Pink Water Lily and Water Hyacinth

I became interested in water lilies when neighbors were culling some plants from some small ponds they had built. They offered me some plants. Since I had never tried to grow any water plants before except in aquariums, I thought it would be an interesting thing to learn about.

When the neighbors were selecting the plants to give me, they pointed out the differences in the color of the leaves as they pulled plastic tubs with new leaves and buds from the icy water. I had really never looked at water lilies closely and it was hard for me to imagine that the plants would blossom into such wonderful flowers.

My neighbors had given me an old Van Ness Water Gardens catalog, a few brief instructions about re-potting and dividing the plants and had told me that the plants needed a lot of the "right kind" of plant food to blossom.

As the days got warmer, the buds opened up into such beautiful flowers that I started to photograph them.

Yellow Water Lilies

Comets swim through lily pads and parrot's feather.

We also have some parrot's feather (Myriophyllum proserpinacoides). These are propagated by cuttings. We were given a few sprigs of the plant by the neighbors who gave us the water lilies. I potted them and their vine-like, feathery green foliage provides visual interest as well as protection for baby fish. They are hardy and have survived several Winters outdoors here.

At present, I only have hardy water lilies. These are, as their name implies, able to stand cold weather climates and are said to be hardy to Zone 3. Hardy lilies come in yellows, whites, pinks, reds and various shades of in-between colors.

Lilies require a fair amount of sunlight to bloom.

Goldfish and lily pads

Red Water Lily

Some water lilies are small enough to grow in indoor pots or smaller tubs.

We are planning on building a couple of small, permanent ponds. So far, we have determined the locations and have made some headway digging through the rocky ground.

We are still researching pond construction techniques and are planning to build the pond so that we can drain the water from the water-changes into other plant beds.

So far our water lilies have done quite well. The only problem I really had was an infestation of aphids which I managed to get rid of by washing the leaves every day for about a week.

Water Hyacinth

I found some Water Hyacinths in the garden department of a local store.

I bought three plants and put them in the tubs. They are floating plants which have dense roots that hang down beneath the plants.

They grow well in warm weather, multiply rapidly and are very good plants for purifying the water. They are native to South America and hardy only in Zones 9-10.

"As waste water is pumped through acres of thriving hyacinths, the plant's roots and leaves clean the water, removing impurities and pollutants. The water is benefited from the plant and the plant is benefited from the water. The end result is good, clean water --- naturally."

In subtropical and tropical areas, for instance, the plants multiply so rapidly that they can become a serious navigational hazard.

They are prohibited in Florida and Texas for this reason and, according to one book I have, shipment across state lines is also prohibited.