It just so happens that after my recent “lily” post I have discovered our water lilies are in bloom.  We have a small koi pond which brings me an immense amount of pleasure on a daily basis.  Along with half a dozen different colored butterfly koi we have three different varieties of water lilies.  Pictured here is the Colorado and it is our most prolific bloomer.  We also have the Pink Beauty and the more elusive white Arc-en-Ciel; even when not in bloom I love its darker bluish lily pads.  In addition to their beauty they also serve an important purpose, mainly in aiding the pond’s ecosystem.  They spread across the water‘s surface, keeping the creatures in it safe.  We also have baby toads every year and they depend upon the lily pads once they lose their tails.  The lilies’ leaves provide shade to keep the water temperature down during the hot summer months.  By blocking out much of the sunlight, it helps to keep down algae growth.  In addition, the lily pads serve as shelter for our koi from predators like owls and raccoons that may be nearby.  Our water lilies remain in the pond year round.  They die off in the winter and produce new leaves and flowers in the spring.  Generally they bloom from April through October here.  The flowers open in the early morning and close in the late afternoon.  My little one and I love to feed the fish and watch them lazily swirl in between the lilies and their leaves.  Our water garden is by far my favorite respite.  It holds a beauty in every season.  For me it is an endless source of joy.  The water lilies exude serenity and encourage reflection.

“I’d like to be a water-lily sleeping on the river,
Where solemn rushes whisper, and funny ripples quiver.
All day I’d watch the blue sky—all night I’d watch the black,
Floating in the soft waves, dreaming on my back,
And when I’d tired of dreaming, I’d call a passing fish,
“I want to find the sea!”  I’d shout, “Come! You can grant my wish!”

He’d bite me from my moorings, and softly I would slip
To the center of the river like an ocean-going ship.
The waves would laugh upon me.  The wind would blow me fast,
And oh, what shores and wonders would greet me as I passed!
Yes, if I were a water-lily, I’d sail to sea in state—
A green frog for my captain—and a dragon-fly for my mate!  ~  American writer John Chipman Farrar