Warren Summers
In July 1973 Warren Summers was driving along a country road in Willington, CT and came to a sudden stop when he was captivated by a large stand of seedling lilies growing by the roadside. He knocked on the door of the home and was given a tour of that garden by the hybridizer who happened to be a good friend of Henry Payne, a famous Connecticut lily hybridizer. This was the beginning of an enchanting adventure with lilies for Warren, who started growing lilies from seed that very Fall. Since then, Warren has hybridized and introduced many unique, hardy, and award-winning lilies. Over the years many of his hybrids have been introduced in mail order catalogs and offered on the cut flower market in Holland. Warren has many friends in the lily world and has traveled to Russia, Holland, Germany, Japan, Canada, China, and all over the United States where he has been fortunate to meet lily breeders and learn about lilies. Warren is an accredited lily judge, a judges’ instructor, and is a past President of both NALS and the New England Lily Society.
Warren Summer's Presentation; Lily Hybridizing in North America, will review many of the significant developments in lily hybridizing in America over the 20th century and up to the present. Many of the accomplishments and work of lily hybridizers will be discussed. The presentation may bring back fond memories for old timers in the audience and be very entertaining for lily neophytes.
