Waterlilies....

Already, I am missing the pond and having coffee on a warm lazy Saturday morning with my fish and my waterlilies.

We have a number of different colors of waterlilies that grow in our pond. Typically, we have flowers from the time they start in May to about Octoberish. It is always exciting to see a new color opening on a different day.....

It would be fun to post our different pictures. I know this group has a vast array of colors and varieties..... Please post your pictures so we can all enjoy them.....

I believe the large one in this picture is 'Peaches and Cream'. It has been quite awhile since it was purchased, so I am not positive about the name. This picture was taken last August.

hhmm...... 28 views? where is everyone?

I only have one flowering at the moment..i have to pot up my others and put them in my pond yet.

my one lonely lily. hehe!

ok heres mine, but I don't know the name of it

I love seeing the lillys when it is raining ice and snow outside. Bree-what kind of lilly is that Gigantic thing????? Those tropical ones are amazing to me and my hardy lillys . . .

Bree and Frilly -

Beautiful pictures.... I love the waterlilies and I really miss them. I don't know the names of the waterlilies either. I have 20 pots of waterlilies and only know the names of 2 of them and the one I am not so sure that is the correct name.

This photo is from July of 2008. I did not fertilize my waterlilies this past year - had hoped I could get away with it and only fertilize every other year. I found, through my experiment, that I really need to fertilize every year.

Linda - do you have any photos? I know you were involved in the Texas Waterlily co op last year.....

This is Perry's Baby Red. A real nice miniature lily that doesnt need quite as much sun as most to flower.

Edited to add:
I might be able to get one or two divisions next spring when I repot. D-Mail if interested.

This message was edited Dec 26, 2009 12:01 PM

Colorado - a hardy that is a prolific bloomer. I've had this one for 9 years. I'm going to divide it next spring, so D-Mail me if you want a small start for postage.

Edited to add:

Great thread! I already have the garden stir crazys. I got a nice fat juicy gift certificate to PlantDelight's for Christmas. I cant wait for their 2010 catalogue to get started. Is anybody doing any plant aqusition ordering for spring 2010 yet? Water Garden or other? I've got a "Porto Spineless" (Cynara cardunculus) and an Albizia julibrissin "Sumer Chocolate" - both for containers- ordered. I'm trying to overwinter my tropical waterlily in the garage in a bucket this year. It's looks OK so far. Keeping the Garage between 50-55 degrees. Long way to go yet. I had to change the water completely once as it got really funky. I exchanged pond water for city water. Now it seems stable, dormant and the crown looks alive. Too soon to tell if this works. If it does it will be a real savings.



This message was edited Dec 26, 2009 12:12 PM

PlantDelight
never heard of it, do they just sell water plants or ?

I may need one of these :)

Snapple -

your pictures are gorgeous..... that gift certificate from Plant Delights would be burning a hole in my pocket. Tony has wonderful things and I really enjoy the tongue-in-cheek in his catalogs.

Frilly - Plant Delights carries many different things. I have not seen water plants in his catalogs, but I have not received his catalogs in a while. They tend to have the harder to find type of plants.

Snapple - I would take you up on your offer, however, my DH is already complaining about lifting the 20 pots I have. I even ordered a waterlily catalog because they have a peach colored waterlily I have been eyeing. I am wondering how I can slide that one in.......

20?!!! I dare say you do have a lot! I do the lifting in and out here. DH stands by to make sure I don't slip and go under! Some of those big tubs are a real effort. Last year I potted the hardy water lilies into large lotus tubs. They seemed to like that situation extremely well. Small starts filled the tubs completely by the end of June. They bloomed their backsides off. I did fertilize with a new fertilizer which I believe is superior to anything else I have ever used. I recommend this for blooming water plants over all else.

"Green & Hagstrom Highland Rim pond plant fertilizer. Fast acting 10-26-10 ratio improves lotus and water lily growth. Will not crumble or dissolve in pond water before insertion into plant container. Use one (1) tab per gallon of soil every 6 weeks."

http://www.ponds2go.com/Fish_and_Plant_Food_s/92.htm
This link is for information only. Shop around for best price.

PlantDelights is terrestrial only. But Oh what a selecion they have. I do a lot of container plantings. Plus you can find the unusual here that just isn't available enywhere else.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who always manages to lose the name tags practically before I get them lowered into the pond -- here are my two - I have white in the lower pond, and pink in the upper. They were beautiful last summer!

Dax


First - Upper Falls Pond

And bottom pond --

Dax - your ponds are always so gorgeous!

Snapple - I would do the lifting of the waterlilies out of the pond, but I hurt my back a very long time ago - I was 15 and because of that hubby insists on being the one to lift the waterlilies....

I wish my DH would get in there and do any of the lifting. Those tubs get heavier every year!

Dax - Always a special treat to see your photos. I admire your ponds and plantings so much.

Wow nice pond Dax!
Mothermole- i just got this lily from the nursery because of how big it was, tag just says Nymphaea tropical 'Magenta'. Another flowers opened.
I have alot of smaller hardy lilies sitting in my greenhouse in ice cream containers of water i have to pot them up. We have very sandy soil here though and ive been told not to use potting mix esp. in a small pond with fish.
Any ideas on what mix i could use?

Pure clay kitty littter with no deodorizers or other additives works very well. The cheapest kind you can find works quite well. When wet it becomes clay. Or, if you have access to heavy clay use that. Whichever is handiest and cheapest. The "potting soil" sold by some aquatic plant companies works Ok, but it does not clump when wet so it spills easily and it's much more expensive. Clay is good for all aquatic plants, not just lilies.

thanks snapple45, thats my problem i don't have access to clay soil. The nurseries tell me sandy soil when i ask for water lily potting mix but i know im ment to use clay soil. So you say kitty litter? i'll have to try that.

Ahhh memories of waterlilies past :-). Great thread, and I've enjoyed seeing all the waterlilies! Here are some of mine from summer 08:

One of my favs:

Another great performer (I can't recall names at the moment)

I believe this is Pamela:

Here is another one that I do not know the name, but I love it - the blooms are smaller and I only have a couple flowers each year, but this one is a shell pink. Very light in color and delicate looking......It typically flowers mid season. This picture was taken 7/20/08.

Thanks for sharing those beautiful pics -- especially for us cold weather blokes who can only dream right now! Dax