Lilies Water Gardens News

Autumn Care of Pond Plants

Posted on October 30, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Autumn Care of Pond Plants

October and November are the best months to tidy up your pond or water-garden and, to put your plants to sleep for the winter. If the last few UK winters are anything to go by, a little attention won’t go a-miss.

One of the most important things to give your plants over the winter period is, a rest from growth. I suggest that you stop feeding them and let them go dormant, as they won’t need any nutrients whilst the daylight hours become shorter and the temperature drops. Another important factor is to remove any excess leaves that may have fallen into your pond such as, pine-cones and pine- leaves, apples, berries and any other evergreen leaves, as all these will decompose and cause the water to go stagnant which, could potentially kill off all of the plant life in your pond which in turn, will release toxins into the water which will then kill your fish. If in doubt, do a water test and if you do discover any evidence that there is too much decomposition in the water, my advise is to clean out your pond thoroughly and then do a retest.

Autumn can be spectacular, but in a small garden pond, plants can become rather unsightly. Always cut back untidy marginal plants above the water-line, as the stems will then be able to carry oxygen back into the rhizomes and crowns. Below, I have compiled a list of some marginal plants that certainly will not appreciate any intervention during the winter period as they are evergreen.

Carex Riparia

Carex Pendula

Baumea Rubiginosa

Equisetum (all types)

Juncus Effusus and Juncus Glauca

My advice also for the winter months is, if you have any Lobelia Cardinalis and or any of the varieties of Iris Ensata in your pond, that you remove them as although both varieties are happy with their feet in water during the growing season, they do prefer to be treated as an outside perennial pot plant during the winter months.

All Water-Lilies and most plants with floating leaves can be safely cut back, although there are a few exceptions. Apponogeton Distachyos is best left alone as it flowers throughout the winter, and although it will get chopped down by frosts and ice, it will soon replenish itself within days, even in mid-winter.

Further advice this winter is to discard any annual floating pond plants such as, Eichornia (Water-Hyacinths) and Pistia (Water-Lettuce), as these will not survive the winter and will have to be replaced. Lastly and if possible, my advice is to move all your deep marginal plants to a slightly lower depth to prevent their roots from getting frozen in a long cold spell. Lowering deep marginal plants by about 6 inches is quite sufficient and your deep marginals will certainly appreciate it.

Posted in Plant Health, Water Testing | Tagged aquatic life, aquatic plants, autumn, autumn care for aquatic plants, autumn care for pond plants, autumn care for ponds, autumn care for water gardens, looking after your pond in autumn, Marginal Plants, plant life, pond care, pond plants, stagnant ponds, stagnant water, testing water clarity, toxins in ponds, toxins in water, uk winters, water garden care, water garden pond care, water gardens, Water Lilies, water plants, water testing, water toxins, winter care for pond plants | Leave a comment

Blanket Weed Problems

Posted on June 26, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Blanket Weed Problems

How do I get rid of blanket weed? I must have been asked this question a million times, and have removed tons of the stuff over the last 25 years. Blanket weed, also known scientifically as ‘Filamentous or String Algae, must be just about the most annoying, invasive nuisance plant to plague our ponds. All it takes is a short spell of hot weather with plenty of sun shining down onto the water surface, and there you have the perfect recipe for the horrible green stuff. During the spring and summer months, blanket weed can get so out of control that if not dealt with quickly and efficiently, will literally choke your pond plants. However, all is not lost as there are various solutions and preventions to this annoying and unwelcome problem. Blanket weed can be controlled to a certain degree, by literally pulling it out regularly (daily) although, this is a laborious and time consuming method of eradication. However, by far the best method to date, is to use one of our ranges of algae and blanket weed treatments which are readily available to purchase from our website or in person, throughout the season. Here at Lilies Water Gardens, there are two products that we regularly use at our nursery that have also become very popular on our website. The first of these products is called Cloverleaf Blanket Answer, which has a unique blend of minerals and enzymes which will eliminate and banish blanket weed quickly and efficiently from your pond and, will help to prevent new outbreaks forming. Or, new on the market, is a product called ‘Eco-pond Extract of Barley Straw’, which is perfectly safe for both flora and forna as both of these products, are chemical free. Also available, is another very popular blanket weed buster, (although as yet untested by ourselves), which is commonly used as a preventative measure and is called, ‘Greenways Barley Straw Pads’. If you have a wildlife pond without any fish in, try introducing Daphnia (Water Fleas). These little life saving munchkins are generally used as live, tropical fish food and can be purchased from any aquatic retailer but, the best bit of all is, they are also very partial to Blanket Weed and will mass-produce and leave you with a lovely clear pond.

