Water lilies are one of the most popular water garden plants because they are gorgeous, aromatic and easy to care for. However the minute you add any type of plant to your pond, you risk making it murky. Water quality in your garden pond is kept at its purist by using plants that are potted and submerged at the bottom of the pond. Water lilies thrive in this situation, which is why they are such a mainstay decorative element in so many water garden landscapes.
Ideally, water lilies should be planted in plastic or clay pots that are filled with heavy clay loam. Never use potting soil as it will just dirty the water and poison your fish. If you have bought a high quality prefabricated tub then it will have shelves that are ideal for placing water lily plants underwater. When you purchase your water lilies from the nursery, they should come complete with the necessary plastic slatted growing basket or clay or plastic pot. If not, these are readily available from most garden centers.
A crucial thing to remember is that like most blossoms, water lilies need sunshine to grow! Make sure you position your submerged water garden lily pots so that they receive some rays through the water. Many varieties simply won’t blossom if they don’t get at least four to six hours of sun a day.
There are a great many types of water lily, from the huge, dramatic Amazonian lilies that have flowers that spread several feet across the pond, to the more humble White water lily (Nymphaea alba), which is native to Britain. If you love water lilies keep in mind that they prefer perfectly still water, so vigorous fountains and waterfalls may prevent them from growing or blossoming.
There are thousands of varieties of water lilies to choose them and many of them are particular to certain climates. However the following short list of varieties are the hardiest and most highly recommended plants.
August Koch -The many pointed petals of this lily are a sky blue. The blossoms, which sit on very large thick lily pads, emit a subtle smell.
Director Moore -These star-shaped flowers boast a bright yellow and a crimson center surrounded by pointed violet petals. The lily pads are also speckled with purple.
Charlene Strawn -This pale yellow lily is a good choice for medium to large ponds. The lily pads are huge and can spread as far as eight feet so they can block oxygen to fish in Koi ponds.
Comanche -This lily has a long blooming season and suits many temperate as well as tropical climates. Its flowers open yellow and then fade to shades of peach and apricot. The lily pad leaves are a bronze color when young and slowly become an olive green as they mature. One plant can blanket an area of two to three feet.
Lotus is also considered to be a “hardy” water garden flower. They are planted much the same way as the water lilies only the tubers are planted at the edge of the pots instead of deep inside the pot like bulbs. Lotus come in several sizes and varieties from dwarf flowers to sprawling varieties that will blanket your entire pond like coat of snow.
Varieties of lotus that are easy to grow are:
Angel Wings Lotus -This is a tiny white lotus with a bright yellow center and very large leaves.
Mrs. Perry Slocum Lotus – This is a giant lotus with white petals. It is orange near the center and bright pink at the tips
Pink Bowl Lotus - A true dwarf, this plant only reaches a height of two feet. The peony style flower is fully doubled and boasts creamy white with pink edging.
Whether you own a tub-sized water garden or a much larger water garden, you can’t go wrong planting lotus or water lilies. Your local water garden supply store will usually provide the varieties that thrive best in your locale.
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