Water lilies (Nymphaea) and lotus (Nelumbo) are jewels of the aquatic world. They are celebrated for their beauty and immortalized in art and religion. They can be easy to grow and will reward the gardener with fragrant and sumptuous blossoms from June until October.

Plant water lilies in large plastic containers or baskets specifically designed for aquatic plants. The containers should be large enough to give the rhizome room to spread. Since the rhizomes will creep across the surface of the soil, a wider pot is preferable to a deeper one. Line the container with burlap, landscape fabric or newspaper, so that the soil does not fall through the cracks.

There are two main divisions of water lilies: hardy and tropical. Hardy water lilies can survive cold winters if planted below the freezing line in a water feature. Tropical water lilies, on the other hand, need to be stored over the winter or treated as annuals.

Lotus will be hardy if the tuberous rhizomes do not freeze. Plant the containers so that the soil line is below the freezing mark in your pool. This can be from 6 to 18 inches deep, depending on the size of your water feature. Lotus, like water lilies, prefer six or more hours of sunlight.

Each flower on a water lily lasts three to five days. They open during the day and close at night (unless they are nocturnal). Once the flower is finished, it will slowly sink into the water. To ensure many blooms, cut the dying flowers as they sink below the surface. Follow the stem down as far as it goes, and also clean off any dead or dying leaves.

Lotus die back at the end of the year. When that happens, cut them down to a few inches above the rhizome. Be patient with them in the spring as they are late to emerge. They prefer warm weather and will start to grow once the water temperature has risen above 70 degrees.

No Room for a Water Garden?

Don’t have a pond? A whiskey barrel or planter are great alternatives, just make sure to research the ultimate size of your water lily. A water lily with a six-foot spread will not thrive in a whiskey barrel or a small tub but there are plenty of options available on the market in all colors and sizes. At 13 inches high and 23 inches in diameter, this faux-stone planter is one striking alternative.

If you don’t have the space or the sunlight for a water garden, you can still enjoy the beauty of these aquatic plants in your home. This limited-edition print of the gigantic South American water lily by Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892) is from the Rare Book Collection of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden.

source: home.ivillage