Water lily – a favourite of Monet, official flower of July and producer of Britain’s largest flower (white water lily).
Water lilies are categorised as either hardy or tropical. Tropical varieties can bloom either during the night or the day, but hardy varieties only bloom during the day. Their flowers though, produced between June and September – showy and spectacular as they are – only last a few days so make the most of them when they’re out! Water lilies come in all sorts of colours including blue (tropical group only).
Water lilies are often self-pollinating and each fruit can produce in the region of 2,000 seeds! The best time to plant water lilies is any time from April through to September.
Water lily roots are embedded in the soil at the bottom of a pond/lake/river/etc and its leaves and flowers float on the surface of the water. They are usually planted within pots that are then submerged and sited at the bottom of domestic garden ponds. Water lilies come in different ‘sizes’ reflective of the varying depths of water they can survive in. Smaller varieties for example only need 15cm depth whereas the ‘larger’ varieties will flourish in 1 metre and more. Water lilies grow best in calm, fresh water, and the good news is that you don’t need a pond/lake or river to grow them! You can grow a water lily in a container on your patio! Here’s how:
You will need a leak-proof container (preferably squat-shaped, so it’s wider than it is deeper – a half-barrel is a good shape.) To grow a dwarf (hardy) variety your container should allow for the plant to be placed about 10-14 inches deep. If you buy your plant from a garden centre you will need to re-pot it – preferably into a plastic mesh basket that is lined with something like hessian or sacking (also available from your garden/water garden centre). Fill the basket with firm, loamy soil (or aquatic compost) and push the rhizome firmly into the soil so that its growing tip is level with the soil surface. Then cover it with washed pea gravel or chippings or even sand (this will stop the soil washing out of the basket when it’s submerged).
Water lilies like their water to be a reasonable temperature – around the 60 degrees mark – and, since water is cooler the deeper it gets, it is a good idea to submerge your planted up water lily to the correct depth gradually. Water lilies need plenty of direct sunlight – they will only fully open their flowers when the sun is shining – and this will also help the water in your container maintain it’s ambient temperature, once it has warmed up enough for your plant to be submerged to it’s ideal depth.
That’s it! Simple enough?! Why don’t you surprise your woman with a new addition to your patio/balcony/back yard/doorstep (you name it, if it’s sunny, this should work anywhere!)
In terms of aftercare, water lilies need fertilisation but this should only be necessary a couple of times a year. (You can buy special water lily fertiliser in tabs that you push into the soil of the basket – not too close to the rhizome though because it can sometimes ‘burn’ it). Some experts also recommend removal of the flowers in the first season to encourage the plant to settle in better! You can also remove the leaves when planting to help the rhizome settle in more firmly (it stops it ‘rising’) but for small container planting this shouldn’t be necessary. Keep an eye on your water lilies in the winter too, don’t let the water freeze. Use an insulating cover and they will be winter hardy.
Enjoy!
See the following for all things water lily:
The BBC
The International Water Lily and Water Gardening Society
For a special offer (including containers!): Try Vanmeuwen’s
And if containers just aren’t big enough check out this factsheet for tips on making a pond!
