On Fri, 12 May 2006 16:03:51 -0400, CanadianCowboy©
wrote:

I ordered a couple of hardy lilies online and when they arrived they
were one of those encased in coconut fur in a plastic casing. The
instructions say to just float it in the water and watch them grow.
Is it that easy ? Should I see sprouting from the top ?
These are my first lilies so sorry for the dumb questions.

There is a load of varieties that have been developed that are not
like the wild varieties any more and if yours came with instructions
to float it, I would try following the instructions that came with it,
this year anyway.

Water lilies grow naturally in the mud bottom of lakes in the area,
but they tolerate a lot of different planting media, so long as they
can absorb the nutrients they need from the from the water. They
grow at different water depths and the one's I have tolerate 3' quite
well. I have heard some like more shallow water and some
instructions indicate they should be started with only a few inches of
water covering them and lowered as they grow.

Your message was a surprise for me and I hope you will let us know how
floating a lily works. I've tossed a few in as floaters, without the
cocoanut fibers, just naked to keep them wet a few days until they
could be given away, but haven't tried floating containers yet.

Regards,

Hal