The Mesmerizing World of the Water Lily Pond

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Robby

Water lily ponds have been fascinating people for centuries with their tranquil beauty. As an avid gardener myself, I find water lily ponds to be one of the most captivating features that can be incorporated into a landscape. In this article, I’ll provide a brief history of water lily ponds, examine what makes them so alluring, and offer tips for creating your own water lily pond at home.

A Brief History

Water lilies have been admired since ancient times. They were seen in Egyptian hieroglyphics and were a popular subject in Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints. In the late 19th century, the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet became enchanted with water lilies after enlarging a pond on his property in Giverny, France. He went on to paint his famous series of over 250 Water Lilies paintings, devoted to capturing the changing light and atmosphere of his water garden.

Water lilies became popular plants for ornamental ponds in Europe and America during the Victorian era. Wealthy estate owners built water lily ponds and greenhouses to cultivate exotic water lily varieties. With innovations in hybridization new colors and forms became available. Water gardening boomed in the early 20th century. Though its popularity declined mid-century water lily ponds underwent a revival starting in the 1970s, which continues today.

The Allure of Water Lily Ponds

What is it exactly that makes water lily ponds so captivating? Here are a few of the qualities that I find most appealing

  • Tranquility – The slow ripples, gentle sounds of water, and unhurried growth of lilies create a serene environment. Time seems to slow down when you’re observing water lilies.

  • Reflections – The mirror-like surface of a pond adds to its magic, as it reflects the sky, trees, bridges, and other features. This creates beautiful symmetries and upside-down worlds.

  • Natural beauty – Water lilies themselves come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. Combined with lush greenery, they create living art. Ponds attract other wildlife too, like frogs, dragonflies, and birds

  • Enclosure – Though physically open, ponds feel like an enclosed, private retreat, a garden room unto themselves. The rest of the world recedes.

  • Changes – The pond transforms through time and seasons, offering endless variations. Lilies bloom at different intervals, plants grow, light shifts, and reflections change.

Creating Your Own Water Lily Pond

If you have space in your yard, I highly recommend putting in a water lily pond. Here are some tips to get started:

  • Pick a sunny spot with at least 6 hours of direct light per day. Water lilies need lots of sun to thrive.

  • Choose a formal geometrical shape or curvy freeform shape. Irregular kidneys and O’s work well.

  • Dig a hole 18-24 inches deep, allowing 1 square foot of surface per lily. Build up edges with stones or pavers.

  • Add a pump to circulate water and prevent stagnation. Include an external filter and UV clarifier to control algae.

  • Place lily pots on gravel or bricks on the bottom so crown sits just below the surface. Add oxygenating plants around edges.

  • Introduce fish to help control mosquitoes. Koi and goldfish are nice accents that add movement.

  • Consider adding features like fountains, bridges, specimen plants, and statues to complement the pond.

With some careful planning, you can create a gorgeous water lily pond and have your own Monet-like garden. Dipping your toes into the world of water gardening is immensely rewarding. The tranquility of a water lily pond becomes a treasured retreat and a source of daily inspiration.

