Tropical Waterlilly

[Kevin S]

 Last week I fertilized my tropical Waterlillys for the first time this year they have been managing to flower throughout winner at least one of them at a time but usually more than one. 

 I always like growing tropical Waterlillys I really started trying to grow them again last year here in California.  I always had the Hardy Waterlilly but I miss the smell of the tropical ones.  So last year I bought myself a horse trough and started growing tropical Waterlillys again.  I'm hoping since I overwintered them I will get a jumpstart on growth this year.  Here is a picture of one that was in flower today.

[Kevin S]

 Here is a photo I took last year when I started growing them.

[Kevin S]

 Here is a photo a few months later in summertime of them .  I also threw in fancy guppies to control mosquitoes and they did pretty well until the dead of winter when they all die out but I saved a few by keeping them inside in a fish tank to start them up again.  I started with seven guppies in there And at one time there was a couple hundred.  Now I am slowly releasing some back.  The water does feel like it is warm enough so hopefully they will reestablish themselves.

[Silas_Sancona]

Very nice Kevin. Been looking to do the same thing here. Nothing beats adding some of these often overlooked beauties to the Garden.. even if all you can put in is a Horse trough or something similar.  Blue/Violet and the bright Reds are my favorites among the Tropicals. Really like that many are night flowering.

Have seen some stunning, newer crosses between the hardy and tropical cultivars showing up in Catalogs recently. Thinking there is also a bluish or purplish flowering hybrid now available among the hardy types as well.

[Kevin S]

 I did have two night blooming water lilies does not look like they overwinter well though.  Not as cold hardy as other tropical water lilies. I have been growing Waterlilly in tubs for years.  Photo is of a Waterlilly growing in a pot I got from Costco.  The water  Lilly came from Thailand through Amazon In Photo.  But I would not order from Thailand again only two of the three lived that I  ordered  and they came pretty small size.  Several were buy two get one free from a Amazon seller in  Los Angeles California.  Some came from William Trickler and the last ones I ordered came from Texas waterlilly nursery.  I like ordering them the ones that are viviparous because they can produce new plants from the leaf.  

[Pip]

These pics are from a few years ago. This is N. 'William Stone' in a tub display I created in the outdoor display for the Bali Garden shop I used to manage. I've been growing water lilies since I was a kid.

[Pip]

I have only one small pond now. Here it is a little over ttwo weeks ago with the last of the tropical waterlily blooms. There are only a few leaves left now. When fertilized regularly it is amazing just how long tropical waterlilys will grow in cooler conditions. I've occasionally them blooming into winter. I think this one flowering is N 'August Siebert' I'd concider it completely hardy in Southern Australia.

 

[Really full garden]

2 minutes ago, Pip said:

I have only one small pond now. Here it is a little over ttwo weeks ago with the last of the tropical waterlily blooms. There are only a few leaves left now. When fertilized regularly it is amazing just how long tropical waterlilys will grow in cooler conditions. I've occasionally them blooming into winter. I think this one flowering is N 'August Siebert' I'd concider it completely hardy in Southern Australia.

 

Why do you need the wire mesh? Here I have a serious problem with green iguanas eating the leaves and flowers.

[Pip]

1 minute ago, scottgt said:

Why do you need the wire mesh? Here I have a serious problem with green iguanas eating the leaves and flowers.

I wish iquanas were a problem here.

A few reasons for the ugly mesh.

1. There is a hungry blue heron that loves to eat my goldfish. Viruses spread via mosquito are increasing in southern Australia so the fish have to be there. Also when water restrictions are enforced ponds that don't support livestock have to be drained.

2. The depth of the pond is greater than 30 cm so it has to have a barrier to stop people falling in.

3. I have three large dogs that would trash the aquatic plants.

 

[Kevin S]

 Here in California the biggest problem for water gardens is raccoons. Even if you don't have fish in the pond they search for them destroying the plant anyways.  So I cover my horse troughs with wire to keep them out.  They are not all that heavy so I remove them when I want to sit and enjoy the water garden.

