Hello! I used to maintain a 47'x28' water garden with 41 different varieties, but now I'm stuck with a tiny little pond (3'x6') in the middle of my semi-shaded garden and I'm not happy with any of my choices for a hardy water lily. The fact that it has to tolerate partial sun doesn't help, of course. I tried a Perry's Baby Red but I'm just not liking it.
I'm not nearly as familiar with the little varieties as I am with the big spreaders. Does anyone have any good recommendations for me? All advice will be gratefully appreciated!
Perry's Baby Red underperforming - better ideas?
It might be the amount of shade. I have a Perry's Baby Red for a small pond that did real well for a long time, but now a nearby tree is begining to cast too much shade.
How deep is Perry's Baby Red because it is normally a very good blooming water lily but it is possible that it's just not getting enough sun.
Off of the top of my head, some varieties which can tolerate partial shade are:
Attraction
James Brydon * my favorite out of all of these
Charlene Strawn
Texas Dawn
Virginia
Comanche
Indiana
Thanks, Bonnie - I appreciate the recommendations. I've grown all of those except Charlene Strawn and it's true that they are excellent hardies, but most are too large for the small pond I now have. On second thought, James Brydon might work, though. It would be at the maximum spread for the space available, but it might be a viable option. I had completely forgotten about him - thank you very much! I'll put JB on my list for consideration.
I guess that I've just been used to pinching back to make a plant fit in the past because my lily pond was crammed full with lilies and I always kept the koi pond at a minimum with plants.
Both Comanche and Indiana are medium varieties which should work with no problems, I would think.
Good luck with whatever you choose...
Thanks again, BonnieIN - I think I've settled on James Brydon. It did well for me in the past and I totally forgot about him. I really appreciate your help on this.