Lilies and lotus for a small pond

In a mini pond or tub, choose dwarf water lilies and small lotus varieties that are well adapted to small volumes of water. Among the water lilies are 'Pygmaea Helvola' with small pale yellow flowers, 'Froebelii' in dark red or 'Pygmaea Alba' in white. Among the lotus, are varieties like 'Double Bonheur' with double white flowers edged in pink and 'Pygmaea White' also double, but pure white. These aquatic plants possess the same charm as large water lilies and lotus, but they remain small and are planted more shallowly, under 20 to 60 cm of water depending on the variety. They will not exceed 50-60 cm in diameter.

Grow them in pots, at the right depth, and enjoy their long summer flowering in your small water garden. It is possible to create a miniature water garden in a half barrel, an old basin, or a zinc wash tub.