Nymphea lily planting and care. Water lily from seeds. What does aquatic plant nymphea look like

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The pond on the site, which is decorated with water lilies, is a real fairy-tale corner. However, keeping these plants can be difficult due to the nuances of their cultivation.

The fashion for garden design is changing, but the proximity of water, like thousands of years ago, always has a calming effect on a person. And there is no fundamental significance - whether it is a large reservoir or a small swamp - it will always be the highlight of the garden. Especially if it is filled with water plants.

Water lily, or nymphea, - the "aristocrat" of the water world in the garden plot. Her beauty is breathtaking. In my garden, a pond is built from an old cast-iron tub. The edges are decorated with stone. At the bottom there are also several large stones. And I plant water lilies in containers. The containers are plastic buckets, in which I make a lot of holes at the bottom and 5-8 pieces on the sides.

At landing I don’t bury water lily seedlings in the ground, I leave the root neck on top. After planting, so that the soil in the pot does not erode, I sprinkle small pebbles on top. I lower the container with the plant gradually. First, I install it on a stone located at the bottom of the reservoir bath. As the nymphaeum grows, I remove the stone and lower the container to the bottom.

The leaves of the water lily should not cover more than a third of the area of ​​​​the reservoir, otherwise the heating of the water worsens, and this negatively affects flowering. Since the reservoir is small, and the water lily grows quickly, I have to plant it every year seat. More than one plant in a small pond is not worth growing. I placed two containers, but in such a small area the plants were crowded.

For the water lily to bloom, there should not be strong streams of water in the reservoir. I had to remove a small fountain, which was installed at the bottom of the reservoir.

Another of the problems that I encountered when growing nymphs in such a reservoir is wintering. In order for the bath-pond not to be damaged by frost, the water must be drained. At first, I tried to attach a container with a water lily for the winter in a nearby swamp. The swamp was built from a cast-iron tank, approximately 50 cm high, in which earth was covered with a layer of 30 cm, and the rest was filled with water. Since this container still has a layer of earth, I figured that the water lily would be able to overwinter. But, unfortunately, I was wrong. When frost sets in, a small and shallow swamp freezes to the bottom. For calamus, marigold, water pine growing here, this is not scary, but the nymphaeum died.

Another time, I grew up over the summer as a nymphaeum before the frosts got with a container from the reservoir, removed the withered leaves, put it in a bucket of water so that the water reached the top edge of the container and lowered it into the basement. The plant overwintered well. I tried to leave a container with a water lily and without water in a large plastic garbage bag for the winter. I tied it so that air could penetrate. I inserted a spacer inside the bag so that the bag would not fall and stick to the root neck of the flower.

Miniature water lily variety WalterPagels grows in my pond in a 15 liter pot. For the winter, I put it in a small plastic bucket and transfer it to the basement. For more than 10 years, beautiful nymphs have been decorating my mini-ponds and bringing great joy with their flowering.

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A decorative pond in the country is a rather unusual and impressive element. landscape design. If a decorative pond is decorated with suitable moisture-loving plants, its attractiveness will become even greater. In this article we will talk about such an option for decorating a pond as growing water lilies. Now you will learn how to care for nymphs, as well as see photo examples of their bright unusual appearance.

Using Nymphaeums to Create a Water Lily Pond

Most summer residents do not use nymphs to create a pond with water lilies, because. It is believed that these moisture-loving plants do not tolerate cold at all. This is a big misconception, because today many varieties of frost-resistant nymphs have been bred that are able to overwinter in severe frosts and decorate the pond for several seasons.

Water nymphs have an attractive bright color that can be white, pink, yellow and red.

These plants require little or no maintenance, which we will discuss below.

A decorative pond decorated with water lilies (nymphs) will create a romantic atmosphere, so it is advisable to place a small one near the pond.

We draw your attention to the fact that water nymphs grow rapidly, therefore, to decorate a decorative pond, it is enough to plant several seedlings.

It should also be noted that water nymphs should occupy no more than half the area of ​​the pond, otherwise the composition will look sloppy. To this should be added the fact that it is better to choose plants of the same shade, because. multi-colored ponds do not benefit as much when decorating the territory as plain white, pink or yellowish ones.

