Pond Plants at Wal Mart? Has anyone tried these??

[El Jefe]

 I was standing in line at WaMart here in my home town and I see a display rack that is labeled "Water Garden" and it has lots of colorful water lilies and white Calla Lillies and Iris's. even mini cattails. The whole plant is packaged up nicely and it is guaranteed to grow. They had several colors of water lily, some of the same plants that I just paid $25.00 apiece for, same species, everything, and know what they cost? $5.49 , that is it! I am going to get a few and start them off, maybe take some pictures and make a project thread out of this so you can follow along too. If this works out I can have a pond full of 7 different varieties and colors of Waterlilies for a fraction of what I paid just a few months ago. With all the Wal Marts in the US I would think some of you have seen these as well. Anyone had any experience with these plants?
    Here is a picture of the Display at Wal Mart, Like I said I am going to try a couple out. I have got to say it appears that WalMart has latched onto a niche!

[MikeW]

Hey Boss Man -

Do not reward bad behavior! Shop elsewhere for your pond stuff

First, they put the local guys out of business because they have the power to rape Indonesian youths, then they reward a failing CEO with an odd 20 million dollar package to, in effect, fire him.

The current Home Depot - as much as I have shopped there - is the death knell of America, (Walmart is too). Every job that is shipped overseas, to make our daily lives cheaper, is another person who won't be able to afford be shop locally, and I for one am sick and tired of "Oh my golly goshness, I am so so sorry this has happened, my name is Phil, How in all humble servitute can I fix things?" to find out they don't speak American (or British - and I speak both). Shop elsewhere.

Now, in the short term - boycott those self service check out stations at HD. Preserve an American job. Yes I am biased. First time I tried to use this "more efficient" way of doing things, lights flashed, sirens rang, and not only was I treated as a criminal, but in public, I was shouting at an inanimate object .

My humble opinion.

Mike

[CoolShades]

Hey Mike:

 Why don't you tell us how you feel?!!! :

El jefe:

In general these lilies are small and it will take a season until they are full and blooming.  However, these are also very common lilies without the best attributes.  I agree with Mike to support your local water garden nursery, yes they are more expensive, but you also get a plant fully grown out with a choice of better hybrids.  just as in orchids you can get cheap ones at the big box stores the better hybrids still get the value due to desirable characteristics.  The bottom line is you get what you pay for.

Gary

[PondmaninAL]

Time to heat things up.

If you are a beginner and never had a water lily before, then buy them. I have bought them and been very successful with them, until the China Marks moth. I still have most of them which have been sprayed all Summer and Fall to save them. At our local Wal-Mart, they are selling a set of three plants in a box. I bought a set while I was there getting groceries yesterday. I checked each box to make sure that the plants would make it.

Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Home Depot are the only places to get hardy water lilies locally. All the pond shops sell tropicals. My favorite pond shop had hardly any plants the last time that I was there.

Make your own choices in life. That way, the only one to mislead you, is you.

Happy ponding,
Scott

[Koi Boi]

When after one buys all the pond equipment, plants, and fish on the cheap at Lowes, Walmart, and Home Depot, a year or two passes and the need for qualified, really reliable information arises, does one get it at the places one bought the stuff or from the guy that sells the $25.00 lilies?   In most cases, hard earned, reliable information is not available at Lowes, Walmart, or Home Depot.   

The seasoned patron that pays the price knows that good information cannot be found at those other places at ANY price!

[Sean]

Why on earth are they selling those now? They will surely die at this time of year if placed outside now.

I did see in your photo that they have Colorado. If you can get Colorado for under $6.00 retail, it's worth it but not at the expense of the plant dieing between now and spring when they should be purchased and planted out.

If the plant material is fresh, there is no harm in planting it, but don't get it if you cannot pot it up properly and have it outside or you are just burning money.

Cheers,
Sean

[SheilaJ]

About five years ago when I was just starting ponding, I bought a similar pack at Walmart with a pygmaea rubra lily, dwarf cattails, and arrowhead. The rubra puts out lots of leaves but not many flowers and they tend to melt in the heat. The cattails never even sprouted (shared this on the pond forum with many people - I don't think ANYONE'S cattails sprouted). The arrowhead has been durable and hung around for five years but I have yet to see a flower.