[Kevin S]

 I do have fancy guppies  I don't think the raccoons can eat them but dragonfly larvae would.

[Really full garden]

8 hours ago, Pip said:

I wish iquanas were a problem here.

A few reasons for the ugly mesh.

1. There is a hungry blue heron that loves to eat my goldfish. Viruses spread via mosquito are increasing in southern Australia so the fish have to be there. Also when water restrictions are enforced ponds that don't support livestock have to be drained.

2. The depth of the pond is greater than 30 cm so it has to have a barrier to stop people falling in.

3. I have three large dogs that would trash the aquatic plants.

 

Gardening seems complicated in Australia

[Howeadypsis]

Those are fantastic 

[Kevin S]

 Here is a picture of a  Hardy waterlily I picked up on Amazon.  First time I got to see a flower on it.  I was very happy the flower was the same as the photo on Amazon.

[Kevin S]

 Took this photo because I thought it be fun to see If people can spot the frog.

[Pedro 65]

37 minutes ago, Kevin S said:

 Took this photo because I thought it be fun to see If people can spot the frog.

2nd leaf behind the back flower. Pete  :)

[Pip]

1 hour ago, Kevin S said:

 Here is a picture of a  Hardy waterlily I picked up on Amazon.  First time I got to see a flower on it.  I was very happy the flower was the same as the photo on Amazon.

I'm in love with the colour of this hardy waterlily. Does it change colour over a few days. It kind of reminds me of the sunset types. Those streaks of yellow are so unique.

[Kevin S]

 The streaks of yellow are what sold me on this flower I don't know if it changes color as I could only see it on the weekends.  I know it is imported from Thailand.  Here is the description on Amazon.  Maybe you can look up the name or something and see if it's available in Australia. 

[Silas_Sancona]

7 hours ago, Kevin S said:

 The streaks of yellow are what sold me on this flower I don't know if it changes color as I could only see it on the weekends.  I know it is imported from Thailand.  Here is the description on Amazon.  Maybe you can look up the name or something and see if it's available in Australia. 

The splotching on the flowers, and on the leaves makes this hybrid one of the most tropical looking of the hardy types. Thinking the flower color is stable ( doesn't change/fade much) and has a very faint scent. Had these in a Koi pond at a nursery id worked at back in CA. Scent might have come from another hybrid flowering nearby at the time though.

[Pip]

8 hours ago, Kevin S said:

 The streaks of yellow are what sold me on this flower I don't know if it changes color as I could only see it on the weekends.  I know it is imported from Thailand.  Here is the description on Amazon.  Maybe you can look up the name or something and see if it's available in Australia. 

Yes I found it, $45 from a reputable online aquatic plant nursery.  Now where to build other pond without my other half noticing.

[Kevin S]

19 hours ago, Pip said:

Yes I found it, $45 from a reputable online aquatic plant nursery.  Now where to build other pond without my other half noticing.

 You could always start A water garden tub in a big flowerpot.  Claim to her that you always had the pot maybe she won't notice. Or just give her the water Lily for a birthday present or anniversary or something  and see if she wants you to build a pond for it. Lol

[Kevin S]

20 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

The splotching on the flowers, and on the leaves makes this hybrid one of the most tropical looking of the hardy types. Thinking the flower color is stable ( doesn't change/fade much) and has a very faint scent. Had these in a Koi pond at a nursery id worked at back in CA. Scent might have come from another hybrid flowering nearby at the time though.

 For a hardy waterlily it does look tropical.

[Pip]

29 minutes ago, Kevin S said:

 You could always start A water garden tub in a big flowerpot.  Claim to her that you always had the pot maybe she won't notice. Or just give her the water Lily for a birthday present or anniversary or something  and see if she wants you to build a pond for it. Lol

If only it were that simple. Aquatic plants were my first obsession my family work hard to keep me in check. I have been allowed one aquarium that I have given over to my 11 yr old, I have 1 pond in my current garden and in my old garden my Dad has filled in 2 of the 4 ponds I built as a teenager. I have enough propagation material in those three ponds to fill a large dam in one growing season.