Local resident Dani Dooley has been growing lilies for about 30 years, and it has paid off.
Dooley, attended the North American Lily Show in Calgary last week from July 15-19, and took home several ribbons including best arrangement and best stem. Dooley mentioned she also judges as part of the North American Lily Society, which is who put on the show in Calgary.
The show, in its 68th year, only comes to Canada once every three years Dooley told inSide Drumheller, and usually when it comes to Alberta it is held in Edmonton so it was nice to have it close by, she explained.
“Of the 13 stems that I took, I won nine first prizes and three second prizes,” she said adding that she also won for best design in the show with her spatial thrust floral design.
“It was a surprise to me. It was really rewarding,” she said.
“The theme was Alberta black gold, so I made it look like (there was) a couple of oil refinery pipes coming up with yellow and gold lilies designed on the outside of it. My sister had given me an Alberta plaque so when I saw that arrangement I thought I should work that into it because it has the Alberta shape and it worked beautifully and turned out really nice,” she said.
Her lily growing all started with her husband’s uncle bringing lilies to their farm, she explained.
“I just sort of carried on from there. I added new varieties as they came along.”
She mentioned that she still has some of the original lilies.
“That is just testament to how strong they are and how many years they will last,” adding that they are not necessarily in the same location, because lilies need to be moved every few years.
“(Lilies) have an amazing ability to suck up water and rehydrate themselves,” Dooley explained. “They can be wilted right down and the flowers can be flopped on the side and you just put them back into water and they will just come back up.”
She said this is a great way of getting lilies to shows.
“The Red Velvet is my favourite all time lily and that is one I have been growing for more than 30 years,” Dooley said.
“It is always on the show bench. It is a lily that shows up really well.”
She explained that some of the newer lilies don’t stand up to wind as well as ones such as the Red Velvet.
“My guilty pleasure is coming out here (to the garden) first thing (in the morning) to see what is newly opened up,” she said with a chuckle.
During the hail storm last July she said it was “devastating” to see the aftermath.
“Stuff was cut down right to the ground... It just looked like lily salad, it was just horrendous.”
She said this year the lilies have come back “better than ever because when you do that, the bulb (in the ground) doesn’t have to do anything but store energy.”
“I grow lilies and I sell bulbs in the fall,” she said. “Lots of people have had their gardens added to with lilies from my garden,” adding that it has been a “rewarding” experience.
“People love to come out to see the variety of colour and the new varieties that are coming out. It has been a long haul but has been very rewarding to do it,” she said.
Dooley is offering tours of her lily garden which is on the south side of Highway 10 just past the Hoodoos until August 8. Call 403-822-2144 to set up a time for a tour.
