Planting the Pool:
After the completion of your pool, the next step for a water lily garden is to cover the pools floor with 5-6 inches of earth. At this point you can plant your plants, just make sure to follow some key steps to make sure your lilies flourish!
Planting the Pool Floor:
There is not a dealer who recommends planting directly onto the floor of a deep pool, or into boxes that are built in. This creates muddy and harder work for you, as well as does not start your lilies off on the right foot. You should always plant the pool while it is empy, and then add water. This can still be risky, as the lilies you are planting are already growing, so adding tap water from a hose can be a shock to the newly planted lilies. Plants will still recover, but may not do very well until late in the season.
Another idea is to add just enough water to cover the crowns of the plants about an inch. Over the day, the sun will warm the water, reducing the probability of shock. Over a few days, continue to add a few inches of water until the pool is full. This is a safe process, but it is slow and tedious.
Movable Receptacle Planting:
Planting in moving receptacles has many advantages for your water lily pool. The receptacles are also a great way for allowing the gardener to empty and clean his pool as early as he would like, allowing the sun to warm the water, before planting time. Your pool will be warmer and healthier if you make sure the receptacles are propped above the floor a few inches. This helps to prevent decomposition which dirties the water. This method will also allow your goldfish more room to swim, as well as giving them shade in the hot summer months.
Containers are also helpful if you need to wade into your pool for any reason. Sometimes things get dropped into the pool and you need to get them out. Water lily roots can be killed easily if you step on them, but with a container, you can easily move amongst the roots.
