It is easy to understand why water lilies are such a popular choice for ponds. They bring a number of benefits but the wide variety of available water lilies have different characteristics, some of which will not suit every pond.
Purpose and Downsides of Water Lilies
As well as being attractive when in flower and offering a range of pleasing colours, water lilies have other positive effects on ponds:
- They spread roots which can be encouraged to attract waste material from the pond, thus improving water quality and so being beneficial to fish health.
- The leaves of water lilies spread over the surface of the pond, creating shaded areas in the pond which fish will utilise but more importantly limiting the growth of green algae which thrives in water open to sunlight. In this respect, again the lilies are helping maintain the quality of the water.
As for disadvantages, the wrong size of water lily for a pond will not look particularly attractive if too large. Conversely, too small a water lily will look understated, depending on the required effect. Many types of water lily spread quite rapidly and overwhelm both the pond and its owner with the amount of maintenance work required.
Achieving the Right Balance
A practical starting point for most ponds is to aim to have water lilies arranged so that they will grow:
- to cover no more than a third of the water surface area
- in the right part of the pond and in sunlit areas
- in the right number to give the required spread of flowers when in bloom, ideally in a required colour
The second consideration is the depth of water in the pond, which will determine the type of water lily required. It is inadvisable to position water lilies on a shallow shelf of less than nine inches water depth as they will either die or overrun the surrounding area. Most water lilies are planted in containers with compost suitable for aquatic use, topped with gravel or grit to help provide the weight to stabilise the plant. With this in mind the prospective buyer can assess what work will be required to seat the containers. From these steps one can have a good idea of one's objective before making final selections and be much better-informed when ready to discuss the requirements with the supplier.
Characteristics of Some Popular Water Lilies
The following list summarizes selection criteria for a few of the popular water lilies. They will grow outside the depths stated, but these are considered the optimum for best growth and balance:
- Nymphaea pygmaea helvola - small yellow hardy lily, pond depth 9 to 12 inches, colour of flower yellow, leaf size up to 36 inches
- Nymphaea rose - airy, attractive lily, pond depth 12 to 18 inches inches, colour of flower pink, leaf size up to 60 inches
- Nymphaea James Brydon - good grower, pond depth 18 to 24 inches, colour of flower deep rose, leaf size up to 48 inches
- Nymphaea caerulea - popular, pond depth 18 to 24 inches, colour of flower blue, leaf size up to 18 inches
These are just four of the hundreds of water lily types available.
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