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ROOFTOP AQUATIC GARDEN

 

ROOFTOP AQUATIC GARDEN

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

21/V/2024

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me take you on a tour of our rooftop garden. There is nothing very special, but slowly and steadily it has grown into a beautiful aquatic garden space.

Two years back we thought of growing them in tubs & shallow earthen pots. Not knowing the difference between water lilies and lotus, we ordered lotus seeds online. We watched ‘how to grow them yourself’ videos but the reality was quite different.

After putting in great efforts, we had to abandon the project due to disappointing results. We even borrowed lotus tubers from a cousin but they too perished. However, we didn’t  give up so easily. It was time to revisit our passion of growing these aquatic plants.

The quest now was diverted to ‘water lilies’ instead. We found some nurseries selling water lily plants. One was not sure about the end result, as half the plant nurseries associated with Amazon do not send what they promised was our experience. We took our chances.

It was a little disheartening when the first batch of plants arrived. It was in the midst of summer. Weather in the Sun City is well known. Though the plants were very well packed, somehow the courier services did not care to read ‘Urgent’ or ‘Live Plants’. They took their own time to deliver.

The leaves were squished. Some plants even had flower buds which had wilted in transit. The only thing remaining were tubers & rhizomes with few leaves spouting. The note said, “even if there are no leaves left, sow the plant. In a week's time, we should see new sprouts”. We took their word and it came true.

In a couple of months, we had blooms. Our excitement burst over the seams. However, our happiness started diminishing when those healthy plants started losing their leaves. Soon, the size of leaves started shrinking till they reduced to the size of a one-rupee coin. It was very disheartening. Why? We didn’t know. These water plants which were growing on the ground floor needed a revolution.

Operation ‘save the lilies’ was launched. The first thing we did was to shift them to full sunlight. We were actually shading them from the torrid sun. However, being resilient to the sunlight, they had to be shifted from the ground floor to the roof. These plants love sunlight and heat doesn’t matter.

Within a week of shifting, the change was apparent. Size of their leaves started growing bigger. We breathed a sigh of relief. Then came ‘operation repotting’ and ‘operation manure’. This was necessitated because in one year their roots had consumed all the mud except for what was left on the surface. They needed nutrition to bloom again. Their roots were trimmed, manured, and left alone.

Seasons changed. Harsh winters returned. We looked up to the skies and let them be. The cold shrivelled their leaves, which started reducing in numbers. We were confident, severe winters don’t last long here. It was a question of about a fortnight plus. These plants fought hard and lived to bloom again.

As we rolled to spring, fresh leaves and new buds sprouted. Size of the leaves and their numbers multiplied as it became warmer. We had multiple buds from the same plant. What a sight it was to see the lilies multiply and bloom beyond expectations!

This success led to further experimentation. We found a good vendor, who charged more for air transportation of plants than the plant themselves, ensuring that they arrive in the best condition. It was confirmed when the plants arrived in fantastic shape.

A suggestion to water lily lovers. Either get them in Feb-March or after the rainy season when the temperatures reach moderate and tolerable levels. For people in the desert, it could be Oct-Nov.

A view of how we are doing it and enjoying water lily flowers is for you all to see in the photos. We have grown them using the “pot in tub” method. The tubs are 50L and the pots are six-inch ones without drainage holes. These plants are really easy to grow and do not create much hassle.

I am waiting for the weather to cool down a little to diversify our variety and colours further. Getting double coloured lilies is on my mind. How soon will we order it? I wonder!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND
© ® NOEL ELLIS






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