The plants I have bought since then from quality nurseries are much better (except for the one that sold me a bag of azolla infested with aphids - eww! I don't buy plants there any more, ever!)

Similar experience with the occasional houseplant or garden plant from Walmart. The quality just doesn't match up. Yes, they are cheap.

A year or so ago, my family chose to avoid Walmart because of the way they treat their labor force. We only go there rarely for the occasional item that can't be found elsewhere.

Now, my Lowe's has lovely indoor plants, and their water plants don't look bad although I've never bought one there. My Home Depot's plants I wouldn't take for free, they're that hideous. I understand this varies a lot from store to store though depending on the manager/staff in the garden area.

[tinkster]

I bought of all the same ones from walmart last year. I hate to be the oddball but mine did great and bloomed there heads off and each one was the color it was suppose to be.  I have even devided and shared a few of the lillies.  The iris did good the cattail did not.  .. the one problem I did have was I sunk the lilly in that little mess bag until it was warm enuff to plant them in their pots, I also bought them very early in the season.... and well the picture says below. If you do decide to go with them be wary of the bags!

Tinkster

[Shawn]

I live in the same area as Tink and had the same results. Cat tails did not bloom until a year later, after I had given up on them... Really was odd... Everything else had not a single problem with and prolific bloomers. I wish we did have a local water garden, but none to be seen around here... Would be hard for me to pay a lot of money for them as well. If possible, always good to trade with other members... :-)

[tinkster]

HOwdy there shawn!  Cant keep up with you anymore

Dont know if your gonna need any plants this year but ... knock on wood.. if I didnt manage to kill all the lotus but transplanting so many times this fall, I should have a tons of them if ya wants some.. also have the green ??? vining thing that looks like a pine tree?? cant remember the name.. its rampant in my pond and hasnt even bothered to die back but veyr pretty.  Looks great trailling down pots also and mixed in with the lotus.    I will also have tons of lillies..gave a bunch away on here last year and took alot down to the new petland.. he loves to see me coming with lillies and fishies


Take care!

tink

[Jerry]

Well said Mikew, we concur.

"Buying plants right off this site is a good way to go,  The sellers and traders have been 99% reliable in delivery as well as plant quality.  The prices are excellent too.

After the freeze we just had, I will be buying!

[andrew davis]

If you can examine the roots of plants in a store and see neat new roots starting, that is a good sign.

Sniff the plant, does it have a sickly pungent odour? Put it down. Go disinfect your hands with bleach

Is it a dry stick in the box? Put it down

Does the store have a name like Walmarts? Drive go immediatelly to Lowes, their buyers seem to bother to pick out good stuff.

Piccy, photo of an iris out of the box on the left (took a while to find a live one, opened a lot of packs)

On the right, live plants that were sent from an ebay seller (similar price to the box plant)

Regards, andy
http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html

[El Jefe]

Wow Lots of great input, Thanks for that!  Unfortunately the Lowes and the Home depots here in Tallahassee have all stopped carrying Water plants. The local nurseries carry a very limited water garden and are hesitant to order more. What they have tends to be very pricey. I have ordered off of the Internet only to be sorely dissappointed when the plants come in. I only really trust 3 out of the 10 I have dealt with and of those I use Lily Blooms http://www.lilyblooms.com/ and the Water Garden http://www.watergarden.org/s.nl/sc.2/.f They carry a huge variety and their customer service is first rate. I used Direct Gardening (won't bother with a link , trust me you don't want to go there) and the plants I received were aweful. Neither the originals nor the replacements (which took over 6 months of pestering) bloomed or even attempted to sprout. I try and shop the local nurseries first then I go and look at home and garden centers, If I cannot find it and I cannot convince them to carry it what is a guy to do? I have a large pond that I am trying to transform You can view this thread to see how far I have gotten ( http://www.aquascapeinc.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=7476 ) It will get very expensive at 25 dollars per plant. If the local nurseries would carry Water garden Plants at a reasonable cost I would gladly go there first to support the locally owned businesses. I would rather look and inspect what I buying than take the chance of buying something unhealthy and having to deal long distance with some anal retentive customer service department.
      Sean they did indeed have Colorado as well as many others, Sulphurea (Yellow), Attraction (red), Colorado (pink), Sioux (red), Fabiola (Pink) and James Brydon (Red). White Calla Lillies Mini cattails, Black Gamecock Iris etc.  I was thinking of purchasing some and put them into an Aquarium with the water temp set at 75 degrees. I have a set of grow lights so I could get a jump on the growth process. Thoughts?? Ideas??