Remember though, at the end of the day, prevention is always better than any cure. All you really need, is the right type and amount of plant growth to get the balance just right so as to prevent this very invasive, and dreaded green monster from choking your pond in the first place. Ideally, you should have approximately, two thirds of the surface area of your pond covered in floating plants, with some nitrate removing submerged plants also, which when combined, will work together to create a perfect eco-balance in your pond by removing the nitrates and cutting down on any surface sunlight, which in turn will then discourage the growth of all types of algae, which is key in producing and achieving that very satisfying and excellent result.

Blanket Weed – Beware!!!

Posted in Plant Health, Uses For Water Plants | Tagged algae, algae problems, aquatic, aquatic pests, aquatic plants, blanket weed, blanket weed cure, blanket weed in ponds, blanket weed problems, clear ponds, cloverleaf, cloverleaf blanket answer, controlling blanket weed, dapnia, eco, eco friendly, eco friendly products, ecopond, ecopond extract of barley straw, ecopond products, eradicate blanket weed, floating plants, free floating plants, free floating pond plants, green water, greenways, greenways barley straw pads, healthy ponds, natural products, pond health, pond plants, pond problems, ponds, problems with blanket weed, string algae, submerged plants, submerghed aquatic plants, tropical fish food, water daphnia, water fleas, water garden plants, water gardens, water plants, water quality in ponds, wildlife ponds | Leave a comment

Free Floating Pond Plants

Posted on May 25, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Free Floating Pond Plants

Out of all the different categories of Pond plants, there is a very small collection that has adapted over the years, to free float on the water. Fortunately, they are easy to grow and have very little requirements other than to bask in the sunlight and absorb the nutrients from the water straight into their roots. Plants with floating leaves cut down on sunlight and help prevent green water and blanket weed problems. For this reason, they are among the most popular of all aquatic plants. Some varieties are very attractive and produce flowers that appear on, or above the waterline. All provide valuable cover and protection for fish and wildlife. I recommend, that two thirds of your pond should be covered in floating, submerged or oxygenating plants as this should keep everyone from visiting insects, to those already present, happy.

Frost Hardy Plants

Personally, I would only recommend two frost hardy, free floating plants in the UK and they are – Hydrocharis Morsus Ranae and Stratiotes Aloides. Hydrocharis Morsus Ranae, more widely known by its common name Frog bit, has attractive floating leaves the size of a 10 pence piece and spreads around shallow muddy margins or across the water with a depth of up to 30cm. It occasionally produces small white flowers, but is grown for its attractive leaf appearance. In the winter, its 3mm seed pods sink into the mud for the winter, and then float to the surface at the beginning of May where they gradually sprout into miniature plantlets. Stratiotes Aloides, common name Water Soldiers, give the appearance of giant pineapple leaves and can measure up to 45cm in width. By mid-summer, they will sit half submerged and half above the water. In winter, they disappear down to the bottom of the pond until the spring when the mother plants, will produce up to 20 more plants on off shoots, much the same way as an indoor spider plant produces new growth.

Tropical and Annual Plants

These are probably the most popular, free floating plants, as they spread fast, eat up unwanted nutrients and give essential surface cover and as an added bonus, look very attractive in appearance as they do so. Unfortunately, they are not frost hardy, but will look great all summer long and they won’t take over as they cant survive our UK winters, so wont invade your pond. These are always available to buy from mid-may onwards. Pistia Stratiotes, also known as Water Lettuce, grows in tidy bright green rosettes measuring up to 30cm across. Eichornia Crassipes, common name Water Hyacinth, are stunning plants with round swollen air filled buoyant stems that produce glossy bright green leaves and exquisite mauve and lilac flowers with a yellow throat. Salvinia Natans, sometimes known as Water Velvet, prefers shallow waters. It resembles hundreds of tiny water resistant hairy ferns, each measuring 1cm across and water droplets literally roll off the hairy leaves leaving the plantlets dry.

