Hillsdale Lily Garden

Todd and Lu Peverill own Hillsdale Lily Garden. The garden is located Southeast of Glenwood, Iowa, on land in Lu’s family for almost 80 years. Hillsdale Lily Garden is a tribute to honor the area’s history. Lu’s family settled here in rural SW Iowa in the late 1800s, always farming and working the land. Hillsdale became an active town in 1865 when the CB & Q railroad came and connected the country. The town steadily grew and then became a ghost town, as the railroad was abandoned (1907) and moved to another location, leaving only the rural school and the Methodist Church. The school building is a private residence today, but the church is an active, engaged congregation.

Hillsdale Lily Garden began in 2015 with the gift of 12 single-cultivar lily plants from Jim, a businessman and lily grower in upstate New York. Jim’s mother-in-law had been a lifelong friend of Lu’s mom, Margaret. The women in Lu’s family have always worked the land by farming, gardening, and having beautiful flower beds. Lu has always loved flowers and has personal flowerbeds that were alive with the color of different lilies obtained over the last several years. Jim encouraged Lu and Todd to begin a commercial garden and committed to helping them get started.

Todd and Lu have lived here in Hillsdale since 1992, raising two sons, numerous sheep, goats, chickens, cats, and dogs (even a hamster or two). Todd graduated from Waterloo (Iowa) East High School with an all-American track and cross-country career. He went on to run at the college level at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Nebraska Omaha. Lu graduated from Fremont-Mills (Tabor, Iowa) High School, the University of Northern Iowa, and Iowa State University.

Todd coached Glenwood High School boys track 1993-2019 and has cross country since 1998. Lu retired from Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs in 2024 as the school Success Counselor after working with at-risk youth at other schools and facilities. She has been Todd’s assistant cross-country coach since 2007.

The Peverills are the proud parents of Kelsey, a construction engineer who lives in the Denver area with his wife, Amanda. Collin is a licensed journeyman union electrician who lives in Glenwood with his sons. We have four grandchildren: Owen, Bailey, Henry, and Mason. They love to be with Grandpa Todd and Grandma Lu outside and help out around the flower garden.