Author Topic: Nymphaea gigantea - Pretty as a watercolor painting (Read 2824 times)

Timgod · « **on:** August 04, 2007, 03:39:10 PM »

Here are some pictures of my Nymphaea gigantea's in bloom over the last few weeks.

I love this lily. I hope you like the pix.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #1 on:** August 04, 2007, 03:40:02 PM »

Here are a few more pix.

Tim

small fish · « **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2007, 03:48:53 PM »

Oh, Tim ... how different, how neat .. it is breathtaking.. you are the man of the lilies..

Myra

Timgod · « **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2007, 04:01:44 PM »

Thanks for the compliment Myra.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2007, 04:21:12 PM »

I was still resizing a few pix so here are a few more.

Tim

Kat · « **Reply #5 on:** August 05, 2007, 04:14:41 AM »

Gorgeous ... if you've ever got extra of that one you want to let go, please give me a holler

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #6 on:** August 05, 2007, 10:47:43 AM »

Beautiful color and shape. I love blues and this one is gorgeous with the fade to light! Thank you for sharing this beauty!

Timgod · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2007, 04:46:52 AM »

That's why I like this one miguynmkoi. It is so deep and rich in color but that change to white makes it appear even more so.
Kat, I had to baby these all winter and spring. They really need lots off heat. Even in Houston, they have only taken off in the last few months.
If I get them to propagate later I'll let you know but last year, neither one made babies.

Tim

Kat · « **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2007, 07:38:19 AM »

Thanks for keeping me in mind Tim. Craig had sent me N. violacea a long time ago. For 5 years it tubered every winter & came back in the summer. A couple years ago it didn't tuber & I haven't had an Aussie lily in my pond since. I miss seeing the unusual blooms. Good to see pics of yours

rdrboone · « **Reply #9 on:** August 06, 2007, 07:39:40 AM »

Tim, Your lily is absolutely beautiful.

With regards to it's needing lots of heat to develop, I wonder if the heater planter, 'Theroplanter', would work? I have been using one this summer with my night blooming 'Trudy Slocum' and it is practically growing out of it's 150 gal tub and I have anywhere from one to two blooms open every night. My climate is very cool in the summer, with highs of 75 +/- F. and lows at night of low 50's to mid 60's.

Thanks for the wonderful photos.
Ruth

Ky Kim · « **Reply #10 on:** August 07, 2007, 12:55:06 PM »

Words don't describe the beauty of that lily or your pix. Elegant and sophisticated with the way the coloring does from lights to dark.

You have a beautiful collection of lily's, and I always enjoy looking at your photos.

Kim

Timgod · « **Reply #11 on:** August 07, 2007, 07:44:43 PM »

Thanks so much for the compliment Kim.

Ruth, I've never heard of a thermoplanter before now. It sounds like a neat idea but I would have to spend a fortune and then choose which lilies to give the royal treatment to.
At $45.00 each it might get expensive quick.
Did you place the metal lid back on top as is illustrated in the spec pictures or leave it off?
If so, how would the plate restrict the growth of offshoots or tubers?
Does the heat given off affect the growth of nearby lilies in a positive fashion or is it just the plant in the container?
If it is a great product, I could possibly see trying it for the victoria or the aussies.
How many do you have in use? Did you have to set up another electrical circuit?

Tim

rdrboone · « **Reply #12 on:** August 07, 2007, 08:32:56 PM »

Tim,
I saw the thermoplanter in the Drs. Foster & Smith Pond Catalog last spring. I bought it for $31.00. I wanted to try it so I could have a tropical night bloomer 'Trudy Slocum' like I grew in FL. It is in a 150 gal. Rubbermaid pond and really seems to be working well. Our normal temps, here in the mountains, in the summer are mid 70's in the day and low 50's to mid 60's at night. 'Trudy Slocum' is practically growing out the 150 gal. pond. I don't have any other lilies in this pond, because 'Trudy Slocum' is so large. I do have the usual parrotfeather, elodea, water lettuce and water hyacinths. Also, have 5 small gold fish and a resident frog.

The lid that you asked about, is not metal, but a thin sheet of plastic insulation material. I, also, wondered if the lily would grow through the hole in this cover, but it certainly did. I have had from 1 to 2 blooms everynight for almost two weeks now. I trimmed off 10 leaves today and the pond is still full of leaves.

I only have the one planter and it runs off of the same electrical source as my pond pump. I haven't noticed any appreciable increase in the electric bill.

I have attached a photo of the 'Trudy Slocum' pond.

Ruth

jclements · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2007, 08:33:56 PM »

Lovely! I remember drooling over one at Rich Sacher's in New Orleans. It wasn't for sale, but he did sell me an Andre Leu. Too bad it died after a raccoon attack or cold weather.

I second what Kat said!

maryvonne · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2007, 09:04:55 PM »

Hi Tim,
That's one very gorgeous lily. Your photos are wonderful. I would love to have one too but our climate isn't suitable at all. It would have to live in the greenhouse all summer and in the house in the winter. We are however planning to build a new home with an attached conservatory so maybe then I would be able to have one too.
I really enjoy viewing your wonderful photos and envy your climate.

Maryvonne

Timgod · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2007, 09:27:32 PM »

If you get to grow it I think you'll be happy. So good luck on the conservatory plans.

Jessica, You had an Andre Leu you seem to have the luck of getting a lot of good ones even if nature conspires against you... I haven't been able to get one of those or the immutabilis. I need to get on your good side so you can help me get some of the rare and hard to find.

Tim

Jonna · « **Reply #16 on:** August 08, 2007, 12:53:18 AM »

I love the blue of that Nymphaea, gorgeous. Maybe when I get my pond done at the house in the Yucatan you can keep me in mind if you have any extras, it should like that weather.

What do you guys mean by "the Aussies"? Are they bred in Australia and need warmer weather?

jclements · « **Reply #17 on:** August 08, 2007, 12:13:17 PM »

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t137/jclements16/watergardening/andreleu2.jpg

That is one of the few photos I have of it. I was lucky enough to receive lilies from Craig a few years ago and to visit some shops that carried hard to find items. Fortunately we have people like Tammie, enzo, Kat, etc. that are sharing exciting choices with all of us. I'm not special, just lucky!

Timgod · « **Reply #18 on:** August 08, 2007, 12:33:59 PM »

Jessica... that's beautiful.

Jonna, they are a species lily that God created in Australia... hence the term aussies.
Definitely need hot weather to do worth a darn.

Tim

Kat · « **Reply #19 on:** August 08, 2007, 03:33:42 PM »

I've been thinking about using a Thermoplanter if I got another Aussie again. I received some tubers for a pink Aussie last year & they just didn't thrive. I would think the extra heat would have helped a lot.

Vickie · « **Reply #20 on:** August 30, 2007, 05:23:25 PM »

I am considering that too. I am zone 6 and cannot believe I got my immutabilis to grow and bloom without a greenhouse in this zone. Next year might be a different story.

emm · « **Reply #21 on:** September 09, 2007, 06:06:54 AM »

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Tim. emm