All the above plants can be overwintered in a heated greenhouse or conservatory, with clean, warm water and light. However, beware of overwintering them in a garden shed or garage as they will die off within a few days due to the lack of light and warmth.

The Ones to Avoid

There are, in my opinion, a few plants that should be seriously avoided and again, in my opinion, should not even be available for sale. One of these plants is Azzola Pinnata, a variety of floating fern, and any species of duckweed such as ( lemnaceae ). These plants are extremely invasive and will cover the entire surface of your pond, clinging to every plant and rock. The biggest pain of all though, will be the amount of effort and time you will have to spend on eradicating the problem. Here at Lilies Water Gardens we take pride in owning a nursery that is free of these invasive and problematic plants, so you can purchase from us with complete confidence.

Here’s to stress free gardening!

Posted in Plant Health, Plant Profiles, Uses For Water Plants | Tagged algae, algae problems, aquatic plants, aquatic plants water plants, aquatic wildlife, attractive aquatic plants, attractive pond plants, attractive water plants, azzola pinnata, blanketweed, blanketweed problems, buying pond plants, clear water, conservatory plants, curing algae, curing blanketweed, curing green water, Duckweed problems, eichornia crassipes, eradicating duckweed, ferns, fish, floating fern, floating leaves, floating plants, free floating plants, free floating pond plants, frost hardy plants, green water, green water problems, healthy ponds, invasive pond plants, lemnaceae, life in ponds, muddy margins, nutrients, oxygenating plants, pistia stratiotes, plantlets, plants for ponds, plants that float, pond balance, pond health, pond life, pond plants, pond problems, pond wildlife, ponds, problematic pond plants, salvinia natans, shallow water, stratiotes aloides, submerged aquatic plants, submerged plants, submerged pond plants, submerged water plants, surface cover for ponds, water gardens, water hyacinths, water lettuce, Water Lilies, water plants, water soldiers, water velvet, wildlife | Leave a comment

Planting Marginal Pond Plants

Posted on May 10, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Planting Marginal Pond Plants

What is a marginal pond plant? The best answer is a plant that naturally grow and adapt to shallow waters. Marginal plants are true aquatics that will thrive where the water level meets the land. In the natural world, this is exactly what happens. As a grower and collector of plants from all corners of the world, I have discovered that all Marginal plants are very adaptable as each individual species has, through millions of years of evolution, found ways of surviving drought and flooding. Whether that is by spreading out over the surface of the water and creeping under the water to find their individual most favoured required depth, or by storing essential nutrients in their tubers or rhizomes to replenish themselves when nutrients are low, or just self seeding in times of drought. Each individual has their own unique means of survival, and that’s all down to evolution!

If you don’t have a natural clay-bottomed pond, lake or stream, and have a fibre glass or lined pond, the rules for planting up are slightly changed. Each species or hybrid variety will need help with positioning so as to reach their all important required depth. This is crucial to avoid exposure to drought or flooding. So, whatever you are planting, you must always be strict in maintaining that correct planting depth. This unfortunately, seems to be a forgotten, but essential element which is commonly overlooked in many areas of the aquatic industry. However, natural planting is very different from planting in fibreglass and lined ponds. All marginal pond plants have required depths that must be calculated from the top of the planting basket. Plants growing in aquatic baskets or planting bags will have no means of naturally being able to adapt to the correct water depth so this must be done for them. This is very important when constructing a pond. I always recommend that whilst your pond is in construction, you incorporate a few differently levelled planting shelves to house your plants on, and the more that can be put in, the better. I recommend 15cm, and or 20cm, and or 25cm, and even 30 cm levels to be ideal, and your plants will thrive. Unfortunately, this will not be so straightforward and easy with fibreglass ponds. Sometimes I wonder perhaps if the manufacturers of these type of ponds, ever take into consideration the needs and musts of the plants that will be going into them. Marginal planting can be a joy though, and I recommend out of all the planting products on the market today, planting bags are the best as they are very adaptable when it comes to water depth.

