As far as I’m concerned , the Water Lily is the queen of aquatic plants. Nearly every one that has a pond also has a Lily or wants one. The value of this hardy Water Lily lies not just in the wonder of it's cup-shaped or star-shaped flower but in addition in the round or heart shaped leaves (pads) which not only do they keep the fish happy but they assist to maintain the water clear as well.
I think it’s a fascinating plant that has a lots of surprises for each one of us and an equal amount of pitfalls for your amateur. The first surprise for that newbie often is the vast range of flower sizes, leaf sizes, leaf spread and planting depth required. The dwarf varieties (minatures) with 1" wide leaves covering about 1 sq.ft of pond surface and bearing medal-sized flowers are an outstanding choice for a minipond made from a half-barrel. On the other end of the scale there are the Viogrous varieties with leaves measuring in excess of 8" across whch, and if left alone, will blanket a pond of 50 sq.ft or more and produce flowers the scale of dinner plates.
The golden rule is never to buy a Water Lily simply because the picture looks nice and it costs less than the others on show. You need to measure your pond surface and then aim to purchase a number of specimens with an anticipated spread of no more than half the pond surface. Never be guided by price. Those which are far too vigarous for the typical size pond actually cost less than the greater compact ones which tend not to look good value for money because of thier size.
To make selection easier it will be better to group Water Lilies into a small number of types. Dwarf, Medium and Vigorous. All you will have to do is to choose the type with the correct planting depth and also the anticipated spread for your needs and then find a variety within that group having a shape and colour that you will find attractive. The time of flowering doesn’t come in to the selection because all Water Lilies behave kind of the same. Blooming starts in June and then the flowers appear in succession until September. Each bloom opens from late morning to late afternoon and lasts for roughly 4 days.
Now for one of the surprises. Many of the scores of varieties on offer today came from the breeding work of the Frenchman who went by the name of M. Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac. The initial one appeared in 1877 but unfortunately his secrets died with him in 1911. Because of this, the bulk of the Water Lily varieties inside catalogues are in excess of 80 years old. I an happy to mention that new American varieties are actually commencing to appear on the market, but Latour-Marliac hybrids still continue to dominate.
Now for the planting rules. May and June are the best months for planting and you’ll need a sunny spot and still water . Remove the old leaves belonging to the rootstock and trim back the firous roots. Plant firmly so that the crown is barely protruding above the surface. Submerge the basket so that the young leaves float on the surface and gradually lower the basket to the final depth as the leaves grow. This may take several months to achieve.
Once you have stocked your pond with plants, leave it for a month befor introducing any fish. Don't just tip the fish in as soon as you get them home. Place the polythene bag in the pond and leave it for an hour. After an hour gently open the bag and add some pond water to it. Leave the bag in your pond for an additional 10 minutes. The ultimate stage is to tip the fish in to their new home. Do not worry if the fish hide among the foliage for a few days, this really is quite normal behavior. Leave them alone and what ever you do, don't try to coax them out.
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In my following article , that is not going to be far after this one, I will explain about different styles, shapes and sizes which you can employ to produce the perfect pond for yourself. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 'gardener london' company who have given me help and advise all through the numerous years that I’ve been gardening.
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