing orange polka dots. These lilies avoid that problem altogether.
I’m trialing these lilies in white, too, and they are absolutely spectacular. Haven’t seen a bug or a sign of disease on them. I can’t tell you who’s going to be selling them yet, but I hope to spill the beans soon. In the meantime–feast your eyes here. Wish this was scratch-and-sniff, so you could enjoy their perfume, too!
