Lilies and Related Plants - RHS Lily Group

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David Parsons and his wife Mary.
David Parsons, an appreciation
Few can have led such a varied and challenging life as David Parsons .
Richard Dadd, who knew him for forty years, celebrates his life in
this appreciation and the contribution he made to the
Lily Group and the cultivation of lilies .
David Parsons, who has died at the great age of 94, will be remembered especially
by older members of the Lily Group. He served on the Lily Committee from 1972
and was Vice Chairman from 1975 to 1990 (jointly with Mrs Martyn Simmons
from 1979 to 1982). His charming and urbane manner was evident when he was
introducing Lily Group meetings or lectures. He would often lead the traditional
discussion on ‘Lilies in the Show’ that took place on the Tuesday afternoon of
the July flower show when lilies predominated. Alas, those days have long
passed. Later in the year he would conduct the bulb auction, adding snippets
of information about the particular species and cultivars being offered. He also
contributed articles to the Lily Year Book from time to time.
Each year from 1932 until 1971 (excluding the war years) the RHS had published
a lily year book. They were expensive to produce and by 1972 the RHS could no
longer afford them. But to many in the Lily Group not having a year book was
unthinkable. David and Derek Fox stepped into the breach and edited a modest
replacement entitled Lilies 1972 and Allied Plants, and over the next ten years this
gradually matured into the now familiar Lilies and Related Plants.
David had led a colourful, bohemian, and very varied life. Actor, soldier, amateur
naturalist, pig farmer, lily grower: he was all of these – and more. He was born in