HOW TO GROW WATER LILIES SUCCESSFULLY 
ID you know that water lilies succeed 
almost equally well in every state in 
the Union? Few garden plants thrive 
East or West, North or South in every type of 
soil or climate as do these gorgeous blossoms 
that everyone may easily grow in their pool. 
Water lilies are so easily grown, 
even by those who have had no pre¬ 
vious experience, that following these 
simple directions will make your pool 
a most interesting part of your gar¬ 
den. In fact, water lilies are easier 
to grow than the commoner garden 
plants. The actual care of 
the pool may be stated in 
a single line. (Keep the 
water level fairly constant 
and the pool clean.) It is 
not necessary to drain the 
pool at all during the grow¬ 
ing season, simply 
adding water to re¬ 
place evaporation. 
I hav e tri ed to 
answer your ques¬ 
tions fully. 
v 
% 
New Pools. 
The most im¬ 
portant thing 
is to have 
the pool 
about 24 in¬ 
ches deep. 
This will allow for 
one foot of water and 
one foot of soil, giv¬ 
ing the best average 
results. However, the 
plants will thrive lux¬ 
uriantly where the 
water is only 6 inches deep 
or up to 24 inches. 
Soil. Any garden loam is all 
right. They particularly enjoy 
a heavy loam such as roses 
thrive in. Do not use leaf 
mold, swamp muck or sand. 
Fertilizers. Cow manure is good. Use 
one shovelful to four of soil. Commer¬ 
cial fertilizers or sheep manure are 
particularly recommended. Their use 
will insure a thrifty, luxuriant growth. 
Use one pint to each bushel and a half of soil. 
Mix all fertilizer well with the soil. 
Boxes. We recommend the use of boxes. They 
should be at least 15 inches square and 12 in¬ 
ches deep. Boxes 18 to 24 inches square give 
better flowers. Make them of pine wood and 
they will last 20 years. Remember, the larger 
the box the more and finer the flowers. 
Lotus. These are shipped as dormant tubers. When re¬ 
ceived they look like bananas strung end to end. In 
unpacking them be careful not to break them. Plant 
them horizontally or flat (never put them in upright) cov¬ 
ering them with one or two inches of soil. The box in 
which they are planted should be sunk so there is 5 or 6 inches of 
water over the top. When they become established they may be 
lowered if necessary into water a foot deep. Use a rich heavy 
soil for best results. They should not be planted too early in the 
season if the weather is cold. 
HOW TO BUILD A WATER LILY POOL 
If you have not built your pool this little booklet will 
be of great help to you. Many pools that have been built 
by our customers are illustrated which will grive you a 
general idea of the various types. Detail drawings show¬ 
ing how a pool is built as well as instructions on how 
to mix the concrete, finish the surface, put in drainage pipes and 
other useful data are included. BOOKLET SENT FOR 5c. 
Be Sure and Read 
These Instructions 
Carefully Before 
Writing Me. 
Charming Rustic Hollywood Retreat, Planted 
with Johnson Water Garden’s Lilies. 
JOMNSO* 
SOME EASY WAYS TO BUILD A POOL 
The Irregular Pool. First mark on the ground the exact shape of the pool, then excavate to a 
depth of 30 inches. The walls cannot be straight up and down but should be about 45° for the 
cement to stick on. The floor should be flat, not bowl-shaped or it will be hard to place boxes 
without tipping. Smooth the floor and walls and wet down thoroughly. Reinforcing is desirable for per¬ 
manent pools, but not absolutely necessary. Use heavy wire fencing, laying it on the ground and lapping 
the edges. As the concrete is poured pull the fencing up toward the middle. Tamp the concrete thoroughly 
and smooth off with the back of your shovel. After the concrete has set a day it should be water-proofed 
by painting it with pure cement mixed with water to the consistency of thin cream. Where heavy freezing 
is expected a wall 6" thick is recommended but the floor may be much less—two or three inches. 
