Dutch hybridizers are gilding the lily, upgrading the cut flower favourite that also brings such long-lasting beauty to gardens.
New varieties with deeper tints, stronger stems and softer fragrances are entering the market, prompting retailers to frequently update their websites and catalogues.
"Our customers seem very interested in new lily varieties and they are selling well," says Becky Heath. She and her husband own and operate Brent and Becky's Bulbs near Gloucester, Va.
Breeders like lilies because the hybrids can be crossed and their progeny sold more quickly than other bulb flowers, like tulips, that may require a decade or better to develop. Gardeners like lilies because the bulbs are so easy to grow.
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