Hello! From waterlilies to orchids!

[estación seca]

Tropicals are iffy here. They overwinter about half the time. Night bloomers and blue day bloomers tolerate more cold than other day bloomers. I have mosquito fish and American Flag fish in my pond; they survive even what passes for cold winters here. If I put tropical fish like platys, zebrafish or swordfish in the pond they breed well, but can't survive our winters.

I have room for a 300 gallon stock tank in my sunroom and have overwintered tropicals in there. I add mosquito fish. It's deep enough there are a few inches of water over the 5 gallon nursery pots I use for them. They survive with just a little bit of light. They may go dormant but don't freeze. One year I set up lights over the tank and had tropical water lilies flowering all winter.

Most people with a basement would be able to set up a stock tank down there to overwinter their tropicals.

[Leafmite]

I have fish this year so the entire barrel pond will be moved indoors for the winter and be put under the lights in the bright window. It would freeze solid outside during the winter otherwise. The lotus has been easy to winter over these past few years so hopefully, the tropical lily will do well, too.

I will always enjoy the beauty of my lotus and, probably, this new tropical water lily but, for me, the logistics of keeping orchids is far easier than that of an ornamental pond.

[sunfire]

WOW! You are living my dream life!

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Sunfire!

I got into orchids by building a small pond, around 38 years ago. Dug it larger, then larger, then LARGER over the years. Went to our local lawn and garden trade show one February to look at a friend's pond display, and the booth he was next to was orchids. Made friends with the orchid grower, and came home with a few orchids to play with.

Fast forward a decade plus, and I opened a water garden and hardscape business, subcontracted out the pond building aspect (my pond building buddy). Started that business to pay for my plant addictions, both water plants, landscaping around ponds, and a growing orchid collection. Started renting the space at the garden show next to the orchid guy I'd met and kept in touch with. Fast forward another ten or so years, and retired.

Six years later, still have the pond and the water plants. And a LOT more orchids than the few I started out with. Agreed... water gardening is by far the easiest garden I've ever grown. No guessing on water requirements, and very little weeding. Orchids fill in the gardening itch for the five cold months out of the year.

Good choice to branch out into orchids, says me.

[sunfire]

My pond is fun to muck around in. Takes a lot of work come mid summer pruning all the lily pads and spent flowers. Back breaking and dirty at the end pulling all the tubs (I have to pull the tubs and harvest the tubers because tropicals are not surviving my PA winters). The hardies are so much easier.

I have King of Siam, a very vigorous bloomer early on and tends to slow down at the end of summer, a little more compact than my other lilies.



I also have Woods White Knight! Love this flower but the plant grows HUGE and only get a few blooms, but those blooms are also HUGE (night bloomer). Tubers well but has been very temperamental for me.



My favorite night bloomer is Mrs George C Hitchcock.

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Well, I disagree on a well-constructed pond being more work. Much less maintenance than orchids, in my opinion.

Star of Zanzibar is a beautiful tropical. My favorite in that color range is King of Siam. Back when I was working during days, one of my favorites was also a white night bloomer, usually Woods White Knight or Trudy Slocum. Lovely in the moonlight.

[sunfire]

Yes, I hope I'm not adding too much to my plate with the orchids! It's all fun. I love goldfish. I had fancies for a while. Eventually transitioned to planted tanks and community fish as I find them a little less labor intensive than the fancies. Have commons in the pond.

Also, I don't know if it is allowed here, but if you are interested in any other tropical tubers or sprouts let me know. I have a lot.

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Hello and welcome!

I think you will find that keeping orchids is easier than having an in-ground water garden. I did that for thirteen years, when the kids were young, and I found it to be quite a bit of work (worth it at the time as the kids loved the fish, cattails, water hyacinth, lotus, lily blossoms, etc.) Now I just have a barrel pond with my goldfish, some duckweed, submersible plants, mini-lotus, Green Maiden, and, for the first time, a tropical water lily (Star of Zanzibar). I am excited about the tropical water lily.

---------- Post added at 06:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:02 PM ----------

Yes, I have heard great things about the Aussies, but I have never come across one.

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome! I built a pond right after buying my house in 1986. I love water lilies! It's too hot and dry here for lotus (Nelumbo) but I keep trying. One of these years I want to try Anecphya but they've become difficult to find.

---------- Post added at 06:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------

I start my tropicals in the spring in a 100g tub and often have some buds before I put them outside in the pond. I got some seemingly decent LEDs this year and added CO2 and they went crazy.

I harvest the tropical tubers from my pots in early Fall instead of overwintering the whole plant. I pull my lotus tub into the garage and it overwinters fine. I recently refreshed my lotus tub and was shocked at how great and large the tubers looked. I wish I had taken a picture.

Originally Posted by estación seca

Tropicals are iffy here. They overwinter about half the time. Night bloomers and blue day bloomers tolerate more cold than other day bloomers. I have mosquito fish and American Flag fish in my pond; they survive even what passes for cold winters here. If I put tropical fish like platys, zebrafish or swordfish in the pond they breed well, but can't survive our winters.

I have room for a 300 gallon stock tank in my sunroom and have overwintered tropicals in there. I add mosquito fish. It's deep enough there are a few inches of water over the 5 gallon nursery pots I use for them. They survive with just a little bit of light. They may go dormant but don't freeze. One year I set up lights over the tank and had tropical water lilies flowering all winter.

Most people with a basement would be able to set up a stock tank down there to overwinter their tropicals.

[Leafmite]

Those are all very pretty lilies. Goldfish pond water is very good for orchids.

[nemesis]

The Woods White Knight is especially beautiful. I would love to see that in the evening.

[tmoney]

welcome!

and congrats: for the first time you make me glad i don't have an outdoor garden space big enough for something like this!! orchids have become enough of an obsession.

and careful, i don't think it's been mentioned yet, but orchids are addicting.....

amazing lilies, thanks for sharing

[FL_Orchid_Collector]

Not a single orchid? Pbbbt. Just kidding, actually I'm jealous because I couldn't put pics inline in my intro post and you can. Nice lilies!