If you still want to decorate a pond with water lilies with several types of plants of different colors, then it is recommended to plant nymphs in different places so that the different shades of flowers are separated by the water surface.

Nymphaeum Care

What would a pond with water lilies decorate country cottage area as long as possible and with minimal intervention of the owners, it is necessary to carry out proper care for the nymphs.

As we have already said, nymphs are not too demanding to care for, but still there are some things you should do, namely:

• Fertilize nymphs for better growth
• Transplant into containers for overwintering
• Keep track of their number in the pond

So, everything is in order.

Fertilizer nymphs

In order for the nymphs to grow faster and have large bright flowers, it is necessary to fertilize the plants. To do this, it is recommended to pour a mixture of fertile soil with sand and compost into the container where the root system will be located. It is also desirable to add a pinch of bone meal to the fertile mixture, which is an excellent fertilizer for water nymphs.

So that the bone meal does not wash out of the container so quickly, it is recommended to roll it into clay balls and also place it in the container to the roots. In this case, bone meal will fertilize the nymphs for a long time.

Since nymphs have small roots, it is recommended to transplant them into spacious containers. This will allow not only moving plants around the pond, changing the landscape design of the reservoir, but also overwintering plants.

Although, as we have already said, there are frost-resistant types of water nymphs, sometimes, due to certain conditions, it is necessary to hide plants for the winter from frost.

There are 3 habitat conditions for water lilies (nymphs):

1. Nymphs grow in a deep pond (depth over 0.6 m)
2. Nymphaeum grow in a shallow natural pond
3. Nymphs grow in a shallow artificial pond, where the bowl is concreted or made of plastic.

In the first case, whether natural or artificial pond, the depth will allow the roots not to freeze during severe frosts.

If the pond is shallow, but its bottom is natural, then you can simply dig a hole about 0.5 meters deep at the bottom of the reservoir and place the roots there before the winter season.

But if the pond is shallow and, moreover, artificial, it will not work to deepen the roots of the plants, so you still have to move the plants for the winter to a warmer room. For this, containers will come in handy, because. in this case, it is not necessary to disturb the root system of the nymphs, but simply transfer the plants to the basement, where the temperature will be normal for overwintering.

In addition, containers are good because the plants can be moved around the pond, creating a floating flower bed that will float in the middle of the pond with water lilies.

We draw your attention to the fact that different kind nymphaeum, the length of the roots is different, there are varieties with 20-centimeter roots, and there are varieties with a root system longer than 1 meter, this must be taken into account when creating a composition of a pond with water lilies.

Number of nymphs in the pond

We have already said that the number of nymphs in the pond should be limited. Firstly, a large number of plants will only reduce the attractiveness of the pond. And, secondly, if there are too many nymphs in the pond, they will not be able to grow normally: many small flowers with tiny green leaves will float on the water. If you limit the number of water lilies, they will be large and bright, which looks much better!

Delicate, amazingly beautiful nymphaeum flowers are no longer an outlandish representative of our gardens. They can now often be seen on the reservoirs of many personal plots.

In order to grow a nymphaeum in our climatic conditions, it was necessary to go a long way to acclimatize this plant. Now this amazing water lily can grow in your garden. The color of its hybrid forms can be from white to orange.

If you decide to grow a nymphaeum, then this article will be useful to you. She will tell you about the varieties of water lilies. You will also learn how to care for this plant. The article provides recommendations and videos about the use of nymphs in artificial ponds (pictured) and aquariums.

Nymphea - a delicate decoration of your pond

Nymphea: why is she special?

A beautiful pond is an original decoration for your garden that requires care and special treatment. If you arrange and green your pond, then it will become your pride and favorite vacation spot.

The most favorable period for gardening your artificial reservoir will be spring. Before you start decorating the reservoir, you need to wait a bit. The water in the pond should stand a little and warm up to make it easier for you to work in it.

It is important to initially plant the plants in zones. Aquatic plants grow very quickly. Therefore, after a few years, the water in your pond may become completely overgrown. To exclude such a situation, experts recommend using the following rule, which is considered universal: plants are placed on an area of ​​​​one square meter in an amount of no more than two or three.

