Pat, in you last paragraph of your first post, you mention flowers turning back (reverting) to their original color. Well, that doesn't happen with lilies; it's genetically impossible. It's an old myth! So, if you ever hear anybody talkin' that talk you can chuckle to yourself, knowing that they're a little old fashioned with what they think. This coming spring/summer season if you have any that are different color or appear differently than last summer, bring each one up as they occur and we'll address them individually here. Now then, as Della referred to above there are several things that can make a lily change color a little bit from year to year but learning all those things is best done one thing at a time as they occur-- and, not just from what you experience with your plants, but with all of ours here as well. There be plenty of examples to look at, for sure.
When it comes to pollination, insects and wind (and animals to a small extent) are the natural pollenators. Man made pollination is 'artificial pollenation' with a specific purpose in mind. Cross pollination by any means does not change the color of the flower of the original two plants, EVER. That's an old myth, too! Only the cross-offspring through seed will the color be different. So, again, if you ever hear somebody talkin' that talk, well, you can have another chuckle
.
Don't be bashful about asking questions and sharing your experiences with lilies around here. The 'regulars' on this form are all common folks like you and I--gardeners who just happen to like lilies. Check out some of the other features on this forum when you get a chance--like the Plant Database for lilies and Tree Mail, etc. Feel free to ask any questions with these as well.
