Charles Leach wrote a nice piece for Water Gardner’s International using and testing mini thermoheater. You have to be a member of WGI to view the article however its free to sign up! See here.

Another article from the sister site Victoria-Adventurer looks at storing the tubers safely over the winter. See Here.

A third article also from the Victoria Adventurer, by Bob Meyer, looks at overwintering specifically in plant zones 5-6. See here.

A fourth detailed article by Rich Sacher of American Aquatic Gardens, (found also on Victoria Adventurer) talks about overwintering tropicals in the south. See here.

Hardy Lilies should be left where they are in the pond or water garden and will send up new shoots as the waters warm in the spring.

On the good news front I want to extend a special congratulations to Warner Obando and his future wife on their engagement. If you are unaware of Warner he will be one of the leading news stories on numerous Lotus projects for years to come. His work can be read in journals, the Auburn University Lotus Project website, International Waterlily and Water Garden Society, and Water Gardner’s International Journals.  

On to Nymphaea Infinite Love,

        My friend Cynthia Wong-Bayhi and her husband Darren are friends of hybridizer and waterlily extraordinaire Ken Landon. Cynthia is a wonderful little ray of sunshine that resides in Texas who is also a fellow Christian. Cynthia requested a white lily hybridized by Ken Landon. She contacted Carl White, the San Angelo Parks Director to make that request.The lily was to  honor of Our Lord. upon talking with Ken Landon who has developed numerous varieties over the decades they came to an agreement to name one, specifically a pure white and dedicate to Christ. Though other names and other plants were discussed Ken chose a beautiful white lily yet unregistered though called “White Daisy” for the shape and color of the petals. Ken gave the lily to Cynthia earlier this year.

internationalwaterlilycollection.com

         Cynthia is hopeful that the lily will be installed at her Church,  Promiseland West. The lily will be  dedicate during Lilyfest 2010.  Named “Infinite Love” for Christ’s passion for each person in the world.  She hopes the lily will be a ministry tool to heal the  hurting. A special sight for those who lost loves ones, those coming to Christ, and a conversation piece for those who would like to explain Christs infinite love for the people of the world. Christmas week is probably a great time to begin discussing Infinite Love. Right now only Cynthia has the water lily along with a couple more specimens with Ken Landon at the International Waterlily Collection and the International Preservation Repository in San Angelo, Texas.. In 2010 There will be a dedication ceremony for ”Infinite Love”. The plant is not commercially available anywhere. We will be writing about this lily again as there will be more news in the coming months.

         There are a collection of great reads on Ken Landon’s superhero history available, I can at this time only repeat some of the vast number of articles collected from Water Gardeners International, Darren Bayhi’s info on the Austin Pond Society, and a collection of posts including the International Waterlily and Water Garden Society.

         Ken’s international waterlily collection in San Angelo has provided Egypt with seeds to repopulate the Nile River with  the thought to be extinct, Sacred Lotus of the Nile. Mexico thought the Star of Mexico had become extinct in the 1070s, Ken traveled to an uncharted area and found the plant and saved it from extinction. In Madagascar Ken discovered a tropical dwarf lily, Nymphaea minuta,which does surprisingly well in shade. Ken’s collection includes what possibly  the last, or one of the last Zanzibar’s, now extinct in the wild. This is just a touch of what Ken has done and if you would like to know more please search for him on the detailed history in the online sites I mentioned. Next year Ken and hopefully a large collection of the worlds aquatic hero’s will gather for the most extensive celebration ever of the waterlily. Just this Week Ken received news of a unanimous city council approval for a 10 year extended contract on maintaining and improving the park. LilyFest, or LandonFest as you could call it will be celebrated in conjunction with the IWGS symposium in Sept 2010. Visit the IWGS.org site for updates and details. At lily fest you will be able to meet Ken Landon in person as well as the staff and volunteers that help maintain the pools. Ken has quite a worldwide following and one of the best reputations as an international plant ambassador.

Two recent national water scared include lake lanier in north Georgia that caused a scare in 2007-2008 that water supply to much of Atlanta Georgia could be suspended and in early 2009 Lake Travis lost almost 75% of its capacity in Central Texas. Both lakes have since recovered but there were months of sever water restrictions and as America’s population grows there will be more concerns away from the coastlines as where to obtain water and how it will be rationed. Entire companies are moving to install rainwater collection systems. Aqua-scape landscape/pondscape contractors across the United States have begun installing rain capture systems ranging from both above ground and below ground collection tanks ranging from hundreds to many multiple thousands of gallons of water. The larger systems can supply homes with water as well as the outside landscape. These installers also are installing large lined basins to capture water as in containment ponds and streams that can also act as landscape beautification projects.