Thanks, Andy

[Sean]

I brought hardy waterlilies indoors under metal halide lights a few years back and they certainly met their demise. Tropical lilies do well indoors but not hardies.

Most of the varieties you mention that they have are not great by any means. Most will get sprawly and not bloom much. If the Colorado is the real McCoy then you know you will have a great plant.

As for the marginals, you might do alright with them indoors but still think you would have more trouble than success.

I would suggest looking to the Truly Named certified growers. You can find a list of them at http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/
Many of the certified growers are members at this very forum.

I wish you best of luck with whatever decision you have. One or two plants from Walmart couldnt hurt but I certainly wouldn't guarantee they will survive until spring when it is safe to place them in your pond.

Cheers,
Sean

[Desertponder]

I admit to buying one of these last year. I think it was the pygmy rubra. It wasn't pygmy rubra when it bloomed. It did well and it is a pretty red lily but not pygmy rubra. When my Walmart got these in last year they had not made the trip very well. Most of them were badly frozen and in poor shape. People quickly sorted through the ones that were still alive and the rest sat there dead for the rest of the summer.
 
If you want to try them, go for it but be sure and repot them first. If you want true to name lilies though I would buy/trade from other ponders or online sites. Odds are not always good that these Walmart lilies will be the lily they are labeled.

[El Jefe]

I think I will give one or two a try (starting with the Colorados' Thanks Sean..... Will keep you posted with what I experience. Did you get a look at my pond project? It has been a true labor of love. Here are some mor oics on my Photosite,  http://www.azimmerman6.photosite.com/Pond_life/ Leave a note in the guest book on what you think. Have a great day! Andy

[gander]

I have bought these before and not always had bad luck with them. I bought one of those kits and everything in it lived. I have bought some that did not. This year I am going to get rid of most of my hardies and just go with the tropicals. I have got to down size.

[CT]

Andy,
  There are quite a few sellers that offer good deals in the springtime in our trader forum. I've gotten some really nice plants from them. I got my first waterlily from Walmart, Attraction. It did well but the second one was not as advertised, a totally different color. They were both tiny plants and not even comparable to what I got from the folks on this site. The Walmart bog plants were pitiful and they weren't worth my time to mess with them.
Kay

[Esther]

I have received many of my lilies and marginals for nothing or shipping or exchange from forum friends.

[El Jefe]

Well I decided to try a couple.    Two Colorados and a James Brydon, Only time will tell, The plants appeared to be healthy so that is a good start. Now I  just need to get them into baskets. I like the responsse I am getting here so I think I will stick around awhile. I will let you know how the experiment works out, Now that you have seen my pond (link above) care to suggest marginals for the edges? 

[CT]

Glad you are sticking around  I'll be interested in watching your Walmart experiment .  Suggestions for marginals..Thalia geniculata 'red stem' ..it has pretty color, blooms and adds height. Colocasia esculenta 'illustris' is a nice taro to add color and pattern.
Kay

[stacig]

i just bought the kit with the 2 lilles and the cattail.put them in the pond they seem to be doing well.

[Joyce]

I don't think it's the problem with the aquatic nursery that supplies them to Walmart.
I think it's what Walmart does to them once they have them.
They do not water ANYTHING, and sometimes it takes them over a week to take anything out of the shipping cartons, stuffed back in the dark storage rooms, and by the time someone gets to unpacking them, they are dead, dried out to a crisp or moldy.
ANYTHING will get moldy if left in a dark room for a few days, especially if it is damp or wet. FACT: Mold spores are everywhere, on everything...just waiting for the right conditions to 'bloom'. And that being: Dark, moist room temps.
I saw the same crate of plants (tropicals ) unopened at our WM for over 2 weeks.
Then they finally unpacked them and put them outside in broad daylight.
They were toast by the end of the day.