Aquatic plants fall into two main categories:

• coastal;
• deep sea species.

Now let's take a closer look at the beautiful representative of deep-sea plants. It is called Nymphaeum (see photo below).

In the European version of landscape design, this plant has become an integral part of even the smallest pond.

The ability to grow a heat-loving nymphaeum appeared thanks to the work of Joseph Bory Latour Marliac. This enthusiast has bred about 66 varieties of bright water lilies that endure the cold.

This option was obtained by crossing the nymphaeum with more hardy northern types of water lilies. Caring for such water lilies is much easier than for their heat-loving relatives.

Varieties of water lilies and their variety

In order to choose a nymphaeum for your pond, you need to know which group of water lilies it belongs to. You can determine the group by knowing the size of the plant.

If you know the characteristics of groups of nymphs, then you will have enough information about the depth of landing of one or another water lily. After that, you can calculate the possible number of water lilies for your pond.

Landscape design experts believe that for the beauty of the pond, a sufficient number of nymphs is half its area, but no more.

Let's take a closer look at what types of nymphs are:

• The dwarf nymphaeum has a flower diameter from 3 cm to 15 cm. The planting depth of such a nymphaeum is from 15 cm to 50 cm. You can see what a dwarf nymphea looks like in the photo below:

• Medium nymphs are characterized by flowers up to 18 cm in diameter. The planting depth sufficient for this type of nymph reaches 60 cm.
• Large varieties, with a flower diameter of about 25 cm, are planted at a depth of about one meter.

You can easily find varieties of dwarf nymphs on sale. So that they can be distinguished quickly enough from the medium and large varieties, the word "pygmy" is added to the name of the dwarf nymphs:

• The variety "Alba" has a white water lily;
• Variety "Rubra" differs in flowers of dark red color;
• The dwarf nymphaeum also has chameleon varieties. For example, the cultivar 'Aurora' initially has creamy yellow flowers that turn orange.

Varieties of the middle nymph. If your pond is medium in size, a variety called "RoseArey" is ideal for you, with flowers that reach 15 cm in diameter.

Such a nymphaeum is special in that its petals fade in the sun over time. Therefore, you can end up with a composition of both pink and almost white lotuses.

This variety of water lily is also good in that its growth in width is limited to one meter.

Water lily nymphaeum variety "Attraction" has large red flowers, decorated with white spots (pictured). There is another feature of this variety. Nymphaeum flower, younger, smaller and pinkish.

The extraordinary beauty of the white water lily is a feature of the Gonnere nymphae variety. This variety is good for small ponds because it grows slowly.

Large varieties of nymphs. If you have a deep and large pond, then experts suggest paying attention to Chromatella variety lotuses for it.

• The flower of such a nymphaeum has light yellow petals.
• Such a water lily grows better than any representative of the yellow variety in partial shade.
• You can plant such a nymphaeum in ponds, with a maximum depth of 1.5 m.
• This plant is suitable for ponds up to 1.5 m deep.

Bright crimson Escarboucle nymphs are suitable for this variety.

• The flowers of this variety are huge.
• Their peculiarity is that they close late at night.

You can observe their beauty in the photo below:

There are types of nymphs that will decorate another type of home pond - your aquarium. Let's take a closer look at these plants.

Nymphaeum red. Among such plants there is a nymphea, which is called red.

• Like other representatives of aquarium water lilies, the red nymphaeum is no longer valued for flowers, but for the unusual color of the leaves: green foliage is covered with many red spots.
• The red nymphaeum is artificially bred, therefore it takes root perfectly in any aquariums.

Nymphea micranta. Nymphaeum mikranta can be attributed to the number of water lilies of extraordinary beauty.

Nymphea micranta has leaves that grow underwater. it salient feature all water lily plants.

The green foliage of the plant is completely covered with brown spots. Such unusual leaves make this lotus a popular aquarium plant.

Star-shaped nymphaeum micranth flowers are a white or purple water lily (see photo below).

Another interesting representative of lotus plants is the nymphea rudge.

Nymphea rudge has almost round leaves.

