Here is just a peek at what Mike will be bringing to market in the next 2-3 years. Also our friends in Florida have followed in the footsteps of Pairat Songpanich and Mike Giles with more urple hardy waterlilies. Both the blue and purple hardy lilies have been slow too reproduce so they will probably become available 1 or 2 years more slowly than a normal hardy lily. Many of the pink and red lilies multiply faster and could be available sooner.

Mike also has some lilies with blooms nearly the size of a gallon container and in cool weather stay open 6 to 12 days.

More information coming here soon and more waterlilies coming to Pond Megastore.

Miami Rose:

“Miami Rose Growing Pool” waterlilies growing in the southern nursery. A full star shape with more than 50 petals when mature.

The foliage is uniquely mottled and is a vigorous bloomer. Miami Rose waterlily is truly one of the all time favorites and is very popular. For sale now at http://www.pondmegastore.com/

Clyde Ikins:

Peony shaped peach blossoms are held well above beautifully slightly mottled to green leaves with age. One of the most prolific blooming hardy lilies.

Other hardy prolific bloomers include Texas Dawn, Colorado, Perrys Baby Red, Helvola, Mangkala Ubol, Moondance, Laydekeri Fugens, Laydekeri Lilacia, Bernice Ikins, Joanne Pring, and more.

Clyde Ikins is available as a full grown adult blooming plant at http://www.PondMegastore.com

Crystal: Crystal is a very heavily blooming white waterlily.

“Crystal” waterlilies growing in the southern nursery. Crystal is a great white… waterlily – an excellent bloomer and will fit in most any size water garden or pond.

This waterlily has the added benefit of being viviparous, plantlets form on the pads.

This waterliy is readily available now and should be into the summer months at
http://www.pondmegastore.com/ for delivery to homes or garden centers.

seem more at http://www.PondMegastore.com 

This makes interstate sales of plants more and more difficult. Most US growers of aquatics are quite responsible. There are a few who sell invasive species to states that have banned certain plants. There are also growers that are selling non-inspected plants and waterlilies from the asian-pacific region that may be bringing in pathogens, viral or fungal, as well as other pests attached to the plants. It is good to know exactly where your plants came from or are being grown. Many good honest growers can let you know where the plants are grown.

Shipping aquatic plants in soil to California should only be done with companies certified nematode free per law. Companies selling water hyacinths as “Blue Shellflower” are breaking the law sending the plants to CA, AZ, NM, AR, ID, TX, LA, SC, MS, the City of Chicago and should be reported to the USDA or state Agriculture Leader. If this practice can be stopped we can stop bans on all aquatics such as the proposed White List in Texas and now possibly NY and MD.

This week Los Angeles inspectors discovered a khapra beetle in dry rice (food) which is one of the 10 most dangerous non-established pests in the United States. Not a problem for aquatic garden industry person however we are are risk of introducing similar product when shipping in overseas and can quickly spread state to state before its ever noticed.

Most growers are honest and most inventory in US grown however it is always best to check especially when ordering online.

Some safe retail sellers include:

Online: PondMegastore.com, MarylandAquatics.com

Texas: Nelson’s Water Gardens

New York: Bergen Water Gardens

Virginia: Springdale Watergardens

Utah: Desert Water Gardens

Washington: Hughes Water Gardens

Canada: Burns Water Gardens

more can be found on the IWGS and WGI websites.  The IWGS website also lists all BANNED varieties/species by state updated often by Kelly Billing who keeps track for the industry.

Luckily he told me there was nothing to worry about when I asked if the lotus would overtake the pond. RoundUp, which is a common weed killer found in any big box store and hardware store in the country carries most of the year can be applied to kill lotus without harming other aquatic life.

Lotus are connected through long rhizome like tubers often many many yards long. A siple spritz should kill most of the plant connected by the root. It may take more than one application on long growing areas but the method is quick and simple he explains.

After the lotus is browned you can clean up the area or reintroduce perhaps a new color to the area. POND PLANTS such as Lotus are available seasonally at http://www.PondMegastore.com .

       Recently I was asked about deteriorating shoreline on a lakefront property. Natural shorelines whether it be the ocean or a simple farm pond seem hard for us humans to keep exactly where we want them. Erosion can be caused by many things from wave movement to animal invasion. Often shoreline problems are caused by what we fell are solutions though.

From the IWGS Chicago Botanical Tour, this past summer we learned much from the shoreline redevelopment project of the shorelines of the lakes in the Chicago Botanical property. In one case they discovered former steel piling meant to maintain the shoreline created a horrible shock-wave from very small waves against the shoreline which lead to an area in front of the pilings where no plants could grow or thrive. Many factors including slope/gradient well into the water and above the water line affect plants growth. A strong healthy planted area into and above the water into the flood plain are required for a healthy shoreline that will hold stable and not move or erode. In Chicago the old steel pilings have been removed and the steep gradient was replaced with a proper contour. A geocell shorelines was put in place that would give dozens of species of properly planted species at multiple depths hold strong and begin to grow as they refilled the top of the lake.

old piling shorelines create disaster, prevent plant growth

Chicago restoration pics fron symposium 2009

The shores will now be able to handles small swells, high and low water (floods) without worry of erosion and also look much nicer than pilings.