Same here...:(

Try Ebay!

Last year when I divided my water lilies and took them to a local nursery (who traded me perennials for them) the manager warned me to buy lots of hardy water plants and sink them to the bottom of my pond in the fall. He told me that the oil spill in the gulf just about wiped out all of the water plants that supply all the nurseries in the U.S. The ones that were rescued before the oil arrived, are going to be used to start over again after the oil clears out. Unfortunately the oil spill affected just about all nurseries and big box stores from selling any kind of water plants. I tried Lowes, Walmart and Home Depot as well as local nurseries who all sold water plants in the past and all told me they aren't getting water plants this season. I did take the owner's advice and sunk several water plants to the bottom of my pond in the fall. My water celery, bogbean and button bush all made it. The rest didn't. I am kicking myself though because I gave away all of my red and purple water lilies. Thought I kept a few for myself, but now I only have white and yellow. Of course my red taro didn't make it through the winter in my sunroom. It was about 4 years old and I was able to divide and share it last summer. The prices for the few water plants I was able to find this season are "outrageous."

Jenny

Try posting a thread to see if anyone would like to exchange plants with you or if they would send you some for postage. You could offer garden plants for pond plants too.

I always go on craigslist when I want pond plants and I post a couple times a week in the garden section asking for water plants for cheap and I get great deals that way. I also have gotten great buys on koi in the last 3 years. got several 18 inch koi and a 24 inch koi a year ago for 17 dollars each from a little old man that didnt want to keep a pond anymore.

We have a little pond shop about a mile from our house. Pretty neat place and unassuming. You might think it is just some horders home until you get up close. They have a pond green house. It is a large building and almost the entire inside is a large pond with small walk ways. It is completely filled with plants of all shapes sizes and colors. Frogs have made themselves at home in there. It really is neat. The guy who owns the little place has a deal with his annuals that if you buy from him, you can bring them back in the fall and re-buy them the next spring at a 50% discount. He said a lot of his annuals are 20 and 30 years old. He also has a 20 foot deep large trout pond in the back, he allows boyscouts to come fish in it. Pretty neat place.

All my sources dried up couple years ago...not that they ever had anything interesting but the basics are a necessity, eh? Anyhoo, had a lil [fruitless] heart-to-heart w/a few local store managers about their *lack*...sigh. Without exception, all said aquatics didn't sell - too much leftover stock so they stopped ordering.

Well. I can tell you this is NOT TRUE. All the pond plants were snapped up immediately, sold out in under a week with the exception of the dry-shipped run-of-the-mill lilies. Trying to make them see the light was an excercise in futility.

Someone here (don't recall who) referred me to dragonflyaquatics.com around that time. I've ordered from them the past couple years and never been disappointed. In fact, received my latest order just last week & the plants arrived in excellent condition as usual. My order shipped the day I placed it (early a.m.) and arrived 2 days later.

Also, after I placed my order, I realized I had forgotten one small item. I e-mailed to ask if it could be added to my order. Got an immediate response. Impressive in and of itself. It wasn't possible to add to my order BUT they shipped the item anyway, at no additional charge, as a courtesy. Doesn't get any better than that!

bless ya,
~digger

The Pond site has them but you have to email them to tell them what you want because plants aren't listed on the website. Only filter media and Calcium bentonite. But I know for a fact they have lots of Gunnera and many different pond plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: click to visit the Pond Site

I am making my skeptical face.

How could an oil spill in the gulf of Mexico affect freshwater pond plant nurseries? That makes no sense whatsoever.

Maybe there is an explanation but it doesn't sound very likely to me.

In SE Wisconsin there is a very 'sincere' pond plant nursery in Windy Oaks Aquatics, just outside Eagle. They have several greenhouse ponds and usually have great inventory of lillies, lotus, etc.

They don't have a website anymore but here is their info:

Windy Oaks Daylilies & Aquatics
Mailing Address:
W377S10677 Betts Rd
Eagle, Wisconsin 53119-1706 (United States)

Phone: (262) 594-2803
Fax: (262) 547-7831

There is an exchange for aquatic plants here on Garden Web.

There are others including those who allow sales if you google Aquatic Plant Exchange you should find some, there is one for Canada too. GW does not allow links to other forums to be posted here.

Hughes Water Gardens is a very reputable aquatic plant grower and garden center here in Oregon that sells plants mail order. They supply hundreds of garden centers and nurseries with their aquatic plants.

My head groundskeeper bought 3 hyacinths and a little
tuft of parrot feather and paid 29.00!

Joann, I would have been happy to send you parrot's feather, I have tons...
LeeAnne

LeeAnne, I'll take you up on the offer, I was looking at the little sprig yesterday and the koi seemed to leave it alone. I send you the postage.
How do you get it to multiply so quickly in your climate?
thanks, Joann

If you're Canadian, there's a great place called Moore Water Gardens.

Nice selection, great plants, wonderful service. This is my second season buying from them. Everything is shipped rapidly and arrives in wonderful condition. I don't know if they ship to the U.S., though.

They have a detailed planting guide on their site which I've found very helpful, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Moore Water Gardens

I didn't prune it last year at all. I normally sell cuttings all summer on eBay and didn't bother. It's raining again now but I'll email you when I can ship you some.

0k, thanks LeeAnne, let me know the postage etc...
and I'll send you the money first.

LeeAnne I would love some for postage.. Mine all died off

Darla