Lilies Like A Dirty Pond

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 24, 29 January 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Lilies Like A Dirty Pond

rhas often teen said that water lilies do best in a dirty pond; this should not be taken too seriously, yet there is some truth in it, and a certain amount of decaying soil or mud, not refuse, accumulated in the pond certainly promotes vigour and floriferousness. Nymphaeas, all of them, love sunshine, and a eunny position is eseential to good growth and free flowering. Still water is ideal, and they may be grown in potule, tanke, even tubs; in the large pond or lake a representative collection will create a picture scarcely rivalled in the garden, and even a few plants in a cement tank are refreshingly lovely on warm summer day*. A slnggieh stream or backwater will also accommodate some liliee; they will not grow in swift currente and they are not happy in the vicinity of a cold spring. A good soil mixture ie three parte fibrous loam to one part good leaf mould, with a generous allowance of silver sand; a little well-decayed cow manure may be added for the stronger-growing kind). Wicker baskets will provide good accommodation, and substitute* may be found in boxes and tub* freely perforated with holes in the sidee and bottom. Good etrong plants may be placed direct in the water, with brick or stone attached to anchor them; this method, however, cannot be recommended. It is too casual and not always successful. The Iwiekete and boxes will not decay until the occupante are well able to feml for themselves. Most varieties will succeed admirably in from 18in to 2ft of water, the emaller kinds in from 9in to 12in —-these small water lilies are ideal for tubs and small cement tanks —and the very strong growers will be quite happy in 3ft or 4ft of water, even a much greater depth. September to November are the beet planting monthe, and the middle of December ie not too late; the plant* must be firmly secured in the baskets or other container*, or they may be swilled out of the soil before they can become established. Readers who are interested in these lovely plants and have facilities for

growing them should visit a am-aery specialising in water lilies, and make a suitable selection of varieties. Fieh are beneficial; they will keep the water pure and destroy pests and mosquito larvae. Wild fowl of any kind must not be encouraged, for they will spoil and destroy the plants. Weede muet be rigorously checked and surface growths may be destroyed by one of several preparations sold for the purpose. Varieties are very numerous; here ie a selection euitable for ponds, and another for smaller ornamental tanks, water gardens and tubs. Of large-grow-ing kinde, James Brj'don, ie one of the beet; the large, globular blossoms are coloured deep rose. Formosa is lovely, with ehell-pink flowers deepening with age, and golden stamens. Coloesea is a fine lily for a large pond; the fleeh-pink flowers fade to white and are lit up with golden anthers. They flower throughout the summer. Escarboucle is a euperb plant with brilliant crimson blooms, with orange-vermillionx stamene —one of the finest of water lilie*. Mrs. Richmond has very large flowers, lilac rose deepening at "the centre; Marliacea albida ie pure white with golden anthers; Murillo ie enchanting, rose red, shaded purple, tipped with carmine and orange stamene; Odorata sulphurea grandiflora hue charming sulphur-yellow stars. Some lees exuberant gTowers should include Pygmaea, the smallest water lily, with flowere of canary yellow, and Pygmaea alba, email pure white bloseoms. Theee two are splendid for tubs. For small ponds there are Sioux, coppery yellow, ehaded red; W. B. Shaw, shellpink with golden anthers; Wm. Falconer, dark crimson; Laydeckeri fulgene, red with rosy-white spote, orange stamens; Laydeckeri purpurata, purplish crimson; Clnyeantha, orange terracotta, orange anthers; Ellisiana, red fading to rose; and Froebeli, crimson with orange etamens. The owner of a large pond should also include Marliacea chromatella, canary yellow; M. ignea, carmine with red anthere; M. carnea, soft pink, golden stamens; and Gladstoniana, enormoue flowers, snow-white with golden etamens. The roey-crimson Gloriosa is one more glorious etrong-growing water lily. Tin leaves are very handsome; some are bronze, «ome green, in a number of varieties they are prettily marbled. Many flowers are deliciously fragrant; they lend themselves to charming decorative (schemes, mich as dinner table adornment* and shallow bowlβ.