Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Nymphaea
Posted in How-to, Video on August 9 2012, by Matt Newman
There’s a notion floating around that growing water lilies is a hobby best left to conservatory curators and nursery managers. Maybe it’s driven by the fact that Nymphaea are so alien to what the average home gardener is comfortable working with; aquatic plants are a far cry from the ever present office philodendron. Or maybe it’s because Claude Monet built an entire artistic movement on the exploration of their fragile elegance. “I’d have to refinance my house to dig that!” you think, looking at Giverny’s carefully-arranged water lily pond.
Relax. You won’t even need a trowel, much less a construction team with a backhoe.
As we slip into the late summer height of our water lily display, Christian Primeau–Manager of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory–is ready to share a few key pointers with Nymphaea hopefuls. All you’ll need is a basic soil blend, some pea gravel, a large container, and a spot in or around your house with full sun exposure.
Read More
Posted in Around the Garden on August 3 2012, by Matt Newman
Most weekend green thumbs can handle the odd tray of garden center perennials, and some might even tackle the challenge of the more finicky roses. But when it comes to raising Nymphaea, the leap from yard to pond can be intimidating! We understand the hesitance. This weekend, the NYBG‘s horticultural staff aims to dispel that air of mystery just long enough to help our visitors understand the rewards of growing water lilies at home. With a dash of confidence and the right planting, even New Yorkers can spice up their summer displays with these exotic eye catchers.
For the uninitiated, this is your cue to visit the Garden’s own hardy and tropical water lily ponds in the Conservatory Courtyard, where Nymphaea and Nelumbo, the lotus, are firmly planted in the Monet’s Garden spotlight. It’s where we’re featuring a few of the artist’s favorite cultivars, along with a number of newer creations from the Latour-Marliac Nursery, Monet’s go-to supplier for much of his life at Giverny. Once you’ve experienced these aquatic icons as they’re meant to be seen, and picked up a few pointers on their upkeep, make your way to the Shop in the Garden for the supplies you’ll need to grow water lilies at home!
Read More
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on July 3 2012, by Matt Newman
Nymphaea ‘Arc-en-Ciel’, not to be confused with long-running Japanese rock group L’Arc-en-Ciel. Each seems to have liked the French translation of “The Rainbow” enough to claim it as a name.
How many other musical connections can we make between our water lilies, I wonder?
Nymphaea ‘Arc-en-Ciel’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on July 2 2012, by Matt Newman
News that a rock star is living it up in our Hardy Water Lily Pool had some of us…well, confused. I pictured the lead singer of The Kinks doing the backstroke between the pads of the Nymphaea–not exactly Garden-approved behavior, superstar or not. But the revelation that this was a water lily named ‘Ray Davies’ only brought up more questions.
We answered those, too. In the meantime, Nymphaea ‘Ray Davies’ played coy with its color. My visit to the pool toward the end of last week turned up a circle of foliage sans flowers, with no sign of a show. Then came Ivo.
Read More
There’s a notion floating around that growing water lilies is a hobby best left to conservatory curators and nursery managers. Maybe it’s driven by the fact that Nymphaea are so alien to what the average home gardener is comfortable working with; aquatic plants are a far cry from the ever present office philodendron. Or maybe it’s because Claude Monet built an entire artistic movement on the exploration of their fragile elegance. “I’d have to refinance my house to dig that!” you think, looking at Giverny’s carefully-arranged water lily pond.
