Nymphaea Paul Harriot | Water Lily

Water lilies flourish in still water, so do not plant them near a pond pump or fountain, particularly where the water can splash onto their leaves. These waterlilies are potted up (using a suitable aquatic compost) into 1-litre aquatic pots. These pots are made of a fine mesh, which allows water to circulate through the compost, providing the plants with both oxygen and nutrients. As they are already potted, all you need to do is to place the pot into the pond, but this young plant will need potting up into a larger aquatic pot within a few months. Initially the pot should be placed on a stack of bricks so the leaves float on the surface of the water. As the plant matures, remove one layer of bricks at a time, gradually lowering the plant deeper into the pond until the desired depth has been reached. If you are placing this water lily in the autumn or winter when it has died back, place it at a depth of 40-60cm. Then in the spring repot it into a larger pot and lower as the plant grows.