water lilly pond

Extended information about this artwork

  • Lucien Descaves, “Chez Claude Monet,” Paris-Magazine, Aug. 25, 1920, p. 354 (ill. ).
  • “Claude Monet,” by Gustave Geffroy, in L’art et les artistes 2, 11 (Nov. 1920), p. 73 (ill. ).
  • Camille Mauclair, Claude Monet (Rieder, 1924), pp. 63; pl. 39. Republished in Camille Mauclair, Claude Monet, 2nd ed. (Rieder, 1927), p. 63; pl. 39. Translated by J. Lewis May as Claude Monet (Dodd, Mead, 1924), pp. 6; pl. 39.
  • The book “Claude Monet: Trente reproductions de peintures et dessins précédées d’une étude critique” by Florent Fels was published by Gallimard in 1925 and has a page number of. 63 (ill. ).
  • “Les toiles de jeunesse de Claude Monet,” L’art vivant, Jan. 1, 1927, p. 22 (ill. ).
  • Léon Werth, Claude Monet (G. Crès, 1928), pl. 50.
  • Art Institute of Chicago, Exhibition of the Mrs. L. L. Coburn Collection: Modern Paintings and Watercolors, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1932), p. 20, cat. 25.
  • Daniel Catton Rich, “The Mrs. L. L. “The Coburn Collection,” in the Art Institute of Chicago’s show of the Mrs. L. L. Coburn Collection: Modern Paintings and Watercolors, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1932), p. 7.
  • “Monet, Solid Builder of Impressions,” on page 10 of Art News 42 (Oct. 1–14, 1943), p. 25 (ill. ).
  • Saginaw Museum, Exhibition of Nineteenth Century French Painting, exh. cat. (Saginaw Museum, 1949), p. 9, cat. 19.
  • There is a catalog from the Art Institute of Chicago in Art Institute of Chicago Quarterly 51, 2 (Apr. 1, 1957), p. 33.
  • Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago: A Catalogue of the Picture Collection (Art Institute of Chicago, 1961), page 320.
  • A. James Speyer, “Paintings and sculptures from the 20th century in Europe,” Apollo 84, 55 (Sept. 1966), p. 222.
  • Frederick A. Sweet, “Great Chicago Collectors,” Apollo 84 (Sept. 1966), pp. 201, fig. 29; 203.
  • “Moon, Nymphéas, ou Les miroirs du temps” by Denis Rouart and Jean-Dominique Rey, with a cat rais. by Robert Maillard (Hazan, 1972), p. 155 (ill. ). Monet, Water Lilies: The Complete Series, revised by David Radzinowicz ed. , with a cat. rais. by Julie Rouart with Camille Sourisse (Flammarion/Rizzoli, 2008), p. 121 (ill. ).
  • “Monet Exhibition,” by John Maxon, in Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago 69, no. 2 (March) –Apr. 1975), p. 2 (ill. ).
  • In Paintings by Monet, ed. Grace Seiberling writes about “The Evolution of an Impressionist.” Susan Wise, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1975), p. 37.
  • Susan Wise, ed. , Paintings by Monet, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1975), p. 158, cat. 101 (ill. ).
  • You can see Monet’s Years at Giverny: Beyond Impressionism at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. cat. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1978), pp. 84, cat. 33 (ill. ); 161.
  • Kirk Varnedoe, “In Monet’s Gardens,” New York Times Magazine, Apr. 2, 1978, p. 32 (ill. ).
  • A. Twenty-First-Century European Paintings by James Speyer and Courtney Graham Donnell (University of Chicago Press, 1980), p. 58, cat. 3A8; microfiche 3, no. A8 (ill. ).
  • Grace Seiberling, Monet’s Series (Garland, 1981), pp. 219; 230; 276; 438, fig. 30.
  • Robert Gordon and Andrew Forge, Monet (Abrams, 1983), pp. 262, 268–69 (ill. ), 294.
  • Andrea P. A. Belloli, ed. Impressionism and the French Landscape: A Day in the Country, exhibition cat. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984), p. 365.
  • Richard R. Brettell, “The Fields of France,” in A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape, edited by Andrea P. A. Belloli, exh. cat. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984), p. 246.
  • From A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape, ed. Sylvie Gache-Patin comes “Private and Public Gardens.” Andrea P. A. Belloli, exh. cat. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984), pp. 211; 215; 224; 230; 236; 239, no. 93 (ill. ).
  • “Rivers, Roads, and Trains” by Scott Schaefer is in A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape, which was edited by Andrea P. A. Belloli, exh. cat. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984), p. 154.
  • “The Retreat from Paris” by Scott Schaefer is in A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape, edited by Andrea P. A. Belloli, exh. cat. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984), p. 304.
  • Richard R. Brettell, “La campagne française,” in L’impressionnisme et le paysage français, a group show put together by the National Museums of France, cat. (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1985), p. 261.
  • MONET, by Andrew Forge, is in Artists in Focus (Art Institute of Chicago, 1995), pages 61; 64; 95, pl. 24; 109.
  • “Jardins privés et jardins publics” by Sylvie Gache-Patin can be found in the exhibition “L’impressionnisme et le paysage français” put together by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux. cat. (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1985), pp. 217; 220; 252–253, no. 93 (ill. ).
  • There was an exhibition called “Claude Monet: Painter of Light” at the Auckland City Art Gallery. John House wrote a catalogue of the show. cat. (Auckland City Art Gallery/NZI, 1985), pp. 94–95, cat. 27 (ill. ); 106.
  • A show called Claude Monet: Painter of Light at the Auckland City Art Gallery has a piece by John House called “Monet and the Genesis of His Series.” cat. (Auckland City Art Gallery/NZI, 1985), p. 25.
