Waterlilies
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Waterlilies are without doubt one of the most incredible of all flowering plants. The flowers are perfection personified. Exquisite in structure, they come in vibrant colours ranging from yellows through to blue and some are intoxicatingly fragrant. Yet for some strange reason we don’t grow anywhere near enough in home gardens.
You are probably saying that is because not everyone has a pond, well you don’t need one to enjoy success with these beauties – you just need a pot
Waterlilies grow well in pots and some varieties even do well in bowls. With the incredible range of glazed pots available today they can be a stunning feature in a courtyard garden or as a table top feature outdoors. How you grow them is important but it should be said that they are pretty hardy and they can turn an ordinary water feature into something extraordinary!
There are two main groups of waterlilies; Hardy varieties (Nymphaea Hybrid cv.) perform well in cooler conditions and Tropicals (Nymphaea Hybrid cv.) grow almost everywhere in Australia and tend to impress the most in late summer and autumn when your are entertaining most. They have huge upright blooms that are often fragrant and Trevor’s favourite is the night flowering forms (Nymphaea Hybrid cv. Tropical Night Blooming Group.).
If you are looking for native species try the Australian Waterliy (Nymphaea gigantea). It is a luscious variety from New Guinea and Northern Australia that flowers literally every day of the year and does not have a dormant season.
Mature plants grow best in water that is about half a metre deep but can still thrive in 30 cm. The plant grows enormous and will fill a large ponds surface with verdant green covering with stunning flowers sitting atop.
If you are not sure what varieties you should be trying at home Trevor has the 5 best for Aussie gardens.
Jack Wood Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Jack Wood’) has huge flowers that are produced right through the autumn months.
Yellow Dazzler Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Yellow Dazzler’) is another flowering tropical and you can pick the flowers for vases.
Noelene Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Noelene’) is a stunner with giant pink flowers that are simply gorgeous.
Director George Moore Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Director George Moore’) are sky blue with a yellow centre that would make a great cut flower for indoors.
Waterlily (Nymphaea stellata) is one you cant go by for a big bunch, with soft blue flowers on long stems.
If you are wondering about where you can get these incredible plants then check out the yellow pages for your local water garden specialist.
There are lots of specialists around these days and a visit will not only give you a great selection it will also arm you with the right base knowledge to enjoy great results in your local area.
Waterlilies are without doubt one of the most incredible of all flowering plants. The flowers are perfection personified. Exquisite in structure, they come in vibrant colours ranging from yellows through to blue and some are intoxicatingly fragrant. Yet for some strange reason we don’t grow anywhere near enough in home gardens.
You are probably saying that is because not everyone has a pond, well you don’t need one to enjoy success with these beauties – you just need a pot
Waterlilies grow well in pots and some varieties even do well in bowls. With the incredible range of glazed pots available today they can be a stunning feature in a courtyard garden or as a table top feature outdoors. How you grow them is important but it should be said that they are pretty hardy and they can turn an ordinary water feature into something extraordinary!
There are two main groups of waterlilies; Hardy varieties (Nymphaea Hybrid cv.) perform well in cooler conditions and Tropicals (Nymphaea Hybrid cv.) grow almost everywhere in Australia and tend to impress the most in late summer and autumn when your are entertaining most. They have huge upright blooms that are often fragrant and Trevor’s favourite is the night flowering forms (Nymphaea Hybrid cv. Tropical Night Blooming Group.).
If you are looking for native species try the Australian Waterliy (Nymphaea gigantea). It is a luscious variety from New Guinea and Northern Australia that flowers literally every day of the year and does not have a dormant season.
Mature plants grow best in water that is about half a metre deep but can still thrive in 30 cm. The plant grows enormous and will fill a large ponds surface with verdant green covering with stunning flowers sitting atop.
If you are not sure what varieties you should be trying at home Trevor has the 5 best for Aussie gardens.
Jack Wood Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Jack Wood’) has huge flowers that are produced right through the autumn months.
Yellow Dazzler Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Yellow Dazzler’) is another flowering tropical and you can pick the flowers for vases.
Noelene Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Noelene’) is a stunner with giant pink flowers that are simply gorgeous.
Director George Moore Waterlily (Nymphaea HC ‘Director George Moore’) are sky blue with a yellow centre that would make a great cut flower for indoors.
Waterlily (Nymphaea stellata) is one you cant go by for a big bunch, with soft blue flowers on long stems.
If you are wondering about where you can get these incredible plants then check out the yellow pages for your local water garden specialist.
There are lots of specialists around these days and a visit will not only give you a great selection it will also arm you with the right base knowledge to enjoy great results in your local area.
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