Dan Dale

Stony Plain, Alberta.
1920-2003

Farmed until retirement and then ran his lily nursery called Lilydale Gardens. Also had a love of roses. Introduced to martagon lilies by Fred Tarlton in the 1950s, Tarlton being the principal of Stony Plain High School in town. He also made contact with Ed Robinson in Manitoba to expand his initial collection. Made it his mission thereafter to gather as many named varieties of martagon and species lilies he could, and with dogged determination through the late 1970s and into the 1980s, amassed the biggest collection of registered martagons in the world.

Eventually partnered with Marvin Joslin as people began to request purchases of his bulbs. Joslin would handle volume and propagation. Not given to hybridization, his contribution was to spread and preserve martagons.

Founding member of the Alberta Horticultural Association. Accredited North American Lily Society judge. Instrumental in the formation of the Alberta Regional Lily Society in 1983. The 2003 NALS Yearbook was dedicated the memories of Dan Dale and Jean Ericksen “Lily Pioneers and Advocates of Martagon Lilies”. His hometown of Stony Plain has murals painted on buildings on the main street. Dan is featured in one in his garden among huge Asiatic lilies.

Excerpted from “Canadian Lily Hybridizers and Their Lilies – A Working Garden Reference” by Leanne Dowd