The next Mt Peel Lily Day fundraiser will be held on Sunday 17th December 2023

 Mt Peel Station's Acland family will again host its Lily Day fundraiser on Sunday the 17th December to raise funds for the parish. Lily Day has been going on for 20 years, and Rose picked up organising the event from her mother-in-law.

The lilies have flourished under trees in the estate’s garden since the 1890’s. Originally the lilies had been confined to pots in the estate’s conservatory as they were a prized plant, until the conservatory roof blew off and the lily seeds spread.

These giant lilies grow to 2-3m, with the top half of the flower spike giving an unbelievable display of huge white flowers.

Their beauty is magnified by their perfume. When the lilies are in full bloom, their scent fills the air with an intoxicating yet subtle fragrance.

This perfume adds to their glory, a scent beyond compare which will linger forever in your memory.

Masses of these lilies thrive in the more informal area of the garden, where they lift their heads in splendour and glory for all to see. Paths ramble along between tall trees which provide a cool, green canopy overhead.

The life cycle of the lily from seed to flower takes seven years, then after a long wait, they flower once and then they die. When the seedheads ripens in the autumn, the pods explode and the seeds either drop to the ground or are dispersed by the wind. In July when the seed is gone, the dead spikeheads are cut down to make way for fresh growth the next year. This is almost all the care the lilies are given.

Every second year, John and Rose Acland open their gardens to the public and welcome people to come and view these beautiful lilies.

It is a day of relaxation at a hectic time of year. A picnic on the front lawn, some quiet reflextion in the beautifully restored church and the sight and smell of the lilies, what’s not to love about this?