OMG...that is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!! I'm drooling. WOW.

Now if my poor little lotus will just give me a bloom or two this year i'll be happy.

Ditto Kyponder! I have 8 aerial leaves - eight! I count every day. Sigh. Someday...
Vanessa

Oh, Joyce, that is so beautiful!!

WOW!!! Quick, bring me a towel! I'm drooling!!!

Thank you. I have a new desktop background on my computer.

Just had to say how beautiful your pond is. I think I'd like to put some real Lotus flowers in my pond now. I have water lilies. My user name is sesen which is the egyptian word for lotus flower.
Thank You for the lovely pictures.

Oh My.....Ditto what EVERYBODY said.........gorgeous!

One of my 2 new tubers survived and now has 3 ariels thanks to Joyce's recipe for planting!

Keep those pix coming Joyce! And what's happening with the new house? Got a pond built yet?

S

Thanks everyone.

No pond at the new house yet...getting things done on the inside first.
But the pondsai preform is propped up over the wood pile in the backyard, so I have to look at it every day.
I think late summer, early fall, it will go in the ground. :)

I am new to this forum, but I have had several ponds for about 20 years. My question to you all is what is this recipe for planting Lotus. I just received one two days ago in a bucket with 5 leaves. I did purchase a large patio pot to put it in. I can put it in my bog pond ( 15 feet by 5 feet) or the pot.

jonelle in seguin, texas

Jonelle, here is Joyce's recipe. Thanks again, Joyce! :)

"Here is my planting method, which for me, gets blooms by mid summer through fall, no matter what kind of lotus you start with.

"I fill my wine barrels about 3/4 with composted cow manure, but plain old compost can be used too. Before putting the compost in, put one cup of Osmocote (Veggie Formula) or Multicote (Veggie Formula) at the bottom (these are NOT your typical water soluable fertilizers...please read the entire label on the container to understand exactly how they work). I do NOT recommend any other kind of fertilizer with my lotus in a barrel planting method. You will NOT get the same results as I do unless you follow my instructions precisely: PLEASE NO SUBSTITUTING!

"Gently lay the lotus tubers on top of the compost. (you can make a little depression and nestle the tuber into it) Then gently cover the tubers with about 1-2" of pea gravel, keeping the growing tips above the gravel. Gently, slowly add water until 3-4" of water covers the gravel. Then do nothing but top off the barrel(s) when the water gets low, and watch the lotus grow and bloom. DO NOT ADD ANY MORE FERTILIZER...at all. Osmocote and Multicote are time released, and will last through fall.

"Remember, besides the Osmocote/Multicote, compost is LOADED with all sorts of micronutrients which your lotus will devour.

"Regular potting soil or clay, or topsoil does NOT have all the micronutrients that compost has.

"That is why composted cow manure is the best, with regular compost coming in second place."

Brenda