INTERNATIONAL WATERLILY AND WATER GARDENING SOCIETY WATER GARDEN JOURNAL Volume 18, No. 2 Summer 2003 Contents 2 – From your President 2 – From your Editor 3 – News and Updates 4 – ‘Name That Lily’ Results 5 – News Snippets 5 – Alien Invaders 5 – WebWatch 8 – In Memoriam – William C. Frase 9 – UK Conference Highlights 10 – Book Review 11 – Questionnaire Results 12 – Tales From Thailand – Dr Slearmlarp Wasuwat 14 – Commercial Members 15 – Plant Profile – Myosotis scorpioides 16 – Society Details Page 2 The Water Garden Journal, Volume 18 No.2 • The Nymphaea registration project expects to FROM YOUR PRESIDENT begin registering waterlilies in July. • The journals are arriving on schedule and chock full of interesting information. • The IWGS has been invited to participate in a conference on Nelumbo by the Thai government By now I’m sure you are all aware that the 2003 and Cathy Green has volunteered to represent us. IWGS Symposium in Toronto has been postponed. • Several research projects have been funded and This was a very difficult decision by your board of feedback will be reported in future Journals. directors; however, I believe they made the right • Our first ever ‘Name That Lily’ contest was decision. The SARS situation, whether perceived or successful and generated substantial funds and real, was severe enough to prevent many people publicity for the IWGS. from attending the conference. It would be a shame And many more projects are underway. to waste Toronto, such a terrific venue for a symposium, on a poorly attended event. The board I have enjoyed serving as your president for the last does expect to visit Toronto some time in the future two years. I have enjoyed working with both the for a symposium. For those of you that would like to board and non-board volunteers and would like to get together with other IWGS members this year, thank each of you for your devotion and hard work many members will be attending Pondapalooza in for the IWGS cause. Let me assure our membership Atlanta. For more information see our News section. that your board will elect a new president that is very capable and that the IWGS will continue without I would like to take this opportunity to thank the interruption. You have a strong board and with them Ontario Water Garden Society, Susan Davis and the this association will continue to build upon itself. I Symposium committee, and everyone else who have said this before, but let me remind you that this helped, for all their effort in planning this event. I do is an all-volunteer association (except our executive hope everyone will be willing to help when we return director) so we rely on you, the members, to to Toronto in the future. The Ontario Water Garden accomplish its goals. Volunteers are needed and Society does plan to continue with an event of their required to make this association work. Volunteering own so if anyone is interested in attending, contact can be fun and rewarding so please volunteer. Email them – details in our News section. or call Paula ([email protected] or 941-756-0880) today and let her know you would like to pitch in. Because of the SARS situation the committee felt it best to cancel our annual New Waterlily For my last time – Happy pond keeping, Competition. I would like to thank Andy Lohaza, The Brad McLane – President Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and everyone who [email protected] helped, for all the effort on this important project. When the decision was made to cancel the competition there were already 5 waterlilies on site. FROM YOUR EDITOR Andy and the folks at Niagara Parks plan to grow and show these plants as an in-house project with no competition, so if you are in the neighborhood please stop by and enjoy these new cultivars. For more The recent questionnaire shows that we are united by information on viewing the new lilies contact Andy our passion for waterplants. I hope that you have a ([email protected] or 905-980-4488) and he will really successful growing season. Why not take the direct you. time to share the secrets of your success – in growing a new plant, or hybridising with a difficult genus. Use I am saddened to say this is my last message as your membership directory to meet up with other president because my 2-year term ends in August. members; send us an article; or sign up with our Although we have had to postpone many plans, there pondlist (p.8). We look forward to hearing from you! are still lots of good things going on within the IWGS. • Paula Biles has been employed as our executive James Allison – [email protected] director for more than a year. She is a pleasure to work with and if you call or email IWGS headquarters you’ll get prompt and informative answers. The Water Garden Journal, Volume 18 No.2 Page 3 Scheduled events include opportunities for socializing: