Started Water Lily at the wrong time — lessons learned

I planted Water Lily at entirely the wrong point in the growing calendar and spent the first few months wondering what I'd done wrong. blanketweed algae competing for nutrients in established ponds didn't help matters. Once I understood removing dying foliage in autumn before it rots and reduces water quality things improved substantially.

cooling visual effect and microclimate benefit in summer is what makes this plant worth persisting with. In a stream edge or bog garden it finally looks as good as I'd imagined. peak flowering period in midsummer redeemed the whole effort. If you're starting out: do your timing research before you plant.