Lotus and/or water lilies

10 years ago

I just bought a resin faux half whiskey barrel today at costco, because I'm fascinated with water gardens and I've read that a lot of water lilies and lotuses are fragrant. I originally wanted to do a small pond type planting with fish and everything, and I still do, but it's becoming clear that I will need more than one barrel if I want to grow lotuses... They get huge! Just wanted to let you guys know that it's apparently MUCH easier than it seems, and there are a bunch of varieties of water lily and lotus that are hardy to like zone 3.

There are dwarf varieties too :)

I know you guys will probably hate me for attempting to start up a new "hobby", but I am really interested!

Only bad thing is that apparently you can't really get lotus once they break dormancy in the spring because they are so vigorous and huge. So if I did do this, I'd have to wait until the fall/winter.

What do you guys think? Am I off my rocker? :)

http://texaswaterlilies.com/Lotusplantingandgrowing.html

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Comments (15)

Dar Sunset Zone 18
10 years ago
Watergardening should be on the to do list for us fragrant gardeners. There are so many fragrant water lilies with great scents and I feel like its a secret that needs to get out ASAP.

'Dauben' waterlily is one of those fragrant ones I recommend and is floriferous even in tight spaces. They're really easy to grow and one tropical waterlily will give you dozens, maybe one-hundred flowers in a season.
kemistry
10 years ago
That's just not fair. I'm envious of whoever that can grow these water plants. ":D
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meyermike_1micha
10 years ago
YOu are sooooo right! I was just looking to buy a water lilly yesterday at the nursery and boy did the flowers smell awesome!

I already have one in my pond and I will just have to get the one you speak of this week!:-)

Hello Kemistry!

MIke
botaniphile
Original Author
10 years ago
I'm gonna look into this some more. I'm reading this book called "The Evening Garden: Flowers and Fragrance From Dusk Til Dawn" by H. Peter Loewer (you guys would probably love this book, by the way) and I'm almost to the water gardening part. So excited!
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
10 years ago
Stephanie,

I love that book! The illustrations are beautiful!

Yea, I've often wanted a water garden...course I know if I get one the dog will want to swim in it! :)

-Robert
botaniphile
Original Author
10 years ago
Luckily I have a little Chinese crested who HATES the water :)

I'd love any other suggestions for books if you guys know of any.

Stephanie
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
10 years ago
Now I want a 'Dauben' for day and a 'Texas Shell Pink' for night (supposed to be very fragrant and has a cinnamon like fragrance?)! Laugh.

I'll look at what books I like when I get home (I have several but the one I keep coming back to is the Evening Garden). :)

-Robert
Dar Sunset Zone 18
10 years ago
Robert. The night-blooming waterlilies have a spicy scent as you described. And the hardy waterlilies usually have a sweet candy-like scent. While the day-blooming tropicals, such as Dauben, tend to have a rose-like scent.

But keep in mind, there are some from each group that are scentless. So do some research on the fragrance before you order online.

Fun fact: Dauben is a primary hybrid of two waterlilies. One is Nymphaea carulea, which is the water lily of ancient Egyptian culture often seen depicted being sniffed.

This post was edited by musaboru on Tue, May 14, 13 at 21:42
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
10 years ago
I'm taking the plunge (pun intended)!

Just ordered a Dauben off eBay.

I'm blaming Stephanie and musaboru! Laugh.

Love the Egyptian heritage of this water lily. Thanks for the info, musaboru! Also read it's probably the best for container gardening so I figured why not?

I've got a large container that I that I'll seal the drain holes with silicone that I can use. Then of course I'll need to get some Mosquito Bits to prevent mosquitoes from growing in the water but still I'll finally have a little water garden with gorgeous fragrant water lily blooms! :)

-Robert
botaniphile
Original Author
10 years ago
Yay, Robert! I'm excited for you, and I demand pics!

Stephanie
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
10 years ago
Ha! Will do. Don't I always post my beauties when they bloom? ;)

-Robert
Dar Sunset Zone 18
10 years ago
Got a bloom today from King of Siam. Besides that there is just one flower, it is not as well developed as one in a real pond because its planted in a 6in azalea pot in a half barrel. That's why I recommend Dauben instead for more flowers.
Dar Sunset Zone 18
10 years ago
Robert, this is a cheaper alternative to those costly mosquito dunks, get a couple of rosy minnows instead for around 10 cents each at the pet store.
botaniphile
Original Author
10 years ago
Wow, that water lily is unreal. The color is absolutely amazing.
thatadeniumguy
10 years ago
I have many aquatic plants in my aquariums at my house, lotus too. I have some Hygrophilia Corymbosa which is flowering for me right now. It has some smell too. I have Anubias, Cryptocoryne's, sword plant / echinodorus, jungle val, and my favorite, Aponogeton Ulvaceus, its sooo beautiful i'm always mesmorized by it. Most of the plants ive listed are submerged plants, meaning you wont see them in a pond, you have to have an aquarium, and their all tropicals. Actually aquatic plants was what got me into the whole gardening thing. Google Takashi Amano style planted aquarium. Its a zen thing.