ARTICLES

Sprouting Lotus Seeds

File, sand, or nick the seeds so water can easily penetrate. Carefully go through the outer layer to the cream-colored inside.   Sand either the side or rounded end, however doing the end helps it sprout faster. Carefully observe what’s happening with a clear container, such as a plastic cup or soda bottle. Add the seeds and hot, but…

Water Snowflake

Water snowflake (Nymphoides spp.) is part of a large family of what are commonly called waterlily-like plants because their leaves float at the surface of the water while the roots are anchored in soil below – much like the habit of a waterlily. The plant is constantly reproducing, spreading runners out along the surface of…

Wanvisa Best New waterlily 2010

A hardy waterlily was named Best New Waterlily for 2010, acing out 30 other entrants in the competition sponsored by the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society (IWGS).  Nymphaea ‘Wanvisa’ is the first hardy variety to be named ‘Best in Pond’ since the competition began in 1997.      Dr. Nopchai Chansilpa of Thailand, a waterlily hybridizer,…

Planting Your Pond: Design Considerations

You’ve seen the house before. The one that sits in the middle of the block looking like it stepped outside with no clothes. Trees haven’t been planted so there’s no leafy fringe to shade it from the sun. It’s void of any landscaping that helps tie the home to the yard. It just … sits…

Easy Steps to Plant a Potted Waterlily

Waterlilies come in a variety of colors and are easy to grow, making them a favorite choice among water gardeners. If you’d love to try your hand at growing these beauties but don’t have a pond yet, you can grow them in a water-tight container and place them anywhere in your landscape – although they…

Marsh Marigold

Caltha palustris What does a beautiful, water-loving flowering plant in the Buttercup family have in common with a 1958 horror movie starring Steve McQueen and one of Shakespeare’s plays? Stay tuned… Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) is one of the most cheerful native plants to adorn the edges of a pond or to grace rock crevices…

Knock-Out Water Lilies

To grow knock-out, show-quality water lilies in your pond, only three cultural requirements are necessary: Full Sun – This means at least seven or more hours of unobstructed sunlight per day. While some varieties will tolerate less and still bloom to a degree, full sunlight is a mandatory requirement for truly awesome plants. Adequately Sized…

Horsetail

Horsetail is a magnificent aquatic plant to add along the edge of your pond. Its botanical name, Equisetum, translates to equis (horse) and setrum (tail). The plant is easily identified by its coarse, jointed, and hollow stems. Kids love to pull the stems apart at the joints, and the pieces can be used as beads…

Contain This

Easy Ways to Grow Aquatic Plants and House Fish without a Full-Pond Commitment Looking for a way to dip your toes into the world of water gardening before jumping in head first?  A container water garden is the perfect solution.  These miniature ponds provide all the components of a large-scale feature (aquatic plants, moving water,…

Aquatic Plant Favorites for Your Pond

When spring breezes blow, that means one thing for pond owners … getting your water garden ready for hours of pondside fun! Some of you are scheduling your pond clean-out, while others are probably choosing new aquatic plants to spruce up your waterscape. While books can provide pages of inspiration for aquatic plant choices, sometimes…

Filtering the Pond with a Bog Garden

A bog is an area that consistently has a water level several inches below the “soil” surface. In nature, bog soils are usually very high in organic materials and low in pH. Traditionally, using semi-permeable liners, ornamental bog gardens have imitated these conditions in order to grow plants that have adapted to these areas, such…

Lotus Care Sheet

Genus Nelumbo; species N. nucifera, N. lutea, and hybrids Lotus are beautiful and surprisingly winter hardy aquatic plants. Here are a few care tips: Light and heat Lotus will handle some shade, especially in warmer climates, but to grow and bloom their best they prefer full sunlight. The main exception is in hot desert climates,…