Water hyacinth

[Chad]

Martin,

You have selected water lilies that are too big for me to grow in tubs.

Charlie's yellow is Colonel Welch.

I'm contemplating trying an intersectional hybrid like your Purple Fantasy, but will wait for your pictures of it once it has settled in to see if I could fit it in a tub.

David has trouble with racoons, and my water lilies tubs are pecked to bits by crows that perch on the rims of the tubs.

Chad

[iko]

Yes, Lincolnshire Pond Plants was the place I was referring as legit. With legit I meant a website that looks more credible than most of the results on that Google search. I have seen this plant before on eBay but can't find it anymore.

Interesting to read what Chad says about crows and waterlilies. I thought I was the only one experiencing that problem. I have one of the miniature water lillies, Nymphaea pygmaea, in a bucket and some afternoons a crow visits to destroy all the arrangement. The waterlily survives so maybe the crow only comes for a drink.

[MartinNicklin]

Iko I imagine that because Lincolnshire Pond Plants is a reputable company this is why they no longer sell it. I imagine that when the plant is able to be restocked it will be rather more expensive than in the past, until stock levels are built up again.

I'm surprised in London that it's a crow which comes to drink from your lily tub and not a parrot!

[Chad]

The water lily tubs;



Crow damage on leaves;



I have never seen this one flower!



Chad

[MartinNicklin]

Chad what yiu need in each tub is an alligator snapping turtle.

Just looking at all those tubs, I am imagining them sunk into the ground to form a geometric design set off with a background of contrasting 'soft' hard landscaping material like white gravel and coloured crushed glass ... at least, I have a pleasing image in my head. Others may find it an unsubtle idea!

[Chad]

Martin,

May we have an update on your 'Purple Fantasy'

Preferably with pictures!

Chad

[MartinNicklin]

TBH Chad not that much progress:



There is a flower bud growing from the crown but I fear it may be too late in the season for it to develop.

Growth has been slow I assume for two or three reasons:
The basket in which it was sent has no hessian lining and almost half of the soil has leaked out. I’ve just had some delivered so I will repot and line the basket. My pond is unfortunately a little too shaded for the likes of lilies due to my excessive need to plant as much as I can anywhere I can. At the moment there is a huge Dahlia campanulata and an even bigger imperialis looming over it. And then of course there is the dull and cool summer we have had. Hopefully next year will see it flourish!