NEWS & UPDATES an evening with entertainment at Wakoola Water Gardens on Monday, and a banquet the following evening, followed by an auction. There is an optional tour to water garden centres and SYMPOSIUM 2003 POSTPONED Atlanta Botanical Gardens on Wednesday 30th, and The IWGS Board has closely followed the health the possibility for an informal IWGS dinner on concerns raised by the outbreak of Severe Acute Wednesday evening. The Southern Nursery Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Toronto. The Association trade show (including WaterWorld) Board met twice in teleconference to discuss the issue follows the conference and runs from July 31 to and to consider the best interests of the membership. August 2. Following a resurgence, during late May, of worries A Pondapalooza brochure is available online at about SARS in Toronto, the IWGS Board took the www.pondkeeper.com and has been mailed to US decision to postpone this year’s symposium. The members. Foreign members can contact (941) 756- team preparing for this symposium has put in a great 0880 or [email protected] to have one mailed or faxed. deal of work and had come up with a great programme. This shall not be wasted as we now b) Local Options intend to visit Toronto for a future annual Since we won't be having our annual symposium in symposium, possibly in 2006 or before. (Our 2004 2003, the Board encourages members (individuals, symposium was planned for Florida, USA.) affiliated societies, and businesses) to host informal regional activities e.g. arranging visits and tours of This year’s Annual Competition for New Waterlilies local water gardens, plant exhibits and lectures. This has been cancelled, though Niagara Parks will provide a way for sharing information at a local Commission School of Horticulture will continue to level. Please visit the IWGS website at www.iwgs.org grow the lilies received for display. for the latest details on what is on offer. Canada SYMPOSIUM ALTERNATIVES Although the Toronto symposium will not be held a) Pondapalooza this August, the Ontario Water Garden Society is The Society by-laws require annual Board and going to go ahead with an educational event on General Membership meetings. Many of our Saturday 9th August called 'Ponds and Plants 2003'. members will be in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, for Pondapalooza, a national conference for the water It will be a full day packed with speakers, auction, gardening trade. We therefore plan to hold the board BBQ and informal gatherings around the Civic meeting on Sunday, 27th July (the day before this Garden Centre (Toronto Botanical Garden). The conference begins) and the General Membership students of the Niagara Parks Commission School of meeting at lunch on Monday the 28th. It is not Horticulture are continuing to grow out the lilies sent necessary to sign up to Pondapalooza to attend these in for the competition at the Niagara Park Botanical two IWGS meetings which are open to all members. Gardens, and Andy Lohaza is planning on bringing at See the journal back page for venue details. least some of them to Toronto to view during the lunch and breaks. Since networking is so important to us, we encourage members to sign up for Pondapalooza, which has Anyone interested can contact the Ontario Water seminars on 28 & 29th July. There are more than a Garden Society at www.onwatergarden.com or 416- dozen sessions scheduled, including: Pumps & 422-2164, Email [email protected], or register Plumbing by Deb Spencer; Hybrids & Hybridisation with Ann Michalek, (416) 425-3329. If you are by Pat Nutt; For the Love of Lotus by Cathy Green; interested in doing anything in the Niagara Region Pond Construction Techniques by Rolf & Peter before or after the event, contact Andy Lohaza Nelson; Island Planters by Kelly Billing; a plant directly through Email at [email protected] propagation workshop; a plant propagation forum; and a talk by Anthony Archer-Wills. A Book Mart IWGS RESEARCH GRANTS will be open during the conference. The Research Committee (Chair: Donald Padgett, Ph.D.) received two grant proposals for consideration Page 4 The Water Garden Journal, Volume 18 No.2 this year. Both proposals focused on the ecology of Bladderworts (Utricularia) and the committee's RESULTS OF THE FIRST review of the proposals was unanimous and favourable for both. We expect a written report of IWGS ‘NAME THAT LILY’ the research findings next year. COMPETITION Details of the application procedure for our research awards are on the website: CARLA'S SONSHINE http://www.iwgs.org/research/iwgsresearch.htm Nymphaea ‘Carla's SonShine’ is the winning name for You may want to mention this to any the bright yellow tropical lily with mottled leaves that students/researchers you know of in aquatic circles, appeared on the back cover of our last journal.