Other deep water aquatics (type 1 but excluding Nymphaea or water lilies)

All the following plants described behave in much the same manner of a waterlily by rooting strongly into the mud at the bottom of the pond. Foliage is carried on long leaf stalks and the leaf either floats or stands above water. They make a welcome contrast to Nymphaea and grow and blend very happily.

• Aponogeton distachys this is the famous waterblommetjie of 'bredie' fame or called more easily 'water hawthorn'. The plant grows from a fat bulb size of a gouty toe and sends out a long narrow green speckled leaf. The flower is a well-known 'v'-shaped white vegetable with a black anthers produced en-masse in the growing season. Generally the plants begin their growth cycle in late summer, growing and flowering up until November/December in the Transvaal. Mid summer often sees it dormant and leafless. Aponogeton (ap-on-o-gee-ton) prefers shallow water, sandy nutritious soil and cool water. It seeds itself freely and can become a nuisance if not eaten in due time. The whole plant is effective, decorative and an essential curiosity in every pond. There are a few other species of Aponogeton but none as ornamental as Distachys.

• Hydrocleys nymphaeoides 'water poppy' clear yellow poppies appear somewhat incongruous in the water garden thrusting out continuously in summer above dumpy oval green leaves. Truly a plant with a happy disposition despite the many cumbersome names it has laboured under. Roots and spreads easily in shallow water.

• Marsillea actually an aquatic fern and hence flowerless. The leaves are fascinating little clover-like discs spreading from an ever-extending runner. In the mud-bottomed pond they are a pest but can be controlled, can be freely and aesthetically mingled with waterlilies and other aquatics. There is a quadriform-shaped species as well.

• Nelumbo - Sacred lotus the true lotus is not to be confused with the indigenous Nymphaea lotus which is in effect simply a waterlily and a reasonably drab one at that. Nelumbo 'au contraire' is a stunning spectacle both in leaf and flower. It grows easily once established (and therein lies the rub) rooting vigorously into shallow or deeper waters extending metres every season. The leaf is a grey green waxy circle with the leaf stalk situated much like a nasturtium. A drop of water will glisten and roll over the surface of the leaf life a lubricated pearl. In deepish water the leaf floats, but more commonly it lofts itself up to 1 metre above the surface facing the sun. The flower is most spectacular after the manner of a peony. Massive, bright and altogether vulgar- but still a very telling sight considering the smelly mud from which it arises. Colours of nelumbo range from the purest white (very pretty) to yellow, pink and purplish red. Unfortunately they take some years to settle in before flowering commences. The seed head is distinctive and often used in flower arrangements, notably in the east.

Lotus demand a very rich medium packed with 'moo poo' and bone meal. They are difficult to transplant but moved carefully in September and pegged down into the mud they can get off to a happy start. If already planted in a pot or bag, the best is to transplant them into a huge receptacle holding possibly 250 litres or more of the growing medium. Protect the new leaves carefully from aphid attack and if possible, from hail as a thoroughgoing highveld storm can devastate and even kill the lotus clump. Plants are rarely offered and are expensive but obviously worth the effort.

• Nuphar luteum this is a 'spatterdock' or 'brandy bottle' of Europe. Extremely similar in outward appearance to Nymphaea the flower differs markedly, not unlike a large upward facing buttercup, the blooms are bright, deep yellow. Its chief virtue lies in its shade tolerant propensities where no other aquatic would survive and it's ability to tolerate moving water. These plants have been used and seem to establish easily in some landscape projects in Johannesburg.

• Nymphoides indica common wild plant throughout Southern Africa on many rivers and dams, but limited by running water and depth. Nymphoides indica is the 'water fringe'. Pretty green leaves bear the tiny fringe yellow or white flowers cradled in the 'v' above the leaf stalk. Plants often grow associated with Nymphaea capensis.

• Nymphoides peltatum the European representative, is very similar to the foregoing but with less fringy flowers and of a paler butter yellow. Both are easily grown in our soil and water which is not too deep. There is an aquarium form called Nymphoides aquatica.

• Orontium aquaticum 'golden rod' a most attractive, handsome aquatic of unique appearance. It thrives in water up to 30cm deep, offering two types of waxy, olive green leaves. One kind floats on the water while the other grows above the water to 20cm.the flowers are very different, being a slim spadix covered with tiny yellow flowers thrust above the water. The effect is of many thin fingers of white and gold, tipped green clustered together above the surface. As the seeds form, they cling like shelled peas to the spadix and are apparently eaten by divers indigenous populations in North America.

• Potamogeton thunbergii. 'floating pondweed' listed only really for completeness - this plant has little merit in the water garden. It is found in dams throughout SA the floating leaf is basically 'water poppy' like, green , thick and luxuriant. Flowers are dreary club shaped blobs protruding above the leaves. It does have value in the 'wild' garden or in flowing water where it copes very well. There are other related species often growing in the wild with thin needle like foliage.

Deep-water aquatics are all treated much like the waterlily and fulfil a similar function in the water garden. Plant them in containers such as large 14" pots, old cement troughs or similar holding a minimum of 27 litres (about 1 cubic foot or about 5 gallons) of solid topsoil. A handful of bone meal worked in and a layer of gravel on top completes the job.