Water plants: Yarra Junction waterlily and lotus expert’s garden tips

Think waterlilies and lotus are too tricky to grow in southeast Australia? Think again. This expert has all the tips to have these evocative plants flourishing.

Pretty in pink: A Mrs Perry Slocum lotus in bloom.

MONET devoted much of his life to growing and painting them, and frogs are famous for napping on their expansive pads.

Throughout history, the magnificent waterlily has been revered for its sensual beauty, yet amazingly few of us seem to grow them.

This puzzles me.

I suspect it’s got a lot to do with many gardeners thinking waterlilies are difficult to grow.

That couldn’t be further from the truth for, once planted, these beguiling beauties require minimal attention.

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About all they need is occasional fertilising and re-potting every couple of years. They don’t even need a pond to grow.

As long as they get at least four hours of direct sun a day, they will thrive in a bowl or planter.

In fact, the waterlily is not the only exotic water plant that can be grown this way.

If you really want to make an aquatic statement, look no further than the alluring lotus, a symbol of Eastern tranquillity and mythology.

Don’t believe you can grow can grow these traditionally tropical plants in Victoria? Melbourne man Geoff Cochrane has been growing lotus by the thousands on his Yarra Junction property for decades.

Today, his family’s 6ha Blue Lotus Water Garden is recognised worldwide for its water-plant displays and attracts thousands of visitors over summer and early autumn for the peak waterlily and lotus flowering season.

(In case you’re wondering, the difference between waterlilies and lotus is that the leaves or pads of waterlilies sit on the water, while lotus leaves are borne up to a metre or more above the water.)

Expert: Geoff Cochrane from Blue Lotus Water Garden.

According to Geoff, there are two types of lotus, tropical and perennial temperate, the latter growing quite happily as far south as Tasmania.

Unlike waterlilies, lotus need at least six hours direct sun a day.

They require a bowl, pot or planter wider than 60cm with a depth of 20cm for small varieties.

Give bigger varieties a bowl wider than 80cm with a depth of at least 30cm.

The key is not to use a potting mix (garden soil is fine), and to ensure water is maintained to a depth of at least 5cm above the soil.

Whatever container you use, ensure the water in it is never allowed to freeze over.

The prime time for planting is the growing period from October to March.

Ensure growing leaves are above the water.

Apart from looking sensational, the beauty of lotus is they don’t need to grow in filtered water because they act as their own filtration system. Tap water is fine for topping up.

When potting or re-potting, use fresh garden soil with a pH between 6.5 and 8. If re-potting, use a larger planting container.

First off, Geoff likes to mix a teaspoon of slow-release granulated fertiliser with a small amount of topsoil and to place this in the bottom of the container.

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Position your plant on top of this soil, then place soil around the lotus and up to about 10cm of the container rim.

To stop the soil dispersing when topping up the water, add a 2-3cm layer of pea gravel over the soil.

Lotus need still water to flower so ensure they are well away from a fountain or similar.

Fertilising is best done in the growing season using a slow-release granular fertiliser. Geoff recommends a teaspoon for a 60cm wide container, two teaspoons for an 80cm wide container. A trick he uses is to place fertiliser in tissue paper and poke it down into the soil near the edge of the container until it rests on the bottom.

For inspiration for how to grow your own lotus, or waterlilies, check out Geoff’s Blue Lotus Water Garden, which is open from December 26.

● Blue Lotus Water Garden is open daily 10am-5pm until April 13. bluelotusfarm.com.au