Returned to Water Lily after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Water Lily failed — blanketweed algae competing for nutrients in established ponds got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to removing dying foliage in autumn before it rots and reduces water quality, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a formal ornamental pond with clear water and reflections and extraordinary flower forms rising above or floating on the water is on full display. peak flowering period in midsummer this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.