Water Garden Journal
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International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society WATER GARDEN JOURNAL SPRING Vol. 31, No. 1 2016 P. 2 International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society Vol. 31, No. 1 Water Garden Journal IN THIS ISSUE 03 President’s Letter President Mike Swize welcomes the first signs of a Texas spring. 04 Club Corner Vicki Aber asks for feedback in what could be her final club column. 05 Home Gardening Primer Dealing with spring algae blooms. Bory Latour-Marliac was 06 Online Community delighted by this engraving New French nomenclature; Tips for Patrick Nutt always told stu- used by William Robinson dealing with Waterlily Leaf Beetle. dents, friends, and fellow in the 1893 volume of The 07 Memorial Fund Details runners to “Keep up your good Garden. © Latour-Marliac A new endowed scholarship set up to work.” Now his friends found SARL honor Patrick Nutt. a way to carry on the sup- portive work Pat practiced for 08 IWGS Symposium 2016 over 50 years ... and to honor 2016 IWGS Symposium will be held his memory with an endowed in Merida, Mexico, October 25–29. scholarship. 10 Chinese Red Lotus Larry Nau describes the reknown 9 new red lotuses introduces at Expo 2010 by hybridizer Ding Yuesheng. 12 Hybrid History An excerpt from Water Lilies and Bory Latour-Marliac, the Genius Behind Monet’s Water Lilies. 14 Lotus Research Grant Mitchell seeks out the elusive orange pollen lotus. On the Cover Lotus at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gar- dens in Washington, DC. Photo by Mike Whalen. Submissions If you would like to submit water garden content for the next edi- tion of the Journal, please send Nelumbo ‘Chinese Red Ruijin’ is a spectacular, double petal, your submissions before June 1 to red lotus with a bright yellow center. The flower often takes on a [email protected]. peach-red tone. ‘Chinese Red Ruijin’ will set seed readily. International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society P. 3 Water Garden Journal Vol. 31, No. 1 President’s Letter Hello, Everyone! This is my favorite time of the year and also in some ways my least favorite. Spring is a mad dash of activity and long hours that will be familiar to anyone that works in water gardening or in a nursery of any kind. It’s dif- ficult to take the time to stop and “smell the waterlilies” (I may be biased, but I think they smell much better than roses), when there is so much to be done in the short spring months before summer. I may not notice the grass getting a little greener, I may also miss the trees starting to leaf out, but the surest sign for me, that spring is truly here, is a humble little aquatic plant, the Texas Spider Lily (Hymenocallis lirisome) — pictured above. I have heard from many water gardeners from around the world talk about how they know spring has arrived when they see their first waterlily leaves appearing or that first magical bloom. I am fortunate, that living in such a mild winter climate I can over-winter blooming tropical waterlilies in a greenhouse. These lilies bloom all winter long and their fragrance fills the air when one enters even in the dead of winter (or what passes for winter in south Texas). While I am blessed to have such beauty through the winter, it means that there is no first waterlily bloom of spring for me. At this time of year, I frequently drive the 20-mile trip home from work on the back roads through the expan- sive wetland prairie that is located west of Houston, Texas. I will know that spring has arrived when I see the tell-tale white blooms of the Spider Lily lining the ditches or spot a large patch of numerous white blooms in an otherwise drab brown field. Spider Lilies only bloom once in the spring, so they are a good reminder for me to stop and to enjoy that spring has arrived. The 2016 IWGS Symposium will be held in Merida, Mexico, from October 25–29. I would like to thank Demi Fortuna for arranging this wonderful opportunity to visit the cultural capital of Mexico. Merida is a few hours west of the resort town of Cancun, Mexico. Merida is famous for its rich Mayan history as well as its many museums and colonial architecture. Merida also ranked as the second safest city in North and South America — right behind Boise, Idaho, and in front of Ottawa, Canada, in 2015. Demi is working with local hosts and also with CICY (The Yucatan Center for Scientific Research) to make this a exciting symposium in a fantastic location. More details and registration forms will be available soon on the IWGS.org website and I hope to see everyone in Merida. Sincerely, Michael Swize IWGS President [email protected] P. 4 International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society Vol. 31, No. 1 Water Garden Journal Club Corner A Final Column? by Vicki Aber When I first started this column, I envisioned it to be a dialog. I wanted to get ideas from many clubs on how they do things. I feel it is much less useful as a mono- logue. Frankly, it is getting harder and harder to come up with new ideas for columns. I also am really won- dering if anyone is reading them. The IWGS has traditionally been an organization pri- marily of people in the pond trade. Several years ago, membership was opened up to anyone that clicked on the free membership tab on the website. I thought this would mean an influx of hobbyists, many of which probably were involved in clubs. We really don’t have a way to track whether that is the case or not. I felt if we did have members from the club sphere that an exchange of ideas would benefit everyone. So I hate to sound desperate but if I don’t get some input from out there, this will be my last column. I will still be trying to do my part on the Board and other behind the scenes activities. The best way to reach me should anyone wish to is by email [email protected]. About the Author Vicki Aber is an IWGS board member. She is also a member of the Colorado Water Garden Society (CWGS) and has served there as a board member and an officer, including the position of president. She can be contacted via email at [email protected]. Events Calendar MN Water Garden Society Tour Here is a listing of water garden-related events from July 30-31, 2016 April 1 to October 1, 2016, taking place around the Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, USA world. If you would like to submit 2015 water garden The Minnesota Water Garden Society hosts its 19th events for the next edition of the Journal, please send annual water garden tour hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. your listing before December 1 to KathyJentz@aol. both days. The self-driving tour features about a dozen com. water gardens in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. By early summer, descriptions of the sites, a map, and Chinese Lotus Show and information about ticket prices and how to purchase them will be available at www.mwgs.org. International Lotus Symposium July 8-11, 2016 LilyFest 2016 Slender West Lake, Yangzhou of Jiangsu province, September 24, 2016 China San Angelo, TX, USA This year marks the 30th anniversary of Lotus Branch The event will be held from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. There of Chinese Flower Association. You are welcome to will be tours, seminars, a plant sale, food, and enter- join us for sharing experience and knowledge. The tainment on site as well. You will see more waterlilies 30th China Lotus Show and International Lotus Sym- on display than at any other garden in the USA. For posium is organized by Lotus Branch of China Flower enthusiasts, hobbyists, those who hybridize, photog- Association raphers and videographers, it is a must see event. For information, go to: http://www.internationalwaterlily- collection.com/?project=lilyfest-2016-news-updates International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society P. 5 Water Garden Journal Vol. 31, No. 1 Home Gardening Corner The Secret to Achieving a Crystal Clear, Trouble-Free Pond You may have just spent your weekend cleaning your pond – or having your pond contractor do it for you. A couple of days … weeks pass, and you notice an incredible growth of algae. “Not again,” you screech to yourself. “I thought my pond was clean!” Cleanli- ness does not necessarily mean algae-free, especially in the cool waters of the early spring. Understanding the transition that your pond makes from winter into spring, combined with the use of a few water treat- ment products to help balance the ponds ecosystem is all it typically takes to maintain a crystal clear, trou- The Bacteria ble-free pond. One way to help jump-start the bacteria in the spring is by adding a beneficial bacteria. These water treat- The Plants ments contain a special blend of microbes that are found to thrive in colder water temperatures as far Plants play a vital role in your pond’s ecosystem. As down as 35°F (2°C). the aquatic plants start to grow, they will absorb the There are also a number of other water treatments nutrients in the water. This means that they will natu- available to help control excess nutrients and the algae rally start to out-compete the algae for the nutrients that are determined to take advantage of this food causing the algae to starve.