First water lily is blooming but pond cleanup awaits

March 23, 2015


Despite a cool spring, an early-bird ‘Colorado’ water lily has already opened in the stock-tank pond, pale but undaunted. Future lilies will blush a deeper peachy pink as the days grow warmer.


Before it decides to bloom in earnest, I really need to muck out a year’s worth of leaves and haul out and divide the water lilies. It’s a muddy, back-straining chore but satisfying to have a clean, refreshed pond again. Right now, I’ll admit, it’s not a thing of beauty!


Mr. Screech Owl is giving me that look, like, What’s taking you so long? Get to it!

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All material © 2006-2015 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

18 responses to “First water lily is blooming but pond cleanup awaits”

  1. Jenn says:

    How is your tank holding up? I just replaced the 160 gallon one in my backyard. Both my stock tanks have now rusted to failure. This one at least I knew was coming – the hole was on the side I can see easily. The last one was a surprise.

    I’m moving to less aesthetic/ less ecological black plastic stock tanks. I like my fish to not have to worry about sidewall blowouts!

    • Pam/Digging says:

      I need to take a close look to say for sure, but I haven’t noticed any rusting yet. I know it will happen eventually, but I’m hoping to get many more years out of it. I’m sorry to hear your tanks rusted out. How long did they last? —Pam

  2. Kim says:

    My tank has developed a reddish fuzzy crud on the everything. Could it be from terra cotta pots? (I have a couple as functioning as stands in there). Should I muck it all out?

  3. Jean says:

    Oh dear, add pond cleanup to my spring gardening chores list! It’s getting longer, not shorter. That’s so odd you had such an early bloomer.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      That’s the way of spring chores! As for the early water lily, it’s unusual but not unheard of. In mild winters ‘Colorado’ will bloom occasionally throughout the winter. But ‘Helvola’, my dwarf yellow, never does. —Pam

  4. Lisa at Greenbow says:

    That owl is quite a task master. That lily is gorgeous. It looks like a fake it is so pretty. I didn’t even notice your pond being mucky until you mentioned it. Get busy girl. 😉

  5. Kris P says:

    That lily is astoundingly beautiful – it clearly doesn’t mind growing in mucky tank. As tough overlords go, Mr. Screech Owl is quite handsome.

  6. TexasDeb says:

    Pam are you able to use The Muck as fertilizer or compost booster? It seems it would be quite nutrient rich in its own way.

    And am I the only one who is hearing a slightly rewritten version of “I went to the county fair” running while reading this? (…The elephant sneezed, and dropped to his knees, and what became of the muck…the muck the muck the muck..)

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Yes, I use some of it in my beds. But a lot of it is just leathery live oak leaves that never seem to decompose. I don’t know the county fair song (poem?). I’ll have to look it up. —Pam

  7. Les says:

    I have a similar task facing me, but I will try to wait for the water to warm just a bit so it won’t be such a shock when I get wet, and I am sure I will get wet.