The gray, drizzly weather provided a nice backdrop for our work in the ponds this morning - though the combination of earthbound water droplets and leaking waders was not ideal! With the hectic days of summer behind us, the water gardening season is winding down and our weekly maintenance has been reduced to the removal of deads leaves and blooms on the tropical and hardy waterlilies.
We have stopped fertilizing the lilies in hopes that the tropicals will begin to produce underground storage units (tubers) that we can harvest next month. We will store these tubers in damp peat in sealed plastic tubs under our greenhouse benches for the winter months. Come spring, the tubers will be transferred to our heated water tables in labeled ziploc bags and allowed to sprout new plantlets. These will then be potted and planted in the ponds next June, where the cycle will begin again.
This process allows us to save many tropical lilies from year to year while using a minimum amount of greenhouse space. The large tropical plants themselves are composted each fall. This includes our beloved Victoria waterlilies, which reached a record size for us this summer - the largest leaf measured 7' 3" in diameter, shattering our previous record of 6' 5". The world record Victoria was grown in Brazil and measured 9' in diameter, a size that we are unlikely to reach here - but we can try right?
It is not too late to see our waterlily collections this year. Stop by the Gardens before the end of this month and you will be able to view the winning waterlily hybrids in the 2009 IWGS New Waterlily Contest, alongside winners from past year's competitions. These are all on display in the Fish Pool at the base of the terraces. You will also be able to see our Victoria cruziana, Victoria 'Adventure', and Victoria 'Longwood Hybrid', which are all still blooming happily in the ponds. A special thank you once again to Dave Brigante at Hughes Water Gardens in Tualatin, Oregon and to Kit Knotts in Cocoa Beach, Florida for providing us with bareroot plants and seeds of these spectacular plants.
Also, be sure to stop by the Virtue Peace Pond behind the Doris Duke Visitor's Center to see our new interpretive sign that explains more about the genus Victoria. For more in depth information, growing tips, and stories from other growers around the world, visit http://www.victoria-adventure.org/
