St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles – August 2019

52 AUGUST 2019 STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM

THE DIRT

slhl

As summer draws to a close, be sure to make

the best of your pond-side oasis. Here are

some local landscapers' favorite water-lovers

that can live in or around your pond.

The Victoria Amazonica, commonly called a Giant Water Lily, has

vertical rims that are 2 to 3 inches high. The underside of the leaf is

purple. The Victoria Cruziana has vertical rims that are 3 to 4 inches

high, and the underside of the leaves are green.

Both varieties produce leaves 2 to 4 feet in diameter in our pond.

The rim and underside of the leaves on both varieties have large

thorns. We have Koi, and they have never been scratched by the

thorns. It has been our experience that if planted too early, and if

there is a cold snap, they do not recover. Although they are grown

from seeds, we do not have the facilities to grow them ourselves, so

we purchase plants that have been started in nurseries. They can

be purchased at the better plant stores or online. Once home, mix

1 1⁄2 cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer with the dirt in bottom of a large lily

pot and form a cone. Next, spread the roots out around the cone, cover

with dirt and top with a 1⁄2 inch of pea gravel. Be sure to cover the pot

with a couple pieces of slate to stop the Koi from digging in it. Weekly,

cut off the older leaves and spent flowers at the same time you clean up

our other lily varieties. Cutting them back to three leaves will yield five

leaves within one week. This is all the leaf coverage that our pond can

handle. I add 5 fertilizer tablets every two weeks. Like all tropical water

lilies, their bloom time is in the hottest part of the summer. They are

prettiest from mid-July to early September. We grow them because they

are beautiful, unique and a source of pride when they do well. Night

bloomers in general are our favorites because we can enjoy the blooms

later in the evening and through midmorning when we are most likely

to sit outside.

WATER

LOVERS

VICTORIA WATER LILY

Also

know

as

Information provided by

Josh Bauer, Bauer Falls

VICTORIA AMAZONICA

AND VICTORIA CRUZIANA

GIANT WATER LILY

Edited by Moe Godat

WATER TEMPERATURE

75 degrees.

LOCATION + LIGHT

Thrive in ponds exposed to afternoon sun.

FERTILIZER

Mix in 10-10-10 fertilizer in with the dirt at the

bottom of a large lily pot.

BLOOM TIME

Bloom at night with white flowers that last until

early morning. The white flowers then take a

pink hue and sink under the water’s surface.