Sunday Gardener: Caring for different waterlily varieties
MARIE AND IT’S TIME FOR SUNDAY. GARDNER I’M HERE AT VALLEY VIEW FARMS WITH NICK MCQUADE. HI THERE. WE’RE AT THE POND. THIS IS SUCH A COOL TIME OF YEAR TO BE HERE. AND LOOK, IT’S NICE AND CLOUDY FOR US TODAY, AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE SOME PLANTS. PEOPLE CAN STILL ADD EVEN BEFORE WE GET TO THE FROST. SO LOOK AT THIS PRETTY PLANT. WHAT IS THIS ONE HERE. SO THESE ARE WATER LILIES. NOW WHEN IT COMES TO WATER LILIES YOU HAVE TWO TYPES. YOU HAVE TROPICALS AND YOU ALSO HAVE HARDY. THE TWO THAT WE HAVE HERE ARE TROPICAL WATER LILIES, WHICH MEANS THEY’RE NOT GOING TO COME BACK EACH YEAR. THINK FLORIDA TROPICAL KIND OF AREA. WE’RE UP IN MARYLAND GETS PRETTY COLD. I THINK HARD TO KILL. THAT’S HOW I LIKE TO THINK I NEED THOSE I NEED THOSE NAMES TO REMEMBER. EXACTLY. SO WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO BUY SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP REPLACING? WHAT’S KIND OF THE BENEFIT OF THE TROPICALS. SO THE TROPICALS, UNLIKE THE HARDY’S, ARE NOT GOING TO SPEND AS MUCH ENERGY INTO THEIR ROOT STRUCTURE. SO THEY SPEND MORE ENERGY INTO FLOWERS AND PADS. BIGGER BANG. YEAH. YES. AND TROPICAL IS ACTUALLY FLOWER MORE OFTEN. HARDY’S USUALLY GET 1 OR 2 FLOWERS MAX. AND THEN AS THEY KEEP DYING OFF BECAUSE THEY ONLY LAST ABOUT THREE DAYS, WE’LL KEEP REPRODUCING THEM. OKAY. TROPICALS WILL GET I MEAN, I’VE SEEN TROPICAL LILIES GET ABOUT SEVEN FLOWERS. WOW. OKAY, SO THOSE CAN REALLY CAUSE, YOU KNOW, BE A BIG SHOW. AND YOU WERE SAYING THIS ONE HAPPENS TO BLOOM AT NIGHT? YES. SO IN THE TROPICAL REALM, YOU DO GET SOME NIGHT BLOOMERS, LIKE THIS ONE HERE CALLED THE RED FLARE. SO WHEN YOU GET HOME IN THE EVENING, IT WILL ACTUALLY BE OPENED UP AT NIGHT. UNLIKE THE OTHER ONES LIKE THIS ONE HERE THAT IS ACTUALLY CLOSED UP AT NIGHT. OH, COOL. AND THEN BECAUSE IT’S CLOUDY, IT’S ACTUALLY STILL OPEN COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE STILL WE LUCKED OUT. I WANT TO SEE THESE HARDY ONES BECAUSE THEN IF SOMEONE MAYBE YOU HAVE A VARIETY IN YOUR POND BECAUSE MAYBE YOU WANT SOME WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO LIVE YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THESE ONES? SO THESE GUYS ARE ACTUALLY VERY EASY TO MAINTAIN. USUALLY I LIKE TO RECOMMEND PEOPLE PUTTING THEM IN BIGGER POTS IN THE ORIGINAL POT THAT THEY COME IN. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR OR SO. DEFINITELY. AND AFTER YOU PUT IT IN PRETTY MUCH VERY EASY. IF ANYTHING, YOU FERTILIZE IT ONCE A MONTH, BUT THEN FOR WINTER TIME, CUT OFF ALL THE DEAD FOLIAGE AND THEN PUT IT IN THE DEEPEST PART OF THE POND, USUALLY ABOUT TWO FEET DEEP OR SO IS WHAT YOU WANT. MOST LILIES ACTUALLY SIT ABOUT THAT DEPTH ANYWAYS, EXCEPT FOR TROPICALS. DO LIKE BEING TOWARDS THE SURFACE IF ANYTHING. SO THE HARDY’S USUALLY. IF ANYTHING YOU JUST HAVE TO GET IN AND CUT THEM BACK. GET YOUR WADERS ON, GET READY. THANK YOU. THAT’S REALLY COOL TO KNOW ABOUT THE TWO DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND SEE THAT YOU CAN HAVE BOTH TO KIND OF GET THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. THANK YOU NICK. THEY A
Sunday Gardener: Caring for different waterlily varieties
Updated: 5:52 PM EDT Aug 10, 2025
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“Hardies” versus Tropical – the benefits and drawbacks of different waterlily varieties.
“Hardies” versus Tropical – the benefits and drawbacks of different waterlily varieties.
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