Surprises don’t seem to end in
the Ellis’ Garden. This morning I had a rare encounter with a shrew, and later
in the afternoon, as the sun moved across the sky, a beautiful white-waterlily
bloomed in one of the small tubs which we had hung on the front railing.
There is a short story behind
these water lilies which I would like to share.
Water lilies became one of my
favourites while experimenting with plants that could survive successfully in
our desert conditions. The challenge was to find plants which could withstand
the intense heat, bright sunlight, and also survive the severe winters.
In this process, waterlilies
proved to be among the best. They endured the vagaries of weather and rewarded
us with a smile whenever they bloomed.
From November onwards, they enter
dormancy. But come February, they slowly return to life. The leaves which had
disappeared begin to emerge again. This is the ideal time to work on them for repotting,
refreshing the soil, and giving them a good dose of manure for the flowering
season ahead.
Over the years, one has collected
around twenty different colours and varieties of these lilies. Each one unique
and exquisite.
It took time to understand their
needs and feeding requirements. Though they are fairly no-fuss plants, a little
care is needed, like removing old and drying leaves, cleaning algae from the
tubs, and ensuring that the algae does not entangle the developing buds.
February becomes a time of soiled
and smelly hands because the pots in which the tubers grow have to be emptied.
A fresh soil-manure mixture is prepared and the tubers are replanted.
It is not an easy task because
there are fish living in these tubs. The fish have to be carefully moved to
another container while the tubs are cleaned and the repotting process is
completed. Once everything is settled, they are gently reintroduced to their
home.
Within a year, the tubers
multiply. Some grow so vigorously that they emerge out of the pots and hang
over the water. Additional roots develop, forming a mesh-like structure which
reaches the bottom of the tub.
Since these pots do not have
holes, the lily has nowhere else to expand. If ignored for too long, the
pressure from the growing tubers can become so strong that sometimes the pot
itself cracks.
During repotting, the healthiest
tubers are selected and the excess ones have to be removed. But throwing away
such a precious living thing always feels wrong.
Last year, I gave a few tubers to
my mother-in-law, and they are doing very well in her garden. I would love to
share these with friends and family, but unfortunately not everyone shares the
same enthusiasm. One couple from our colony, however, still remembers the
tubers we gave them and often thanks us for introducing them to water lilies.
The additional tubers now had to
find another purpose. They could either go into the compost bin or be reused
somehow.
These six white hanging pots had
earlier held winter flowering plants which had completed their season and were
lying empty. An idea struck, why not give them a new life with the surplus
water lily tubers?
A soil mixture was prepared and
as many tubers as possible were planted, twelve in total, two in each hanging
pot. Today, the first one has bloomed.
The flower may be smaller
compared to the lilies growing in larger tubs, but the wait since February has
been worth every bit of effort. The leaves of the other plants are growing
well, and with experience, one can confidently say that more flowers will follow
soon.
Friends, every flower and every
plant have a story to tell.
Both my wife and I rejoice in
every little blessing that the garden showers upon us. We share this joy with
friends and family, and it also gives me endless ideas to continue my journey
with photography and gardening.
What more colours will the water
lilies bring to the Ellis’ Garden? I wonder!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© ® NOEL ELLIS
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