Immortalised by Monet in his exquisite paintings, water lilies have long been admired. The ancient Greeks dedicated these beautiful flowers to the nymphs, hence their Latin name Nymphaea. The blue water lily, Nymphaea caerulea, and the Egyptian water lily, Nymphaea lotus, were buried with Egyptian kings, and carvings depicting the flowers have been discovered on the walls of Egyptian tombs.

Today water lilies are still adored by gardeners, and from late May onwards they can be enjoyed in a variety of situations ranging from small containers on terraces to ornamental lakes. Once unfolded, the flowers reveal concentric rings of up to a hundred delicately pointed petals, each saturated with dense colour that ranges in hue from pale yellow and baby pink through to deepest lilac, peach and gold

TYPES OF WATERLILY
Britain's hardy native species, Nymphaea alba, is a delicate pure white water lily, which unfolds to reveal gold stamens and has a span of 10 cm. This species prefers deep water and spreads its large leaf pads densely across the water's surface, providing shade for fish and landing stages for frogs and toads. The larger snowy white American species, Nymphaea odorata, prefers shallower waters and, as its name suggests, has a wonderful scent. At the other end of the colour spectrum are tropical water lilies, which come in vibrant shades of cerise, gold and purple. While tropical varieties cannot survive outdoors in the UK, there are hybrids which can, and British gardeners can now choose from an exciting rainbow of petal colours, from blush pink to peach melba and sky blue to eau de Nil. One of the best for blooms is N. 'Ellisiana' with its rose pink and red petals, which flowers from May to October. The beautiful double-flowered N. 'Gonnère' has white flowers accented by outer sepals tinged with green, giving it the appearance of a bouffant chrysanthemum. N. 'Amabilis' is another prolific bloomer, with spectacular petals in rich salmon pink.

The speciality lilies are larger and more dramatic. Choose from the superb yellow flowers of N. 'Texas Dawn' or the lilac pink cup-shaped flowers of N. 'Maurice Laydeker'. For a more unusual lily with blue colouring, try N. 'Green Smoke', which has subtle changes in pigmentation from verdigris to deep blue. Several are highly perfumed to attract nectar-seeking insects, while others bloom only at night, such as N. 'H. C. Haarstick' with its maroon red flowers.

HOW TO GROW WATER LILIES
The water lily is a true aquatic plant that needs to have its roots fully submerged. The depth of water required depends on the variety of the plant, and so whatever the size of your container or pond, you'll find a water lily to suit it. Propagation can be carried out by seed in the water, but these are often slow to germinate and frequently degenerate. Division can produce successful clones; this is best carried out in May when plants can be lifted and divided, leaving each crown with several pieces of tuber attached to it. Before replanting, trim back the roots and surplus leaves.

WHERE TO BUY WATER LILIES
Visit specialist nurseries that propagate and grow plants as well as developing their own hybrids of tropical water lilies.
• Chenies Aquatics, Crown Lane, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire SL2 3SG, (01753) 646989. RHS Gold and Tudor Rose medal winners that have a variety of water lilies, plus everything else you need to create a water garden.
• Dorset Water Lily Company, Yeovil Road, Halstock, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 9RR, (01935) 891668. RHS gold medal winners that grow and propogate hardy and tropical lilies. Will deliver. All of the varieties shown were supplied by the Dorset Water Lily Company.
• Lilies Water Gardens, Broad Lane, Newdigate, Surrey RH5 5AT, (01306) 631064. The company offers over 90 different varieties of water lilies, as well as a wide range of plants for water gardens and surrounding areas.

WORDS JACKY HOBBS
PHOTOGRAPHS MICHELLE GARRETT
SEPTEMBER 2004