White Water Lilies Red Water Lilies Yellow Water Lilies
.jpg)
Pink Water Lilies Copper & Changeable Mixed Colour Water Lilies
Water Lilies
|
(Water lilies are sold bare-root) |
|---|
Water Lilies are without doubt the queens of the pool; these most beautiful of plants come in six colours, Water lilies can flower from June to October with often, a constant succession of blooms, each lasting for 3-5 days and some providing a delicate perfume.
Whilst most water lilies are cultivated for their beautiful flowers, the leaves of some varieties are also very pretty, with their striking tiger stripes or delicate mottling, water lily leaves also provide shade for fish and cut down the amount of sunlight reaching the water surface helping to control algae growth. Varieties vary in size from the dwarf ‘Pygmaea Helvola water lily’ that has leaves often the size of a fifty pence piece and can grow in 6” of water, to the giant ‘Gladstoneana water lily’ with its 18” diameter leaves; this variety can eventually live in 1.2 metres of water.
Care must be taken when selecting your water lily as the wrong choice could lead to the plant either being too big or too small for the pool, the ideal coverage rate for a water lily is approx 65-75% of the water surface; the coverage rates for each size of water lily is shown below. As an example, I have a pool 2 metres wide and 3 metres long (6 sq. metres in total), so I need a lily which will cover approx 65-75% of this amount of surface, (approx 4 sq, metres) so I need 1x medium/vigorous (m/v) water lily or 2 x small/medium (s/m) ones
• Water lilies- miniature (T)- allow 1 plant per 1 sq. metre of water surface
• Water lilies- small- allow (S) 1 plant per 1.5 sq. metres of water surface
• Water lilies-small-medium (S/M)- allow 1 plant per 2 sq. metres surface
• Water lilies-Medium (M)- allow 1 plant per 3 sq. metres of water surface
• Water lilies- medium/vigorous (M/V) allow I plant per 4 sq. metres of water surface
• Water lilies- Vigorous (V) allow 1 plant per 5 sq. metres of water surface
The depth water lilies should be planted will depend on the variety; all planting depths are measured from the water surface to the crown of the plant or soil level; -
Initial depth is the recommended planting depth for a new or young plant.
Optimum depth is the recommended long term planting depth, which would allow for optimum growth under ‘typical’ conditions.
Maximum depth specifies the recommended maximum depth, which a mature lily will survive at, but may only apply when assuming clear water and full sun.
Varieties
Miniature Water Lilies(T) Initial Depth 8cm - Opt Depth 16cm - Max depth 24cm
Small Water Lilies(S) Initial Depth 10cm - Opt Depth 20cm - Max depth 30cm
Small/medium Water Lilies (S/M) Initial Depth 12cm - Opt Depth 24cm - Max depth 36cm
Medium Water Lilies (M) Initial Depth 15cm - Opt Depth 30cm - Max depth45cm
Medium/vigorous Water Lilies(M/V) Initial Depth 20cm - Opt Depth 40cm - Max depth 70cm
Vigorous Water Lilies (V) Initial Depth 25cm - Opt Depth 50cm - Max depth 90cm
Ideal water lilies for small pools- 2 sq. metres
- Caroliniana Nivea Water Lily (White)
- Laydekeri Lilacea Water Lily (Pink)
- Froebelii Water Lily(Red)
- Odorata Sulphurea Water Lily(Yellow)
Ideal water lilies for medium sized pools - 5 sq metres
- Marliacea Albida Water Lily (white)
- William falconer Water Lily (Red)
- Marliacea Chromatella Water Lily (Yellow)
Ideal water lilies for large pools- 8 sq metres +
- Alba Water Lily (White)
- Colossea Water Lily (Pink)
- Colonel A. J. Welsh Water Lily (Yellow)
- Gladstoniana Water Lily (White)
