Waterlilies and how to Grow Them Author:Henry Shoemaker Conard Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III Soils And Planting Out One of the most seductive facts about a water garden is that so very little trouble is required to make a good showing. ... more »Seedlings of water-lilies are less troublesome to handle than those of even the more common ornamental plants, and they have the further advantage that in planting out there need be no fear of the weather being too hot, or the sun too bright.' The one necessary precaution is not to plant too early, but to wait until warm weather is assured. This date will, of course, differ in different sections, and may vary somewhat from year to year, but generally in New York it is about June I5th for the tender kinds; the hardy ones can be set out in May. In St. Louis, a start can be made in April. Planting is done directly in the soil at the bottom of the pond or in receptacies, either stationary or movable, according to conditions. FOR NATURAL PONDS In natural ponds and in puddled ponds, plant directly; the latter having first of all received a 12- to 15-inch thick layer of soil, consisting of a mixture of three parts heavy loam and one part thoroughly rotted cow manure, well stamped down. Then let in the water, till it stands three inches deep. After a couple of days, when the water has warmed a little, a beginning can be made with planting. The plants to be put out are either old ones carried over from the previous year, new tubers, or seedlings started indoors in the winter. The work of planting out is simplicity itself. Tubers and root-stocks are laid flat in depressions in the soil made with the hand and are then pressed down. This covers them sufficiently. Young plants are taken from their pots,disturbing the soil around the roots as little as possible. Make a hole large enough to accommodate the earthball. Then put...« less