Introducing Five of My Favorite Waterlilies

One of the many joys of pond ownership is creating a water garden filled with waterlilies. As an avid gardener, I plant a variety of annual and perennial flowers. But my favorite flowers are those that bob on the surface of the water. Having a pond expands your choice of plants tremendously and today I’m sharing some of my favorite waterlilies.

There are literally hundreds of waterlilies from which to choose, and new ones are created by hybridizers every year. Some of these new varieties make it to market, others don’t. It’s really up to the creator to decide the new flower’s future.

Detective Erika (Nymphaea ‘Detective Erika’)

This stunning purple waterlily is a favorite among many water gardeners, including myself. Its rich color and prolific blooming habit make it a popular choice at garden centers. Detective Erika is a hybrid between a hardy waterlily and a tropical waterlily, which means it has the stunning appearance of a tropical lily with the endurance of a hardy lily. A hardy lily comes back every year, just like your perennial flowers.

 

Here it is in my pond last summer. I’ve never had a waterlily bloom as much as this one, although my Paranee (coming up next) runs a close second.

 

Paranee (Nymphaea ‘Paranee’)

If you want a cheery yellow bloomer in your water garden, look no further than the beautiful Paranee. This yellow hardy waterlily with pink accents was hybridized by Miss Paranee Ampornsiri of Thailand and won an award in 2018. Each bloom is a little different. Some of the flowers have more pink than others, which makes it exciting to see what coloration you’re going to get next.

 

 

Antares (Nymphaea ‘Antares’)

What a stunning lily the Antares is, which makes it obvious why it’s one of my favorite waterlilies. Antares is a night-blooming tropical waterlily. It starts to open around 3:00 pm and closes around 10:00 am, depending on how sunny it is. And yes, it stays open all night long. The advantage of having a night-bloomer is that you get to enjoy it during the coolest parts of the summer day – early in the morning and later in the afternoon. And if you work during the day, you’ll get to see it when you get home, whereas the day blooming lilies will be starting to close.

 

Tropical waterlilies should be treated like annuals, meaning you replace them every year (unless you live in a tropical climate). Tropical lilies raise their heads higher above the water than hardy lilies, and they also have lily pads with serrated edges, which you can see in the photo below. The leaves with smooth edges are from another lily in the pond.

 

Here’s Antares at night, just to prove that it does bloom when it’s dark out! Pretty amazing, don’t you think? I’ll have to write a post with photos showing my water garden in the evening. It has a different ambiance with the pond lights on.

 

Madame Wilfron Gonnere (Nymphaea ‘Madame Wilfron Gonnere’)

This is the first waterlily I ever added to my pond, and it’s still a favorite today. I love its sweet, pale pink petals and its blooming reliability. She doesn’t bloom as much as Detective Erika, but she flowers consistently. Every time I see a new waterlily bud on the water, I get excited all over again. I don’t feel the same way about my daisies or coneflowers. There’s just something special about favorite waterlilies.

 

Here’s another view of this beauty with a Violicious waterlily in the background. I didn’t include Violicious on this list of favorite waterlilies because it can be a bit finicky in how it blooms. But when you fertilize it properly, it can put on quite the show.

 

Fay McDonald (Nymphaea ‘Turtle Island Fay McDonald’)

Fay McDonald is another purple lily, slightly lighter in color than Detective Erika. This is another waterlily that’s a cross between a hardy and tropical lily, which means it performs like a tropical but has the resilience of a hardy waterlily. Its orange center can appear to be glowing when the sun hits it just right.

 

A little friend came to visit and admire the waterlilies in my pond.

 

I’m anxiously awaiting warmer days so I can enjoy my pond again – along with all its beauty! If you’ve ever considered getting your own pond, you can find a certified installer near you using this online locator.