Then again, apparently from what I read here, seems like some people look at plants and they turn to mush.

I believe if you have a negative attitude to begin with, and you've made your mind up with prejudice,
the plants wont do well if your treat them like they're dead already.

[CT]

But Joyce, if you can't even find the tiny sliver you're sure is in that cattail package it's hard to grow it. I really did try to grow that invisible cattail 

[frloplady]

There are so many on the ponding boards I'd much rather buy from, trade with (like I have much of anything to trade ) and do business with than with Walmart.  Not like at 23 degrees outside, 38 degree pond (and that is under a greenhouse cover) that I can do anything with any kind of water plant right now!

[Joyce]

Kay, I also think WM customers poke into the packages, have seen them do it.
Plants get 'removed' and 'liberated', or in the process, lost or damaged.

Yup, I'd rather trade too, with 'tried and true' reliable traders, like Craig, John Johns, Jerry,
and all my other trade friends, you know who you are.
I steer clear of the braggarts and buffoons. 

[El Jefe]

Now that I know this is an option (Trading and Such) I would prefer that as well. Someone who you know and can vouch for the health of the plant is almost as good as doing it yourself. I have received some gorgeous plants strong and vibrant from some of the better retailers online, And from others not so much. I am of the opinion that if you look carefully before you buy, do some inspection like andrew suggested then you will do well wherever you buy. I know the Marsh Marigolds I purchased 3 times last year all died or were dead before they even had a chance, as were the Arum Lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) All were planted upon arrival, all had their locations pre-prepared with good soil and fertilizer etc. Alas I was at the Nurseries mercy it was hit and miss and now there are only a few I will order from. I have had a great deal of difficulty finding water garden anything around here so I was kinda excited at the prospects. Now I am not so sure but it is all worth a try, I have lost more money with so called reputable nurseries than the money I am spending on this little experiment......

[Teresa]

Gotta add my two cents worth here . . . . .

I have to admit that I've stooped to buying those lilies at Lowes and Home Depot - I don't pretend to be good at growing them.  Most of the ones that I've bought have died, but the few that survived were not what I thought I was buying.  Buy a colorado and get one puny white flower . . . . or a helvola and end up with a gigantic plant with pink undersides to the leaves - that never ever blooms.

I'd skip the cheapies, wait a month or two and then see who you can trade with here.  There are a lot of kind and generous folks here who will trade for things other than lilies and water plants . . . . try land plants or whatever the product of your hobby is (I've knitted for lilies before) or just something you can get easily that others may not find so readily.

Or, you can buy from someone like Tammie in Hawaii who has lilies year round . . . .

[Ky Kim]

I started out buying these when I first got into ponding years ago.  Its one of those things if I knew then, what I knew now.  But all in all, I can't complain.  They did bloom and help me out in the first couple years.  I do still have the mini cattails, which, I have devided and devided and devided.  I even sat them outside the pond one winter, and that didn't even kill them... 

I would much rather have plants I get from fellow ponders, but like I said.  I did buy something similar like them in my early ponding years.

Kim

[andrew davis]

El Jefe,

Your Marsh Marigold may have been killed by the position you planted them in. Fair chance the pack did not tell you that plant is not very heat tolerant, a hot sunny position over 80°f is likely to kill that one.

Your Calla was a plant subject to the same sort of rot that kills waterlilies and lotus. If it came infected and rotted in your pond, your pond is likely to be contaminated with a fungus which will continue to destroy future plantings of calla, waterlily and lotus slowly but surely.

Plants raised on ridges, ploughed ground from China seem to be particularly susceptible to that

You have been provided with some innaccurate information in another post. Healthy tubers, rhisomes of waterlilies, iris packed in good conditions store very reliable for the Winter in slightly damp conditions (diseased plants don't)

By Spring, they should be showing some signs of sprouting, if they are healthy plants.

Healthy disease free tubers and rhisomes store very reliable for six, seven months at a time, easy peasy and should have not a trace of any sickly pong within the closed pack....

If you think this sort of garbage does not happen in plant packs from stores, I dare say folk like Sean Mckinney might pop up to say, been there, done that. Never again

Regards, andy
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/adavisus/