A Water Proof Clay Pool. A pool in clay soil may be made by excavating to 24 inches and tamping and 
puddling the floor and walls thoroughly. These make inexpensive and perfectly satisfactory pools. Add a 
layer of rich soil 8" to 12" deep for the lilies to grow in. 
Winter CARE of the Tub 
Garden. Empty the water 
out, then fill the tub full of 
leaves or straw, covering the 
tub closely with boards to 
keep out the rain. Cover all 
over thoroughly with litter 
for further protection. 
Winter Care of Goldfish. 
Common goldfish are hardy 
in natural pools or where 
the pool is covered. Be sure 
and break the ice frequently 
to keep the water fresh. It 
is best in small pools to re¬ 
move fish to basement, keep¬ 
ing them in tubs. 
Pests. Plant lice or aphis 
which sometimes attack the 
leaves should be immediately 
hosed off, when the fish will 
eat them. Mosquitos are al¬ 
ways kept completely in 
check by goldfish or any 
other fish. (There will be no 
mosquitos where there are 
goldfish.) 
How Far Apart? A pool 4 by 6 feet will accommodate three or four lilies as 
well as Water Poppies, Water Hawthorne, Arrowheads, Water Hyacinths or 
equivalent plants. A pool 10 feet in diameter will accommodate six to ten 
lilies and also a number of other aquatic plants. 
Planting. It is well to fill the pool before planting. After planting, 
the boxes or pails may be easily set in the water. If the boxes are 
too large to move it is easy to set the plants beneath the water. In 
planting simply scoop a small hole out and plant the roots hori¬ 
zontally and not upright, with the growing end just flush with the 
surface. It is not necessary to cover the box with gravel unless 
there are large goldfish present. Large goldfish are a 
nuisance as they eat the roots of lilies and keep the water 
riled and dirty. 
Tropical Water Lilies. These should be planted upright as 
they are shipped as growing, potted plants. Just cover the 
ball with soil. Do not allow the leaves to wither or the 
plant will be severly checked. Fill pool before planting. 
When to Plant. Hardy water lilies may be planted 
from February on in the Southern and Pacific Coast 
States. In the Middle West and East April is early 
enough. In the Northern States April 15th gives 
plenty of time. Planting may be continued through¬ 
out the late spring and summer with great success. 
In mild climates Hardy Lilies may be 
planted almost the year around. Tropical 
Lilies should not be planted until the wea¬ 
ther is settled and warm with an average 
temperature of 70°. May in warm regions 
and late May or early June farther north. 
Winter Care. Hardy Lilies grow wild 
in cold northern regions and need no 
protection other than from direct freez¬ 
ing of the roots. Where the water is 
deep enough not to freeze below the 
roots they will come through unharmed. 
Since dry rot is the worst enemy of 
stored plants in the winter it is best to 
leave them in the pool under natural 
conditions. Cover the pool well 
with boards then apply a thick 
covering of leaves or straw 
and the water will not freeze 
deeply or crack the cement. 
This is the ideal way to win¬ 
ter hardy aquatics and gold¬ 
fish. If the pool must be 
drained the lilies should be 
removed to a cold 
cellar or placed in 
a deep trench and 
well covered, keep¬ 
ing moist at all 
times. Tropical 
Lilies are hardy 
only where oranges 
may be grown. 
MIXING CONCRETE 
A simple and satisfactory 
concrete mixture for pools is 
1 shovelful of cement, 2 of 
sand, 3 of pea gravel. Mix 
it together thoroughly 2 or 3 
times while dry, then mix thoroughly 
while turning over with water to a 
pasty mixture that will spread easily. 
Always tamp concrete well so there 
will be no porous spots to leak. 
MAY I HELP YOU? 
While I have tried throughout the 
catalog to answer every ordinary question con¬ 
cerning the growing of water lilies. I am always 
glad to help with information on any points not 
clear. Before writing read over carefully the 
various informational sections of this catalog and 
most questions will be found to have been an¬ 
swered at some length. If you have any special 
problems please feel free to write me and I will 
do my best to advise you. 
— 2 — 
Copyright 1935, Harry Johnson 