I would also like to point out the importance of feeding Marginal plants. On the bottom of natural ponds, you will often find a very rich, foul smelling back sludge which is often made up of decaying plant life, waterfowl and fish excrement. However disgusting this sounds, this thick sludge is extremely high in nutrients and is crucially beneficial to plant growth. This sludge fortunately, can also be achieved in fibreglass and lined ponds if it is left alone for a few years. But, in new ponds or newly cleaned out ponds, these nutrients don’t exist. Customers often ask me ‘if they were to feed their plants, would the nutrients in the water start to encourage blanket weed’. Well, the simple answer is, no! If you neglect to feed the plants you have planted out in your new pond, they will simply not grow and will quickly take on a yellow leafed appearance as they are starved out of those vitally needed nutrients, thus leaving algae and blanket weed to thrive, killing your plants along the way. Plants that do get the nutrients in the food provided, will thrive and grow strong and will quickly use up any nutrients in the water that may have been left over in the water for algae and blanket weed to take hold on. Good growth on your plants will provide good water surface cover and shade thus cutting back on the sunlight which it turn will provide little room for algae and blanket weed and less shade also means a healthier pond bottom environment for the production of that all important, nutrient rich, sludge. Healthy ponds produce healthy plants and healthy plants produce happy gardeners, FACT!

Posted in Nature And Wildlife, Plant Health, Pond Design And Planting, Uses For Water Plants | Tagged algae, aquatic plants, blanketweed, clay bottomed ponds, drought and flooding, Fibreglass Ponds, how to plant marginals, lakes, linedponds, Marginal Plants, marginal pond planting, Marginal Shelve's, nutrients for water plants, plant health, planting baskets, Planting Marginal Plants, planting products, planting up my pond, plants for droughts, plants for flooding, Pond Construction, pond excrement, pond life, pond margins, pond planting, pond plants, pond shelveing, pond sludge, ponds, removing alagae, streams, treating algae, treating blanketweed, tubers and rhizomes, water levels, water plants, waterfowl, what is a marginal plant | Leave a comment

Marsh Frogs

Posted on April 15, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Marsh Frogs

Questions I frequently get asked every year by customers visiting our nursery is “What is that noise,” or “What sort of birds are making that noise,” and to that I simply reply “oh, those are our Marsh Frogs”. During the breeding season, the Males become very loud and vocal and will happily carry on croaking and chuckling all day and night with the slightest of vibrations setting them off. Our nursery is situated close to Gatwick airport so each time a plane flies over, hundreds of frogs who happen to be taking a 5 minute rest, restart their vocal chat. They do this by inflating vocal membrane sacs which are on located on the side of their heads like balloons. If you have ever been to a Greek island and are familiar with, and like the constant noise of Cicadas, then you may enjoy the constant sound of Marsh frogs

Latin name Rana Ridibunda, Marsh frogs are the largest European frog and can grow to a length of 100-120 mm. They were first introduced in Walland Marsh in 1935 and have been incredibly successful, having very few predators. They can live up to 11 years and it is still not known yet, quite what impact they will have on our own native wildlife here in the UK. Taking into consideration that they breed over and over again from May until July, laying 200 or 300 eggs at a time, and up to 16000 eggs in one season, it comes as no surprise that they have colonized the South of England already and at an alarming rate. The problem is, that part of their diet is Our Own Native Frogs! It’s already starting to prove in some areas to be one of Mans big introductory mistakes, much the same as introducing the grey Squirrel was, so it’s not surprising that it is now illegal, under the Wildlife and countryside act of 1981, to breed them in captivity and or release them.