• Such a white water lily nymphaeum is beautiful because it blooms very often.
• A distinctive feature of this nymph is that it reproduces only with the help of seeds.
• Its seeds are formed in white underwater flowers and germinate directly in the water.
• To maintain a bright color, the green foliage of the nymphaeum requires sufficient lighting.

Tiger nymphea or lotus nymphea is one of the most beautiful representatives of water lilies. This plant is most often used as an aquarium plant.

• In the tiger nymphaeum, the leaves are covered with a large number of brown spots and have an olive or green color.
• Nymphea tiger is a seasonal plant, because in winter it slows down growth and almost does not form floating leaves (photo below).

• A white water lily or a pink water lily - such a beautiful lotus is formed when the tiger nymphae blooms.

How beautiful the aquarium with nymphs is, see the video review below:

How to grow a nymphaeum in your garden?

The success of growing any plant depends on the quality of the planting done. The same goes for nymphs. The division and planting of nymphs is described in detail in the video at the end of the article.

• First you need to choose a low and wide capacity.
• It needs a lot of drainage holes. This is necessary so that the rhizome of the plant grows more freely and multiplies faster.
• The water lily is planted in a clay mixture with the addition of sand and ordinary soil. It is necessary to mix the proportions based on the ratios 2:1:1.
• Also, river silt is suitable for planting a lotus. Plants do not need special feeding. Caring for them perfectly suits the plants without the addition of special minerals.

To continue caring for the plant, it is necessary to further divide the already overgrown water lilies. This is one of the ways in which the water lily is propagated.

• You need to separate with a sharp knife, with which we cut off the tuber with the kidney.
• After you have divided the plants, you need to plant them in separate containers and lower them into the water.
• We add that the water lily grows very quickly.
• Therefore, if your pond is small, every few years you will have to repeat the procedure for such a division.

Reproduction of nymphs is carried out not only by processes of the rhizome, but also with the help of seeds.

Some species reproduce only by seed (for example, nymphea rudge). This plant has seeds that need to be planted in the ground at the bottom of the pond.

Or you can use another option. Nymphaeum seeds can be planted in an earthen container, which, after planting, is placed in water.

How to collect nymph seeds in order to reproduce?

• A fruit is formed from a flower, which ripens in water for about a month.
• A ripe fruit is easy to detect - it has already sunk to the bottom.
• Seeds, after you have released them from the shell of the fruit, it is better to keep in water.
• Propagation by seeds is best done in early September.
• They can keep their viability for up to a year.
• Lotus seeds germinate in warm water (not lower than 25 degrees) in the light.

All you need is attention and careful care of your seedlings in order to continue breeding water lilies.

It is important to remember that modern varieties of nymphaeum are mostly hybrid. Therefore, growing nymphs from seeds can give you a completely unique plant.

The white water lily is the most common type of nymphaeum flower.

For information on how to properly grow a nymphaeum in a pond and care for it, see the video below:

Nymphea, which is also called a water lily and a water lily, grows in tropical waters. South America and Africa, in the lakes and slow rivers of Europe and North America. Botany has 35 species of wild nymphs and dozens of breeding varieties.

The flowers of this plant are painted in white, yellowish, pale pink, cherry, peach, red. Rounded and oval heart-shaped leaves of the nymphaeum float on the surface of the water, under water there are long, lanceolate leaves.

Thick, strong stems connect the surface part with the root system. The rhizomes of the nymphaeum are powerful and branching, they hold flowers well in the muddy soil of the reservoir.

Varieties and varieties of plants with photos

Nymphaeum cultivars differ in the size of flowers and leaves, the ability to grow in water bodies different depth. They are frost-resistant and not frost-resistant. According to the size of plants, flower growers distinguish three types of nymphs - dwarf, medium and large.

Nymphea pygmy

On the packages with the planting material of the nymphaeum dwarf, the word "Pygmy" is indicated. Small varieties are grown not only in small ponds, but also in tubs, buckets and spacious bowls. The depth of the artificial reservoir is from 10 to 45-50 cm. One plant occupies an area of ​​0.5 to 1 square meter.

Pygmy, brought into the house in autumn, blooms for a long time at room temperature. The container is placed in the south room, on the sunny side. Dwarf nymphs grow small flowers with a diameter of 2.5 to 8-10 cm.

