"Heather" wrote:

What is the status of everyone's lotus?

After a slow start due to a cold spring, everybody's alive at least:

Mystery white lotus, wintered over. This was a replacement for a Mrs.
Perry D. Slocum from Lilypons that had no growing points. They were out of
the named one, but promised to identify what they sent me when the ones in
their pond bloomed. They haven't, despite a couple of requests. They
probably don't know. But it's very pretty, and actually bloomed in its
first season. Several new leaves coming up now.

Mrs. Slocum from Lilypons; now has a couple of small leaves up after being
very annoyed at being plunged into my icy pond after leaving sunny
Maryland.

"Empress" from Springtime Nurseries/waterplants.com, taking off quite
slowly, but a couple of small leaves looking OK, so it will probably make
it.

These are all in 1-bushel Rubbermaid tubs. My only complaint with them is
that the metal plate handle attachments rust out and fall off after a few
years. I drilled holes below the top rim and looped polypropylene rope
around to have something to grab with my custom-made "LilyLiftr," AKA hook
on an ash pole. This is the heavy-duty model, with optional hose clamp
around the end the hook goes into. I should find a draw knife and pretty
it up a bit. Right now, the pole looks a lot like a straight ash sapling I
found growing wild under some pine trees.

A truly impressive line of thunderstorms has gone through, and everything
seems still in the right place. That's a relief.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G