Plant Guide

FAQ’S

Q: How do you ship?

A:We ship UPS or FedEx

Q: How soon will my order ship after I place an order?

A:We ship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of each week. If you place an order on Monday, your order will ship on Tues. If you place an order on Tuesday, your order will ship on Wednesday. If you place and order on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, your order will ship the following Monday. All orders placed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will ship Monday or Tuesday.

Q: How are my plants packaged?

A: All plants are wrapped in wet newspaper and then packed in plastic bags. The plastic bag is placed in a sturdy cardboard box.

Q: What should I do with my plants on arrival?

A: If you are not able to plant your plants immediately on arrival, store them in a cool place. The sooner you plant your plant the better luck you will have with them. Therefore, plant them ASAP.

Q: How do I plant my plants?

A:Please see below

Planting and Care Instructions For Water Garden Plants

We recommend planting all plants in pots rather than directly in the bottom of the pool. This aids in maintenance by making the containers retrievable, thus making plant care easier. All of the plants require at least 5 hours of direct sunlight each day for maximum growth. Fertilize freely throughout the growing season.

TROPICAL WATER LILIES - Day and night blooming - tropical water lilies should be planted in pots at least 12 inches in diameter. A 3 to 5 gallon size should suffice for each lily. Fill the pot half full with a rich garden soil and add 2 to 4 fertilizer tablets, then continue to fill the pot with soil to about 2 inches from the top. The rhizome should be set upright with the roots buried gently in the soil. Make sure the tip of the rhizome is not buried. Next, add an inch or two of gravel or sand in order to prevent the soil from escaping from the container. Remember to keep the gravel away from the crown of the rhizome. The plant can now be lowered into the water to a depth of approximately 6 inches. As the plant grows, it can be lowered to a depth of 12 inches. Tropical lilies cannot tolerate cold temperatures and should not be planted until the water reaches a temperature of at least 70 degrees. Planting too early can cause dormancy and restrict the potential growth of the plant. Tropicals bloom from late spring through early fall, depending on the weather.

HARDY WATER LILIES - Hardy lilies are planted in much the same way as tropicals. Hardies grow horizontally across the container so a wide pot is necessary for planting. The rhizome should be planted at one edge of the container with the rhizome planted at an angle of about 45 degrees with the crown exposed. Remember to add fertilizer, use a rich garden soil, and top the soil with an inch or two of gravel or sand. The plant can be lowered to a depth of 6 inches to begin with, and then lowered to a depth of 12 to 18 inches as the plant grows. Hardies should be planted in early spring. They bloom from June through September depending on the weather, and become dormant during the colder months. As spring approaches, growth will begin again.

MARGINAL OR BOG PLANTS - Marginal plants should be planted in individual containers of approximately 1 to 3 gallon capacity. The marginal plants are grown in 2" net pots and it is recommended that you plant without removing these net pots as not to damage the roots. Plant as you would the lilies, but when adding fertilizer tablets, use 1 tablet for 1 gallon size pots and 2 tablets for 2 or 3 gallon size pots. Marginal plants should be lowered to a depth of only 2 to 3 inches. They grow out of the water and are usually found at the water's edge.

FLOATING PLANTS - These plants require no planting. Simply place them in the water and they will grow. Floating plants desire tropical temperatures and cannot tolerate a frost.

OXYGENATING PLANTS - All ponds should have underwater oxygenating plants to aid in maintaining clean and pure water. These plants help prevent algae growth and provide oxygen. Oxygenating plants can be planted as you would the lilies and marginals. A one gallon size pot is recommended. Completely submerge these plants to a depth of at least 12 inches

POND PLANTS

Availability. Our shipping season typically begins in March, weather permitting, and continues throughout summer and into fall. We do have limited availability during the off-season - call to inquire. Most hardy lilies are ready from season start, and in our zone 10 climate, we're one of the first growers to have tropical lilies saleable. The majority of our marginal plants, both hardy and tropical, are ready when the season begins. Some plants in all categories mature later than others, so those that are not ready at season start will be added to our availability list as they
become available.

Prohibited Plants. Some states impose restrictions on the intrastate and interstate shipments of certain plants. We do our best to keep up with these restrictions and will not ship plants that we know are prohibited. These restricted plant lists change frequently at this point and we ask that you help us obey your states laws by not ordering plants from us that are restricted in your state. The restricted plant lists can be found on line at http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/noxious#driver

What to expect when your plants arrive. Waterlilies – Our lilies are shipped bare root with foliage. We do offer some varieties of hardy lilies and almost all tropical lilies potted in 4 1/2“ pots. Please specify when ordering if potted lilies are preferred. Each plant will have 3-5 leaves and hardy lilies will have a 2-4” tuber. Although we do not guarantee blooms, many of the lilies are shipped with buds. For identification purposes each lily has a vinyl color-coded tag attached showing the name and variety of the plant. We also offer packaged hardy waterlily tubers. The tubers are attractively packaged and are sold by color in red, white, pink and yellow.

Lotus – Lotus tubers are shipped throughout the spring in attractively packaged, colorful cartons featuring photographs of lotus, as well as planting and care instructions. The custom designed carton adds protection to the fragile tuber during shipping.

Marginal Plants - Marginal plants are grown and shipped in 2” plastic net pots or 4” pots. Each plant will have a custom 5” plastic stake for identification. The stakes have a color photograph of the plant, as well as a brief cultural and care explanation. Each marginal plant is shipped in a plastic floral sleeve for protection during transit.

Surface Varieties - With the exception of Azolla, Duckweed and Salvinia, surface types are shipped bareroot or in bunches of unrooted cuttings. No planting is necessary - simply float these items in your pool. For some items such as Parrot's Feather, Water Hawthorne & Creeping Jenny, you may prefer to pot them for better results. Azolla, Duckweed and Salvinia can be purchased by the pound in plastic bags, or in portions attractively packaged in clear plastic 4” cups with color labels on the top featuring a photograph of the plant, as well as a cultural explanation. A small amount of water should be added to these cups upon arrival and they should last for several weeks under these conditions.

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