Growing water lilies
 

Hi,

I'm new to this, but I have a very small pond and want to get a very small
water lily to go in it. Unfortunately the ones I've seen look half dead
(possibly out of season) and cost a small fortune. Is it possible to grow them
from seed, and if so where can I get the seed from?

Thanks

Karen

Growing water lilies
 

wrote:

I'm new to this, but I have a very small pond and want to get a very small
water lily to go in it. Unfortunately the ones I've seen look half dead
(possibly out of season) and cost a small fortune.

Growing from seed is a long slow route, _if_ you can get viable seed
somewhere.
Hardy lilies are grown (easily) from root divisions, and you're paying
mostly for labor and space, both vastly higher than those bedding plants
you buy in flats.
Sometimes the "big box" discount home supply places (I'm in the U.S.; don't
know UK names, but I know you have them) have decent plants for a smaller
fortune.
I tend to buy one plant a year, plant it in a plastic pail, and make
divisions yearly. Feeding them is NOT optional if you want a good display
of blooms.
This may not be the easy answer you want, but it works.

Cheers!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Growing water lilies
 

Karen wrote in message
I'm new to this, but I have a very small pond and want to get a very small
water lily to go in it. Unfortunately the ones I've seen look half dead
(possibly out of season) and cost a small fortune. Is it possible to grow
them
from seed, and if so where can I get the seed from?

There are hardy waterlilies for all depths of water from a few inches to 5
ft or so (above the crown) how deep is your pond?

Like all water plants they are best bought/repotted when in growth, that way
any damage won't cause total rot, it's too early for any hardy ones to be
growing much yet (although my Gladstoniana is beginning to move but then
being the ultimate thug it would). May is a good time to buy, any showing
good growth before are forced under glass and to be avoided.

In theory you could grow from seed but where/how you get seed is another
matter and then they won't be any of the excellent hybrids (which must have
come from seed!).
Such a shame Latour-Marliac took all his hybridisation knowledge to his
grave or we'd probably have a hardy blue by now.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

Growing water lilies
 

Karen wrote in message
I'm new to this, but I have a very small pond and want to get a very
small
water lily to go in it. Unfortunately the ones I've seen look half dead
(possibly out of season) and cost a small fortune. Is it possible to
grow
them
from seed, and if so where can I get the seed from?

i enquired recently about plants for ponds/water features at a local garden
centre and was told that they won't have any plants, etc ready until May

ron

Growing water lilies
 

wrote:

Hi,

I'm new to this, but I have a very small pond and want to get a very small
water lily to go in it. Unfortunately the ones I've seen look half dead
(possibly out of season) and cost a small fortune. Is it possible to grow them
from seed, and if so where can I get the seed from?

Thanks

Karen

There are 'dwarf' water lilly varieties. We have a nice yellow one
growing happily in a half barrel. Difficult to find and expensive (£20?)
but sucessful.
--
Larry Stoter

Growing water lilies
 

I noticed that my local Tesco's where doing an instant water garden type box
the other day. It's nothing more than a bowl with a few water plants which
they guarantee to grow. Can't remember if it had lillys in it but may be
worth a look. Think it was about £20 and there were 2 different sets.

HTH

Jim



--
Remove BRAIN before replying
"Larry Stoter" wrote in message
o.uk...
wrote:

Hi,

I'm new to this, but I have a very small pond and want to get a very
small
water lily to go in it. Unfortunately the ones I've seen look half dead
(possibly out of season) and cost a small fortune. Is it possible to
grow them
from seed, and if so where can I get the seed from?

Thanks

Karen

There are 'dwarf' water lilly varieties. We have a nice yellow one
growing happily in a half barrel. Difficult to find and expensive (£20?)
but sucessful.
--
Larry Stoter

Growing water lilies
 

"Larry wrote in message

There are 'dwarf' water lilly varieties. We have a nice yellow one
growing happily in a half barrel. Difficult to find and expensive (£20?)
but sucessful.
--

Called the Pygmaea type suitable for just a couple of inches of water above
the crown (which is the water depth always quoted).
The better known ones are (all Marliac introductions):-
"Alba" white
"Helvola" yellow
"Rubra" blood red
"Hyperion" amaranth (and rare)
Do stress you want the Pygmaea type or you might get something else
especially with the Alba.

If you have 10 inches to 15 inches of water over the crown then can I
recommend "Sioux" the flowers of which start off pale yellow and change
through orange to red as they age. Deep red mottled leaves too. Stunning
plant! (yet another Marliac introduction)

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.