Lilium x dalhansonii

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net
Sat, 17 Sep 2005 12:09:08 PDT
Thanks for the correction, John. I've been telling that story for decades,
and you are the first person to point out that I've had my Baden-Powells
mixed up. 

I rather liked the idea of General Baden Powell, First Baron of Gilwell,
having a lily-loving side, even if he was comically  paranoid. Next you'll
probably try to tell me that Crocus korolkowii really isn't named for
General Korolkov, but rather for some cousin who stayed home, wrote mushy
novels and never learned to ride a horse.  

Now if I can just get the several Backhouses straight: which one did
Colchicum speciosum 'Album', which one did daffodils, which one did martagon
hybrid lilies, which one did snowdrops...

About twenty-five years ago, when I first took an interest in hybrid
martagon lilies, I searched around here in the Washington, D.C. area for
persons growing these. While having a lily talk with a local grower who is
British by birth, the conversation came around to martagons, the old
Backhouse hybrids and a once formidable local grower by the name of Bacas.
My friend started to imitate those people who drop their aitches and
pronounce Backhouse so that it sounds a lot like Bacas, and I came away from
the conversation a bit confused. 

So it's not just the Baden-Powells I have mixed up.

Jim McKenney
Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where I was kicked out of the
Boy Scouts before I even got in (that is, as a Cub Scout). I guess my "hat
language" was saying bad things about me.   


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