I am reading Edgar Austin McRae's book called
Lilies a Guide for Growers and Collector's. I got this book as a Christmas Gift. it is a used library book but full of info and some of the info is over my head..hahaha but hopefully as I get more experience with these beautiful flowers I might understand more of it.
Everyone has told me that this is the best book on lilies that they know of. Many of the Lily Growers I have talked to in Ontario and sell bulbs have met this man in the past. He has just recently passed away.

I ordered 7 other books that are all used and not got them yet from Amazon

but wander if there is special books that maybe I should order and read on the lily

thanks in advance

That was the second book on lilies that I have. As you say, very good, but has a lot of information for the more advanced.

This was my first book - 50 pages and tons of line drawings.



In my opinion, it really is the best one for someone first delving into the world of lilies, but wants to know more than just the pretty face they have. You get if free when you first join the North American Lily Society (NALS).

If you buy things from Amazon, enter the Amazon site through the Amazon link on the right side of the NALS home page. When you do, a portion of the dollars you spend will go to NALS, without any extra cost to you. The North American Rock Garden Society (and many others) do this, and it's an easy, no cost way to help support them.

Personally, I try to limit my use of Amazon because of the unfair treatment they practice with certain authors and small publishing companies.

Pat, in my opinion, all you really need right now is McRae's book and a member subscription to the NALS and belong to a GOOD forum like this. I'd much rather see you spend your money on lilies than a bunch of books that you might only use for reference once in a while. Learning all about lilies is not something one learns overnight, but rather a little more with each passing year over time. A good balance in learning combines learning from books and from practical application experience in the garden.

A membership to the North American Lily Society (NALS) will get you a hardbound yearbook and four quarterly bulletins each year. New members also receive an instruction booklet called 'Let's Grow Lilies' which has quite a bit of valuable basic information. You, then also, have access to their annual Spring Seed Exchange sale where you can buy seeds of crosses made by well known lily hybridizers at cheap prices; from hybridizers and breeders from all over the world. Collect your yearbooks and quarterly bulletins and store them for future reference. The same goes for any Spring and Fall catalogs you receive from reputable grower/sellers. Save those.

On this forum, the sticky threads at the top about hybridizing, growing from seed and scaling, read much like reference book material by themselves. There is more practical information in those three threads than there is in any single reference book out there. Of course, McRae's book is a great resource for anyone.

Rick, looks like we were typing at the same time again. I'm just a little slower

It was Christmas 1984 when I was given a copy of Let's Grow Lilies! and the poor thing fell apart from all the use it got. I love that book. The illustrations are priceless... I think it may have been the enthusiastic expressions on the lily-growing characters that infected me with lily virus.

thanks for your input
I have some lilies that I am still ordering this year to go with the other ones
want to see what comes up and how high they get with 300 plus new ones in the ground it will be interesting

his book is great but it looks like it really is for the more experience lily grower

was thinking of joining the Ontario Lily Society
but can also consider other ones as well

thanks for the tips about amazon

Let's grow lilies is a great beginner book! There is a lot of technical stuff in Lilies by Mcrae but it is very in depth. Great re-read after getting some more knowledge.

you can buy lets Grow Lilies locally around here and might see if I can find that one
thanks

Hah! Okay, maybe not a good lily book to read, and no, I don't understand Czech, but the Botanical Latin is universal. (The book is about bulbous flowers that include lilies). Still these old books are stores of good information. The book was given to me by an older Lily Society member who was also a Rock Garden enthusiast.

I got another Used book for the RHS Society on Growing Lilies and it is really good to look and easy to read
likely the easiest so far out of all the books I got is this one for understanding everything

will join the North American Lily Society and the Ontario Lily Society as well

This one? I got it used, too. ©1989 not in print.
Very worthwhile, even for a person such as myself.

yes that Is the same but it has pic of Orange lily on the front and not Yellow
but it looks the same

I have several books, but I like reading the yearbook. I purchased the DVD and it has all the old year books up to a few years ago. ( right off I can't remember where it stopped). It comes in a PDF format to read on you iPad or computer. check it out at ALS website.