FUNDAMENTALS OF 
WATER LILY CULTURE 
By 
L. HELEN FOWLER 
N O flowers are easier 
to grow than Water 
Lilies and water plants. 
None equal them in variety of 
color and perfume. All these 
beautiful sturdy plants need is 
good rich soil, sunshine, a lit¬ 
tle fertilizer now and then, and a quiet water pool that need not be large or 
expensive. Locate your water garden in the open sunshine. Water lilies do 
not thrive in excessive shade. Any size pool will do, and is easy to build by 
following instructions on pages 4 and 5. 
In artificial pools the easiest way to plant is in a wooden box. This makes it 
easy to remove your lilies from the pool to transplant or fertilize. Make boxes 
about 2'-0" square by I'-O" high. Fill with rich soil, properly fertilized, to 
within one inch of the top. Plant one lily in each, fill the remainder with sand 
to prevent the soil from washing away and discoloring the water and the fish 
from digging around the roots. 
Remember water lilies should be planted so there is never more than from 9" 
to 12" of water above the crown of the plant. When well established they 
may run to much deeper water. When box-planting measure the water above 
the top of the box. Plant marginal plants and sub-aquatics with only their 
roots under water, and when used in artificial pools, plant in boxes not more 
than 6" deep, raised almost to the surface, by mounting on bricks. 
The best fertilizer is well rotted cow manure; mix with the soil in the usual 
proportions. Vigoro, a prepared fertilizer, is very good. Use 1 lb. to a bushel 
of soil. For established plants, use four heaping teaspoonfuls to each plant, 
well mixed with the soil around the roots. 
Hardy lilies and fish do better if left in the pool all winter, provided you live 
where no more than \0" of ice forms. In a colder climate store your plants 
in their boxes in a cool cellar. Keep the soil only slightly damp and not too 
warm or the roots may sprout. Lilies and water plants naturally lie dormant 
all winter. If it is impractical to remove the plants, drain the water and cover 
the roots with straw and leaves to prevent freezing. 
In any Water Garden a few fish are necessary to eradicate the larvae of the 
mosquito, and the bright colored fish darting about among the flowers adds 
enchantment, beauty and interest to your pool. 
THEW B. SHAW AQUATIC GARDENS 
KENILWORTH, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Six 
