Elaine wrote I plead guilty to being a "lazy" gardener

I, too, am a lazy gardener. :-))
I think mine are about 2.5 - 3 feet down. We have
to drain the pond a bit, have DH put on waders to
get them out to fertilize them, or traumatize into
dividing. I think my lilies would prefer I left them alone.
They get attention once a year, poor dears.

I think your solution sounds good. I tried baskets
hung over the edge of a stock tank filter and
filled them with watercress. Worked well until
the something decided to eat all the watercress
that was so continently placed there for them.

Not much help, I just wanted to bond with a
sister lazy gardener...
k :-)