The smallest varieties are:

• Pygmaea Alba (Pygmy Alba) with white, pointed petals.
• Pygmaea Helvola (Pygmy Helvola) with delicate yellow flowers.

Larger dwarf nymphs with a corolla diameter of up to 10 cm are represented by dozens of breeding varieties and hybrids.

To this group belong:

• Aurora (Aurora) with delicate peach petals. Opened buds at the end of flowering turn orange.
• Rubra (Rubra) with bright dark red flowers.
• Laydekeri Lilacea (Laydikeri Lilacea), giving pink flowers.
• Perry's Baby Red (Paris Baby Red) with a red multilayer (terry) corolla.
• Little Sue (Little Sue), blooming in pink and red colors.

Pictured is a dwarf nymphaeum

Reference. Dwarf nymphs grow well in three-liter containers in the first year. In the second year, they should be transplanted into a larger vessel.

Nymphea medium

This group includes plants with a flower diameter of up to 20 cm. They are grown in ponds up to 40-60 cm deep. An adult nymph takes up an area of ​​​​up to 1.5 square meters. This group includes dozens of varieties with a variety of flower colors.

The most popular medium-sized varieties are:

• Gonnere (Jonnery), the flowers of which have white multi-layer pointed petals.
• Lemon Meringue (Lemon Mering), giving double flowers of delicate yellow color.
• Pink Dawn (Pink Down) with flowers of thin, lanceolate, light pink petals.
• Hidden Violet (Hayden Violet) with deep pink flowers.

In the photo, the average Nymphaeum

Nymphea large

Large nymphs have a flower diameter of up to 25 cm, they are planted at a depth of 60-65 to 120 cm. An adult flower occupies an area of ​​​​up to 2.5 square meters, so the plants are planted in ponds of sufficient area. Many large nymphs winter well in water bodies.

The following varieties of this subspecies are popular with flower growers:

• Colorado (Colorado) with bright peach-orange flowers.
• Fuchsia Pom Pom (Fuchsia Pom-Pom), giving double bright pink flowers.
• Needle (Needle) with white lanceolate petals.
• Black Princess (Black Princess) with terry crimson-red corollas.
• Wanvisa (Wanvisa) with bright red and yellow-red flowers.
• Fay McDonald (Fay McDonald) with lilac lanceolate petals.
• Mayla (Mayla), giving bright pink flowers.

In the photo, the nymphaeum is large

Nymphea after shopping in the store

Plant seedlings are sold in stores and seed departments. Nymphea is packaged in small containers filled with wet perlite or water. The instructions for the seedling say how to save the nymph before planting.

A healthy seedling has one or more dormant buds, and there are no rot spots on the root. Before planting, the root is washed with clean water to wash off the bacterial flora and pests that could multiply on the rhizome during storage.

Important. Nymphea cannot be dried; the rhizome is planted in a pond immediately after purchase.

How to plant a nymphaeum in a pond

Planting of purchased seedlings and overwintered plants is carried out in a prepared reservoir. In the spring, a dehydrated pond is cleaned of debris, last year's leaves, old silt, mud, and dead plants.

Soil and capacity

The supplier's instructions indicate the composition of the soil, the size of the container and the area occupied by an adult plant. Recommendations on the composition of the soil from amateur flower growers differ.

For planting nymphs prepare a special soil.

Here are examples of soils for nymphs from different authors:

• Two parts clay, one part sand and one part garden soil. Ready-made fertilizer for aquatic plants or a handful of bone meal is added to the ground.
• Clay (without sand), garden soil fertilized with peat and cow humus (1:1:1). Humus is placed on the bottom of the container, a mixture of clay and soil is poured on top.
• The third soil recipe: the mixture is prepared from old, burnt compost, coarse sand and garden soil (1: 1: 1).
• Some flower growers plant a nymphaeum in silt taken from nearby water bodies.

How to add bone meal to the soil so that it is not washed away by water? Simply adding the powder to the water will often cause it to bloom. To prevent this from happening, bone meal is mixed with clay, and balls are rolled from this mixture. The balls are placed on the bottom of the landing container.

