Meet the Family Behind Hillsdale Lily Garden
Hillsdale Lily Garden is owned and cared for by Todd and Lu Peverill, just southeast of Glenwood, Iowa, on land that has been part of Lu’s family for nearly 80 years. What you see today is the result of generations of caring for the land — and a shared love of flowers.
Lu’s family settled in rural southwest Iowa in the late 1800s, farming and working the land through changing times. The nearby town of Hillsdale once thrived after the railroad arrived in 1865, then slowly faded when the railroad moved in 1907. While much of the town disappeared, the land remained — and continues to tell its story through the garden.
How the Garden Grew
Hillsdale Lily Garden began in 2015 with a meaningful gift of 12 single-cultivar daylily plants from Jim, a longtime family friend and lily grower from upstate New York. Jim’s mother-in-law was a lifelong friend of Lu’s mother, Margaret — a connection that tied generations together through a shared love of flowers.
Gardening has always been part of Lu’s family tradition, with women in her family tending the land through farming, flowerbeds, and care for the soil. Lu herself had long grown lilies in her personal gardens, simply for the joy they brought. With encouragement from Jim — and his promise to help along the way — Todd and Lu decided to take a leap and see what might grow.
What started as a small collection of plants has since grown into a garden shared with visitors, gardeners, and the wider community — rooted in friendship, family, and a love for the land.
A Place Grown with Intention
Hillsdale Lily Garden is a state-certified and inspected garden and an official display and historical garden recognized by the American Hemerocallis (Daylily) Society.
Today, the garden features 286 daylily varieties across 1.5 acres, with wide, easy-to-walk paths laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Visitors can explore:
100+ historical cultivars (1955–1995)
150+ modern cultivars (1996–2025)
Blooms range from near white to near black, with varieties that bloom early, mid-season, and late — many reblooming throughout the summer. Peak bloom typically occurs in early July, with flowers continuing into mid-August.
After a stroll through the garden, visitors can purchase potted versions of most cultivars to take a piece of the garden home.
Faith & Family at the Heart of It All
Todd and Lu have lived in Hillsdale since 1992, where they raised two sons and built a life rooted in family, community, and the outdoors. Todd spent decades coaching track and cross country, while Lu devoted her career to supporting at-risk youth as a school counselor.
Today, their grandchildren and local youth often help out in the garden — something visitors love to see and experience. Hillsdale Lily Garden is as much about growing people and community as it is about growing flowers.