They prefer large expanses of brackish water, and are very adaptable breeding happily in almost any size garden pond. Marsh Frog tadpoles can grow 3-4 times the size of our Native frogs, over-wintering and hibernating along with the adults at the bottom of ponds. Metamorphous can take up to 2 years, with the frog let’s emerging 1-1.25cm in length. Unlike our Native frogs that leave the water after spawning, Marsh frogs constantly live in and around water, sunbathing on grassy banks for hours at a time. It’s quite an amazing site to hear and see dozens of frogs leaping off the grassy banks and plopping into the water as you approach them, whilst out walking on a hot summer’s day.

Love them or hate them! Personally I love them; Marsh frogs are here to stay!

Posted in Nature And Wildlife | Tagged Common Frogs, european frogs, Frog Spawn, marsh frogs, native frogs, pond life, rana ridibunda | Leave a comment

Water Lilies

Posted on April 5, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Water Lilies

There are about 50 wild species of Water Lilies that grow naturally and come from all corners of the world, from the northern hemisphere to the tropics. It’s those species that have given birth to a spectrum of coloured Water Lily hybrids that are readily available to purchase today. This is all thanks to pioneers such as Joseph Bory Latour Marliac, who in the early 19^th century, hybridised over 70 varieties of hybrid Water Lilies. For over the last 100 years and even up to this present day, more collectors have dabbled in cross pollenisation, but the vast majority of this hybridizing has overall been more successfully achieved in the more tropical climates such as, the USA and China.

Tropical Water Lilies

There are now thousands of different types of tropical Water Lily hybrids that have been cultivated in hotter climates, and they all come in different sizes. Some are Day bloomers and prefer to bloom whilst basking in the hot sunshine, whilst others, are Night bloomers and prefer to bloom under the cover of darkness. The Night bloomers are naturally scented as an evolutionary creation to attract any passing night flying insects and moths. Tropical Water Lilies are available in a huge variety of colours including a rather large and impressive range of blues and purple’s. Unfortunately though at present, the hardy varieties are not available in the blues and purples, but there have been a few breakthroughs recently, so this could be on the horizon in the future. Being an avid collector of all varieties of Water Lilies can be rather challenging at times. My nursery (Lilies Water Gardens) is situated in the UK which regrettably, cannot guarantee a good run of sunshine, even throughout the summer months. However, if I were living in a much warmer tropical climate, I’m sure I would by now, have an even more impressive collection.

Hardy Water Lilies

The hardier varieties of Water Lilies are available in a spectacular range of colours, from reds, to pinks, yellows, whites, peaches, creams and all of the shades in between. I’m sure if it were possible to list all the named varieties from all over the world, we would be talking about well over 1000 cultivars. As with the tropical varieties of Water Lily, the hardy varieties also come in all sizes. Some, like Pygmaea Helvola, have minute blooms and leaves the size of a penny that sit on the water surface while others, have scented blooms that can measure up to 20cm across with 40cm wide leaves that can stand up to 30cm out of the water.

Our Collection

Here at Lilies Water Gardens, we have a very large and impressive collection of Water Lilies with over 125 cultivars, making us very proud to be able to say, that we have to date, the biggest collection in the UK. All of these varieties are available to buy on line or from our retail nursery.

We always take great care when choosing our plants and I only stock what I would call, ‘Garden Worthy Plants’. This in essence means, that all the varieties I have carefully collected over the years, have been carefully chosen specifically for, their colour, scent, size, flowering season and general overall performance. We also stock smaller varieties of Lilies that are ideal for growing in patio tubs and the larger growing varieties for large clay-bottomed ponds and lakes.

Come visit our Nursery on line or in person and be amazed by the variety of Water Lilies and other aquatic plants and flowers we have to offer throughout the season. We are sure to find the one that’s just right for you.

Posted in Plant Profiles, Uses For Water Plants | Tagged aquatic plants, buying water lilies, colecting water lilies, growing water lilies, hardy water lilies, history of water lilies, hybridising water lilies, joseph bory latour marliac, origin of hybrid water lilies, pond plants, pygmaea helvola, tropical water lilies, Water Lilies, water lily cultivars, water lily cultivation, water lily hybrids, waterlilies for lakes, waterlilies for ponds, waterlilies for ponds.waterlilies for lakes | Leave a comment

Gomphostigma Virgatum

Posted on March 15, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Gomphostigma Virgatum

A few years ago a fellow nurseryman gave me a unusual plant from Africa also known as River star and Otter bush. Gomphostigma Virgatun is certainly a unusual Marginal plant as it has evergreen silvery grey leaves and branches and grows quite happily in water. Originating from South Africa, river star will grow to a amazing height of 2.5 meters, its natural habitat as its name suggest is river margins where it will grow amongst boulders and in silt beds.