Before planting, prepare pebbles or gravel in advance. This material is poured over the soil so that it does not erode.

Nymphaeums are planted in rectangular plastic boxes, baskets with a side height of 20-25 cm, in low wide bowls and in buckets. Two or three dozen holes are drilled at the bottom and in the sides of the container for water circulation.

Flower shops sell ready-made baskets for planting. They come in different volumes, from 10 to 20-30 cubic meters. dm.

Technology and subtleties of planting nymphs

Landing in an artificial reservoir is done in May, when the water begins to warm up. The first flowers will appear in July.

The pond where the nymphaeum is planted should be well lit by the sun.

When planting, the following factors are taken into account:

• Nymphaeum grow well in sunlit ponds.
• Bushes and trees should not obscure the pond, nymphs need to get sunlight 5-6 hours a day.
• About 60% of the water table should be free from plants.
• Nymphea grows poorly and almost does not bloom near fountains and waterfalls.
• The water in the pond should be stagnant or slowly flowing.

Nymphs planted too close will occupy the entire water surface. Such a pond in appearance will not differ from an ordinary flower bed.

Planting and care in the pond is a time-consuming, but not difficult process.

Planting rhizomes includes the following steps:

• In an adult nymph, a piece of root with buds (10-30 cm) is cut off.
• The slices are dipped in crushed charcoal.
• In the prepared soil (in a container), a small depression is made, a root is placed horizontally in it, sprinkled. Buds and shoots should remain above the ground.
• A layer of sand and pebbles is poured over the soil, leaving the kidneys not covered.
• A box with a seedling is placed under water in a pond. The depth of immersion of the container depends on the variety of nymphaeum.

Reference. Large, long segments of rhizomes are planted only horizontally. When planting, the underside of the root should be on the side of the soil. Short sections of roots can be planted vertically. When planting in large bodies of water, you can tie planting rhizomes to stones and throw them in the right place in the pond.

Pond plant care

In summer, nymphs do not require any special care.

Nymphea does not need any care in summer. Dead leaves, withered flowers, debris caused by the wind are periodically removed from the pond. Two or three times per season, the soil in containers can be fed with organic fertilizers. Technically, this is difficult to do, since fertilizers dissolve in water and do not nourish the soil. The granules can be rolled into the clay and the balls can be buried in the soil of the planting box.

New seedlings of large nymphs are often immersed to a shallow depth of the reservoir (15-20 cm), placing containers on bricks so that they are not sucked into the silt. As the flower grows, the container is moved from shallow water to a depth recommended by breeders for a particular variety.

Plant propagation methods

In home ponds, the nymphaeum is mainly propagated by dividing the rhizome, but growing from seeds is also possible. Under the conditions of the middle lane, cultivars are not propagated by seeds; this is done only in countries with a year-round warm climate and in home aquariums.

To obtain a planting root, the box is pulled out of the water. The rhizomes of plants are strongly branched, dormant buds are formed on them. For reproduction, any area with kidneys is cut out from the root. The resulting material is recommended to be planted immediately; if short-term storage is necessary, the segments are hermetically packed in wet paper (cloth) and polyethylene.

If the bush grows at the bottom of the pond, the nymphaeum is propagated by dividing the root system. At the base of the plant, a square of 0.2x0.2 meters is cut out with a sharp shovel and the roots are carefully removed along with the stems and leaves. If there are too many leaves, they are removed. The excavated plant is placed in a bucket of water and transported to another body of water, where it is planted in a container or in the bottom soil. Nymphaeum can be stored in a bucket for several days. Mature plants are divided and planted every 3-4 years.

Adult nymphaeum bushes are propagated by dividing the rhizome.

When propagated by seeds, planting material is collected from dried boxes. Seeds are planted in flower pots with holes in the sides. Planting depth - 0.5-1 cm. Coarse sand is poured onto the soil (but not above the seed planting site). The pot is placed in a pond or aquarium.

Diseases, pests and possible difficulties when growing in a pond

AT summer heat nymph leaves can be eaten by nymph black aphids, which suck juices from greens and petals. As a result, foliage and flowers wither and die.