I am not endorsing the Aquascape program over everyone else as they have independent contractors all over the United States and each may or may not install these kinds of systems. I have seen some of the Aquascape projects and the contractors I have talked to and reviewed online through there own stories have been doing some amazing work. Many businesses seem interested in the idea and here are a few benefits they mention as I am sure most require a decent investment.

The Aquascape RainXchange™ Harvesting Systems are a revolutionary design that combines a recirculating decorative water feature with a sub-surface rainwater harvesting collection system.

• Clean, Filtered Water Collection & Storage - While you enjoy the benefits of a decorative water feature, the RainXchange™ Rainwater Harvesting System filters the stored water to prevent stagnation and growth of unhealthy bacteria.
• The RainXchange™ Rainwater Harvesting System reveals only a beautiful water feature that integrates easily into existing landscape.
• Collecting and storing the water underground maintains the integrity and beauty of your home and landscape.
• Wildlife Habitat - Because the water stored in the RainXchange™ System is constantly moving and being aerated, it becomes a sanctuary for wildlife.
• Water Feature Lifestyle – Enhanced landscaping improves property value and water features provide soothing sights and sounds that help you relax  in today’s busy world.
• Environmental Conservation – Capturing rainwater to operate the water feature creates true self-sustainability, drastically reducing the need for chemically-treated traditional water sources.

       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. 

If you have never seen a drop of water on a lotus, the plant totally repels the drops. Often during a gentle rain it is fun to watch drops swirl around and collect on the lotus until the plant gently lowers the big drops off the leaf. Bigger drops rest on the leafs for hours or days depending upon conditions for evaporation. Scientists have been studying the plants properties to find out if they can recreate the effect and now some from Duke University may have solved the age old question.  

Confucian philosopher once said, “I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.”
Skip forward one thousand years and we may now know why.

Jonathan Boreyko, a third-year graduate student at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, who works in the laboratory of assistant professor Chuan-Hua Chen. The results of the team’s experiments were published early on-line in the journal Physics Review Letters.

“We faced a tricky problem water droplets that fall on the leaf easily roll off, while condensate that grows from within the leaf’s nooks and crannies is sticky and remains trapped. Scientists and engineers have long wondered how these sticky drops are eventually repelled from the leaf after their impalement into the tiny projections,” Boreyko said. “After bringing lotus leaves into the lab and watching the condensation as it formed, we were able to see how the sticky drops became unsticky.”

The key was videotaping the process while the lotus leaf rested on top of the woofer portion of a stereo speaker at low frequency. Condensation was created by cooling the leaf. It turned out that after being gently vibrated for a fraction of a second, the sticky droplets gradually unstuck themselves and jumped off the leaf.

Voila, a dry leaf.

“This solves a long-standing puzzle in the field,” Chen said. “People have observed that condensation forms every night on the lotus leaf. When they come back in the morning the water is gone and the leaf is dry. The speaker reproduced in the lab what happens every day in nature, which is full of subtle vibrations, especially for the lotus, which has large leaves atop long and slender stems.”

     Just one of a couple aquatic plants in the news of recent is a report from India that nymphaea Tetragona is becoming increasingly harder to find in the native pools in India.

    There are now a few tetragona waterlily varieties, a dwarf small white in most circumstances. It is unlikely the native India type is the tetragona found in your back yard or commercially.

   Leading botanist Pramod Tandon said that efforts to save Nymphaea tetragona, found only in a small private pond in India, have not been effective. Now these plants are only surviving on a small piece of private land in the north-eastern state of Meghalaya.

With less than 30 plants Professor Tandon fears the species may soon no longer exist in India. The professor is trying to save the remaining plants and finds it more important than cultivating them. They have used common methods to cultivate more of the plants from micro-propagation to seeds which have led to fewer than normal successful transplants.

The BBC article can be found here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8269273.stm 

BIO: “Professor Dr. Pramod Tandon, a graduate of Lucknow University, did his Ph.D. from Jodhpur University in 1976. He joined as a Lecturer in the Department of Botany at North-Eastern Hill University in August 1977. In 1988 he became a Professor of Plant Physiology in the Department.