As a Marginal it will grow almost anywhere that is wet, so can be used in ponds, streams, rivers, bog-gardens and moist borders. Not only does it have attractive silvery leaves but also produces a abundance of white scented flowers in the summer, In its native habitat it will flower in December and January. River star is also used traditionally to fight off extreme tiredness and also the trigs are used to make brooms much the same way as we make witches brooms from Hazel. Plant in full sun and cut back hard after winter encouraging compact bushy plants and therefore more flowers.

So if you fancy something quite unique and different to anything else you have tried before the Gomphostigma Virgatum may be the plant for you. Highly recommendable!

Posted in Plant Health, Plant Profiles, Uses For Water Plants | Tagged bog gardens, Medicinal Plants, moist borders, plants for streams, plants with silver lfoliage, river star, south african water plants, unusual pond plants | Leave a comment

Guide to Aquatic Baskets and Soil

Posted on March 7, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

Guide to Aquatic Baskets and Soil

On our nursery and available to buy online through our website, we have a range of aquatic baskets, and aquatic soils for use in the baskets. The problem is, knowing how much to use. To help you with those all important decisions, I have done you a guide, so you can purchase the right quantity for your specific needs.

Aquatic Pond Soil and Lelite Water lily Aquatic Soil (10 litre bags)

16 cm and hexagonal baskets (1 bag) = any 4 baskets

Aquatic shallow oxygenating baskets (1 bag) = 4 baskets

23 cm round and 24cm square baskets (1 bag) = 2 basket

29 cm square baskets and contour baskets (1 bag ) = 1 basket

Extra large round 43 cm and Extra large square 40 cm (2 bags) = 1 basket

Supadensa and Plant Substrate (10 litre bags)

Both of these products may seem more expensive to buy in the 10ltr bags, but you actually do get twice as much for your money purchasing it this way as it is equivalent to 20ltrs and goes twice as far. So 1 bag will fill twice as many baskets as the figures set out above.

Posted in Pond Design And Planting | Tagged A Guide To Planting Water Plants, Aquatic Baskets, Aquatic Contour Baskets, Aquatic Soil, How much aquatic soil do i need?, How To Plant Aquatic Plants, How To Plant Pond Plants, How To Plant Water Lilies, How To Plant Water Plants, Planting Guide, Planting Water Plants, Pond Planting Guide | Leave a comment

The Sacred Lotus

Posted on February 28, 2012 by LiliesWaterGarden

The Sacred Lotus

The Lotus, also known as the Chinese or Sacred Lotus, has its origins all over the world and most of the natural growing species, originate from the USA, South America, Australia, southern Canada, and all over the Far East. There are well over 200 Lotus cultivars that are available today and, in a rainbow of colours. It’s not surprising that the Lotus is deemed a sacred flower as its seeds, fruit, flowers and leaves are all edible and has been used as a staple diet throughout the ages and many ancient recipes still exist and are used today. More importantly though, is its value as a medicinal plant. The Lotus being very versatile is renowned for its properties to treat dozens of ailments and has always been popular throughout the ages. From floral arrangements, to perfume or simply as a beautiful water garden plant, the Lotus seems to capture the very essence of all our dreams.

Just like water lilies, the Lotus cultivars are tropical and hardy, hardy meaning they can withstand very cold, freezing temperatures as long as their growing rhizomes don’t become frozen. It’s not so much the cold but rather the length of our winters and more important our lack of sunlight in the UK that makes them unsuitable to grow outside. I therefore only recommend this plant if you have a heated conservatory that gets plenty of direct sunlight.

