While I am unable to answer your question I am quite sure there will be some help along before long. I am new to the site and to gardening just like you (it all seems a bit overwhelming getting our back garden cleared of weeds, brambles etc...an ongoing project!). Looking through the website there are so many ideas to inspire us.....hope you'll find your niche here and I wish you a happy gardening experience and helpful advice for your lilies too. Welcome :)

Don't look like lilies. I think they're phormiums which have got damaged by last winter's cold and never recovered. Are the leaves really tough? If so that will aid ident - and they probably are phormiums, NewZealanders. The dead leaves will pull away, leaving the healthy stuff, but they look to have gone past a quick recovery. I would clear it out and start again.
Phil J

There are green leaves there. I'd clear away the dead stuff and let the remaining green bits have some light and air and hope they pick up. They look very like the photo on another question I've just read.

* Goes away to reread and comes back again.. *
The reason it looks so similar is because it was posted by you Agnes. :-) LOL

Hee hee, Beattie, made me laugh out loud anyway! A pic from further away would aid ID of this plant, Agnes, any chance you could repost?