On a National Scholarship for Study Abroad of Government of India, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of California, Irvine USA during 1979-80. During 1989 to 1995 he was associated in collaborative research with several Universities and National Institute of Agrobiological Resources in Japan leading to a long-term collaboration on Plant Conservation Biotechnology

Prof. Tandon’s group has made significant contribution in mass micropropagation, reestablishment and conservation of Indian endemics from northeastern region, namely Nepenthes khasiana (a unique Indian insectivorous plant), Coptis teeta, Nymphaea tetragonoloba, Ilex khasiana and several orchids. Besides developing protocols for rapid propagation of some forest trees, the group has developed an embryogenic system for afforestation of Pinus kesiya. The findings on PCR based molecular characterization of rare and endangered plants have lead to the understanding of their rarity in nature and help in developing conservation strategies. He has developed an improved cryoprotectant for vitrification of cells that has wide applicability for cryopreservation of plant germplasm. Great innovation was shown in utilizing the solutions similar to ones used for vitrification for incorporation of high molecular weight substances into the permeabilized plant cells. His post-doctoral work relates to changes in mRNA transcripts in chloroplast DNA of higher plants during their evolution.” See “full text”

If you see any Pond / Frog / Garden cartoons send them in!

(Menyanthus trifoliata)

A marginal water garden plant or bog plant that can be grown down to about 9 or 10 inches deep. does well in slow moving water like streams too. In summer the plant has attractive  clusters of small star shaped white flowers. Plant in early spring in baskets directly in the pond at a maximum depth of 9″. Remove any dead or dying foliage and flowers as they appear for more blooms.

Found largely across Europe and now much of North America. It blooms from May to July, the flowers being borne on long stalks, 6 to 18 inches high, longer than the leaves and clustered together in a thick short spike, rendering them very conspicuous. Prefers full sun to part shade. Hardy in zones 5-10.

Bogbean plants Diagram

We would like to know what time/days would be good for you and begin something like a monthly event.

Anyone is free to leave times you would like in the comments section. — Cynthia, Darren, myself and I think Larry are all on-board for this weekend. … Thanks everyone. -Zac

Join us on Facebook and speak with International Waterlily & Water Garden Society members, IWGS has low annual membership from $38 a year for individuals memberships or starting at $75 per year for commercial memberships! www.iwgs.org  (Family memberships, 3 year memberships, society, institutional, and lifetime memberships are also currently available.) http://www.iwgs.org/membership/

From Florida Aquatics: Nymphaea ‘Tanzanite’ is an exciting new tropical waterlily. The flower is the deepest violet purple of all the current tropical waterlilies, even more so than last year’s winner, Nymphaea ‘Ultra Violet’. It has a bright gold center and 50 petals which add to the attraction. Not only is the flower excellent, but the pads of this waterlily are beautifully mottled with bright green and purple stripes. Tanzanite is a very vigorous waterlily and a prolific bloomer.  It typically has more than one flower open each day. The compact growth habit helps to keep this plant medium sized and is ideal for any pond or water garden including containers. Nymphaea ‘Tanzanite’ is truly an eye catching tropical waterlily.

Awards: Best New Waterlily 2009, Best Tropical Waterlily 2009, Peoples Choice Award 2009

More information on the hybrid will probably be available closer to its market release from Florida Aquatic Nurseries onto the market perhaps in the spring of 2011 or 2012.

(From IWGS Journal) Stone Mountain, GA. USA  NAPP / IWGS Even: Water Feature Conference & Expo February 28 – March 2, 2010 This is a chance for those in the pond business to meet with other pond professionals to learn about the future of technology and how it will aid your business and your customers’ ponds. 

(From IWGS Journal, I already have reservations…) 2010  San Angelo, TX. USA: Waterlily Festival  September 17 – 19, 2010 This will be the waterlily event of the century. Over 200 varieties of waterlily plants on display. Speakers to be announced later. Everyone who is anyone in the waterlily community will want to be there. Make plans to join us at The International Waterlily Collection for Lily Fest and the IWGS Waterlily Festival.

—Visit www.iwgs.org For more information as it becomes available about these great opportunities or to become a member.

Just a few articles include:

Hardy Waterlily (Nymphaea sp.) Hybridization by Pairat Songpanich

Pairat Songpanich Hybrid Creation Computer Presentation by Tim Davis

Nymphaea Purchase Opportunity ‘Ultra Violet’ by Tim Davis

The World’s First Hybrid Between Day Bloomer and Night Bloomer by Carlos Magdalena of RBG Kew

Recap of the IWGS Symposium by Darren & Cynthia Bayhi

More articles by Jim Purcell, Jennifer Zuri, Steve Stroupe, Harry Hutchings, Larry Nau, and more by Tim Davis.