Water Lilies:

Some people are surprised to know that water lilies require soil to grow, imagining that the plants just float on the surface. Water lilies require rich loam to grow satisfactorily, without which they will not flower successfully. Potting mixes are not suitable for water lilies, generally being too light and tending to float out of the container. Use the largest possible container for your water lily. In larger ponds, construct a brick enclosure for the soil. This prevents the soil from spreading in the pool and makes subsequent maintenance easier.

Many pictures of garden pools show them in shady positions. This certainly creates a natural effect but in these situations water lilies will not flower well. Water lilies require maximum sunlight to flower. In shady positions it is best to concentrate on ferns, arum lilies or the new Amazon Queen around the pool with some other plants which will tolerate the shade like water poppy and water iris in the water.

People may also think that water lilies oxygenate the water. This is not so. Only plants whose foliage is below the water are efficient oxygenators. These plants also trap sediments and encourage fish to breed.

All water lilies die back during the Winter months in southern Australia.