The use of conventional chemicals for terrestrial plants in the pond is not recommended, as insecticides kill beneficial insects, frogs, newts, fish. The best way aphid control - watering flowers and leaves from a hose with water under pressure.

Nymphea practically does not suffer from any diseases. With a sudden change temperature regime(transfer from cold to heat and vice versa) rotting of the root system occurs in spring.

In the summer, water sometimes turns green in the pond, duckweed and cyanobacteria multiply. Hydrogen sulfide, algae and duckweed do not harm the nymph. But appearance the reservoir deteriorates, and an unpleasant smell of rotting and rotten eggs comes from the water.

If a black aphid attacked the plant, the leaves of the nymph begin to die off.

Important. If the flowering of the pond lasts more than 2 weeks, the pond needs to be cleaned. Water can be changed, filtered. To purify water, special preparations, bioadditives, antibiotics are used.

Wintering nymphs in the pond

Wintering in an artificial pond will be successful if a half-meter layer of water remains under the ice. When moderately cold winter the nymphaeum can be kept under a layer of natural insulation (by pumping water out of the pond). A layer of peat is poured at the bottom of the reservoir, on top of it - sand, sawdust and fallen leaves. After a snowfall, the pond is additionally covered with snow.

If a pond with water freezes to the bottom, safe wintering of nymphs is possible only outside the reservoir. Containers with plants are pulled out of the water, stems and leaves are cut off. For wintering, the root system, buds and nodules are left. A basket with a plant is placed in a container and filled with water so that the soil is covered. The container is covered with foil and placed in the cellar. AT winter time make sure the water doesn't evaporate.

In the video, the gardener shows how to properly plant a nymphaeum in a pond.

These lovely plants bloom in my garden all summer and early autumn. The pond is small, only 12 m2, but very decorative, especially when pink, white, red flowers bloom there nymphs. As if fabulous, they swim, reflected in the mirror of water, and can successfully compete with the best garden flowers, including roses, because it is not for nothing that nymphs are called water roses.

Origin of the nymph

Even in ancient Egypt and Greece, along with the lotus, the water lily culture was especially popular. Then the name of the mythological inhabitants of the waters, the nymphs, was given to her. Among our people, they called it a water lily, a mermaid flower, an overpowered grass, finding in it a mysterious beauty, supernatural power. The incense with its petals was taken with them on the road and worn on the chest: it was believed that it would protect from troubles.

The genus of nymphs is quite widespread. In the northern hemisphere, these plants are found from the equator to Scandinavia and Canada. In the Himalayas, water lilies rise up to 3500 m above sea level.
About 50 species are known that grow in natural conditions, and at least 100 cultivated, bred by gardeners. On the territory of the USSR, 3 types of nymphs grow: pure white, white and small. The latter is distributed up to and including the forest-tundra.
There are nymphs with flowers of white, pink, golden, red, blue, brown, sky blue and other shades, the diameter of the flowers is up to 26 cm.

Nymphaeum live in shallow lakes, ponds and quiet river backwaters. These are perennial plants with a thick creeping rhizome, numerous rope-like roots.
“Just look at our native water rose - our white water lily .., well, which of the other flowers of the Moscow region flora can compare with it, especially when it so proudly, so regally rests on the water surface among its lovely buds and a mass of floating, as if covered with wax leaves!" - the well-known Russian naturalist N. F. Zolotnitsky wrote back in 1887.

Planting a nymph in a garden pond

I planted a pure white water lily near Moscow in a pond to a depth of 0.6 m in the spring of 1074. The following year, I had large-colored hybrid garden nymphs - Rosa Arey, Eskarboukl and Sanrise, planted their rhizomes to a depth of 1 m.
The nutrient mixture was prepared from garden soil with the addition of clay, peat, rotted manure and sand and laid it in a layer of 10-16 cm, put another 1.6-2 kg of crushed fish bones on 4 m2 of soil.

Nymphaeums bloomed in the year of planting. They turned out to be unpretentious in culture, they also feel good in natural soil - silt, annually formed at the bottom of the reservoir from dying leaves and stems of plants and wind-blown dust. It grows up to 5-8 cm of viscous silt per year.
It is convenient to plant rhizomes in concrete and ceramic containers filled with earth, wicker willow baskets and then install them at the bottom of the reservoir. I had a case when the nymphs grew and bloomed all summer season in a cramped cast-iron bath installed in the garden.