In the right conditions, you can enjoy the Lotus in full bloom throughout the summer, and our round patio containers are ideal for making the best exhibit of this stunning, exotic and fragrant flower which will look great in any conservatory. The Lotus also has another arrow to its already popular bow and that is, that it can be grown with very little maintenance as long as you follow a few simple rules.

Rules for Growing the Lotus

1.) Always grow in a round container

2.) Use clay based loam or aquatic soil

3.) Feed frequently with aquatic plant food

4.) Place your container in full sunlight

5.) Re-pot every March

6.) Cut back old yellow and dried up dying leaves in the autumn

How to plant

The Lotus’s are dispatched as tubers in a dormant state, as they are too delicate to transport when they are half or fully grown, and if the growing tips break off, they can take a long time to recover and will often die. I recommend you fill your container half full with soil and top up with water. When you receive your tuber, I also recommend that you float it for a week or two in water until dormancy is broken and green leaves appear. Once this has happened, the tuber is now ready for you to plant. Always plant the tuber horizontally with just the new, strong growth sticking up out of the soil, and always plant it up with the growing tip facing inwards towards the centre of your container. Do not feed at this stage! Only when the new growth has reached about 6-8 inches in height, is when you can add the first feed. Here at Lilies Water Gardens, we sell a range of aquatic plant foods in tablet form to suit all of your plants needs and are also perfect to optimize the full stunning effect of your Lotus flowers. Feed your lotus plant every 6 weeks throughout the growing season, but always remember, no more feeds after July.

Posted in Plant Profiles, Uses For Water Plants | Tagged Chinese Lotus, Edible Water Plants, Growing Lotus Plants, Indoor Water Gardening, Lotus Cultivars, Medicinal Plants, Patio Tubs, Plants For Conservatorys, The Sacred Lotus, Water features | 1 Comment

Patio Pond and Container Water Gardening

Posted on December 30, 2011 by LiliesWaterGarden

Patio Pond and Container Water Gardening

Containers with water in, look great in a multitude of situations and can bring your garden to life with much the same impact as planted patio pots and hanging baskets. Imagine yourself on a hot summers day, chilling out with a glass of wine, sitting next to your container water-garden with its miniature water lilies floating around on the surface, supporting its very own small ecosystem. Not only is it visually attractive, but with the plants you have chosen and with the beauty of their reflections, you will surely feel pride and pleasure in its depths. You will be amazed at the visitors that decide to make it their home too, such as, damselflies, dragonflies, water-boatmen, pond skaters, pond beetles, and frogs to name but a few! Your container and the pond life it will attract, will do best in full sun or partial shade but, can also be situated in many other locations around the garden such as, a border amongst other plants, on a lawn or patio, in your conservatory or, if you do not have a garden, you can even have one on your flat balcony. You may think that water gardening, if you live in a flat, would be somewhat impossible but, this is however, becoming a popular hobby and can be addictive. I have many customers that are avid fans of container water gardening who have filled their balconies and gardens with up to a dozen containers in different locations. You can even add a new dimension with the sound of trickling water, as there are hundreds of simple water features and lots of ways to adjoin them to maximise that ultimate container garden experience.

Planting

As containers are generally small, the best and most effective and easiest way to plant your containers up is, to put the plants directly into the soil. Rather than using aquatic baskets, and using bricks for water depths, simply add aquatic soil straight into your container as this will give you that natural looking overall effect. If you half fill your container with soil first and then allow six inches of water to float on top of that, you won’t go far wrong. Don’t forget to add plant food. I would recommend pushing 6 osmocote tablets down 1 or 2 inches into the soil. They are harmless to wildlife, and should be repeated halfway through the growing season, but do not feed your plants later than July. For healthy, clean and clear water you will need a balance of plants. A couple of marginal plants, some with floating leaves and a uninvasive oxygenating plant, will give you good results. If you are planting up multiple containers, try to use lots of different plants as this will give variety and balance to the overall effect. Below are a few plants I personally recommend, but there are masses of others to choose from. If you log on to our website and click on the advanced search tab on the top navigation bar and then tick the box (suitable for patio water gardening), you will easily find the plants of your choice. Our containers are also available to buy online.