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,…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

Nelumbo nucifera With large, bold leaves standing high above the water, the lotus gives us a midsummer treat, fragrant colorful blossoms sometimes reaching twelve inches across.  The first leaves float on the pond’s surface like a water lily.  As summer approaches, the emerging leaves are held well above the water, setting the stage for the…