Nymphaeum bloom

Starting to grow water lilies early, already in May, round-oval reddish, then dark green floating leaves up to 30 cm in diameter appear. The leaves are very decorative, even without buds the plant looks attractive. Sometimes aerial leaves also appear, which indicates the tightness in the reservoir and the need for thinning plants.

Buds appear in June, and abundant flowering soon begins. Pure white nymphea blooms for 1.5-2 months, hybrids - all summer and September, until the water in the reservoir becomes cold.
The largest nymphaeum - Eskarboukl - has wine-red flowers up to 15 cm in diameter. Nymphaeums love the sun, and at night the flowers of most species close. When rainy and inclement weather flowers do not open. The nymphs are very beautiful with juicy golden stamens in flowers.

Nymphaeum Care

Caring for nymphs in the summer comes down to maintaining a constant water level in the pond, pruning yellowed dying leaves and extra ovaries. Old leaves lose their decorative effect and, decomposing, give the water a brownish marsh hue.
Nymphaeums should not be planted near fountains and waterfalls, which constantly give a large amount of spray; water, accumulating in flowers and on leaves, spoils them ...

For 8 years of observing pests and diseases in water lilies, I did not notice. From aquatic pests, if they appear, the plants successfully rid the fish living in the pond in the summer. The annual pre-winter release of water from the pool and its cleaning are also useful. Without water, it is convenient to remove excess silt, prune overgrown rhizomes, divide them for reproduction, renew and fertilize the soil. Leaves and flower stalks are cut 3-5 cm from the rhizome and used for compost.

Wintering nymphs

During the winter, the pool is left without water. Only autumn rains fill the soil with water up to 10-15 cm before frost. Frozen water is covered with snow to the edges of the pool. Under such shelter, all rhizomes safely overwinter. Only once, left for the winter in dehydrated soil, the heat-loving nymphaeum Sunrise with golden flowers died.

A convenient way to overwinter nymphaeum outside the reservoir is to store the rhizomes in wet sand indoors at a temperature of plus 1-3 °. Reliable and overwintering in containers immersed in the bottom of non-freezing ponds, wells.

Nymphaeums breed

Nymphaeum is propagated by division of rhizomes, seeds. Rhizomes are transported, if necessary, in vessels with water or in a damp cloth, sawdust, moss. With good packaging in plastic bags, even large rhizomes could be sent to long distance by mail.

Pure white nymphea reproduces well by self-seeding. From seeds, seedlings are best grown first at home or in a greenhouse. To do this, I put a raw substrate of clay, peat and humus in a deep plate or bowl, spread the seeds on it, fill it with 3-5 cm of water and put it in a warm, bright place. After 2-8 weeks after germination, the seedlings are planted in a separate bowl and then placed in a pond to a depth of 10-20 cm in a sunny place.
Nymphs are a fertile material for an experienced grower: hybrids of various colors and shapes, with various smells, can be bred.

Reduction of the natural range of the nymphaeum

Currently natural area water lilies - nymphs decreased markedly and continues to decrease. They are ruined by their own beauty and the ignorance of some unfortunate tourists: despite the ban (the nymphaeum is listed in the Red Book), flowering plants are torn senselessly and ruthlessly. But a plucked flower withers without water after a few minutes. "Lovers" of nature, trying to pick a blossoming bud, often pull out the whole plant. The rhizome of a water lily is lighter than water, therefore, pulled out of the ground, it floats on the surface, rots and dies.

This wonderful creation of nature must not be allowed to disappear. It is necessary not only to preserve it, but also to restore the former area, to introduce it into the assortment of flowers in our parks, squares, and gardens.
Who will have to visit the vicinity of Zvenigorod or Mozhaisk, take a closer look at the reservoirs, are the white lights of water lily nymphs "burning" there? Five or six years ago, while on hikes, I scattered hundreds of mature nymph seeds into many reservoirs.

Based on the materials of the journal "Plant Farming", A. Moiseev, Corresponding Member of the MOIP, 1984