  • “L’évasion loin de Paris” by Scott Schaefer is part of the book Réunion des Musées Nationaux, L’impressionnisme et le paysage français, which was on display at the cat. (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1985), p. 327.
  • It was written by Scott Schaefer and can be found in the exhibition L’impressionnisme et le paysage français, which was put together by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux. cat. (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1985), p. 156.
  • “Transcending the Moment: Monet’s Water Lilies, 1899–1926,” by Virginia Spate, is part of the exhibition Claude Monet: Painter of Light at the Auckland City Art Gallery. cat. (Auckland City Art Gallery/NZI, 1985), pp. 30, 31.
  • Charles F. Stuckey, ed. , Monet: A Retrospective (Hugh Lauter Levin, 1985), p. 237, pl. 93.
  • Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 4, Peintures, 1899–1926 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1985), pp. 21; 194; 195, cat. 1628 (ill. ; 349, letters 1580 and 1581; 427, pieces justificative 151 and 152; 431 and 432, pieces justificative 271 and 273; and 349, letters 1580 and 1581.
  • James G. Journal of the American Medical Association 254, 3 (July 19, 1985), pp. Ravin, “Monet’s Cataracts.” 394; 395, fig. 2.
  • Kunstmuseum Basel, Claude Monet, Nymphéas: Impression, Vision, exh. cat. (SV International, 1986), pp. 29; 33, cat. 10 (ill. ); 172.
  • Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo, Claude Monet, 1840–1926, exh. cat. The Ministry of Culture and the Fundación para el Apoyo de la Cultura worked together on this project in 1986. 380–81, cat. 94 (ill. ); 499.
  • “Giverny, o La conquista de lo absoluto” by Daniel Wildenstein is part of the group show “Claude Monet, 1840–1926” at the Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo. cat. Fundación para el Apoyo de la Cultura and the Ministerio de Cultura (1986), p. 68, cat. 94 (ill. ).
  • Richard R. Brettell, Post-Impressionists (Art Institute of Chicago/Abrams, 1987), pp. 111, 114 (ill. ), 118.
  • Paintings by master artists in the Art Institute of Chicago, chosen by James N. Wood and Katharine C. Lee is the author of Art Institute of Chicago/New York Graphic Society Books/Little, Brown (1988), page 72 (ill. ).
  • Charles F. Stuckey, Monet: Water Lilies (Hugh Lauter Levin/Macmillan, 1988), p. 33, pl. 6.
  • Paintings by master artists in the Art Institute of Chicago, chosen by James N. Wood and Katharine C. Lee is the author of Art Institute of Chicago/New York Graphic Society Books/Little, Brown (1988), page 72 (ill. ).
  • Monet in the 1990s: The Series Paintings, by Paul Hayes Tucker, is on view at the cat. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Yale University Press, 1989), pp. 260; 263, pl. 98; 265; 300, cat. 91.
  • Creative and Illness: How Illness Affects Literature, Art, and Music, by Philip Sandblom, ed. (Marion Boyars, 1995), pp. 131, pl. 52; 203.
  • Charles F. Stuckey, with help from Sophia Shaw, Claude Monet, 1840–1926, shown at cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Thames & Hudson, 1995), pp. 135, cat. 114 (ill. ); 234; 246.
  • He wrote Claude Monet: Life and Art, which was published by Yale University Press in 1995. 184; 186, pl. 212.
  • Genevieve Morgan, ed. , Monet: The Artist Speaks (Collins, 1996), pp. 85 (ill. ), 95.
  • Daniel Wildenstein, Monet, or The Triumph of Impressionism, cat. rais. , vol. 1 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), p. 353.
  • Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 4, Nos. 1596–1983 et les grandes décorations (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 728–29, cat. 1628 (ill. ).
  • James G. Ravin, “Claude Monet and the Vision of Art in Old Age,” in Michael F. Marmor and James G. Ravin, The Eye of an Artist (Mosby, 1997), p. 169, fig. 14. 1.
  • George T. M. Shackelford and MaryAnne Stevens, “The Garden at Giverny, 1900–1902,” in Paul Hayes Tucker with George T. M. Shackelford and MaryAnne Stevens, Monet in the 20th Century, exh. cat. It was published by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Yale University Press in 1998. 118; 120, cat. 1 (ill. ).
  • “The Revolution in the Garden: Monet in the Twentieth Century,” by Paul Hayes Tucker, is published in Paul Hayes Tucker, with George T. M. Shackelford and MaryAnne Stevens, Monet in the 20th Century, exh. cat. It was published by the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1998. 32.
  • Christopher Yetton, Monet in the 20th Century: An Introduction, exh. cat. (Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1999), pp. 30, cat. 1 (ill. ); 31 (detail).
  • “Monet, les nymphéas: L’exposition,” in Connaissance des arts 137 (1999), no. s. 62–63, ill. 59.
  • Pierre Georgel, Claude Monet: Nymphéas (Hazan, 1999), pp. 8, 32 (ill. ).
  • When Pierre Georgel, Chantal Georgel, and Jacqueline Séjourné put on the show Monet: Le cycle des “Nymphéas,” cat. (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1999), pp. 31; 81, cat. 6 (ill. ).
  • As chosen by James N., the Art Institute of Chicago shows Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Wood (Art Institute of Chicago/Hudson Hills, 2000), p. 159 (ill. ).
  • Christie’s, London, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art, sale cat. (Christie’s, June 18, 2000), p. 48, fig. 2.
  • In Monet and Modernism, ed. Karin Sagner-Düchting writes about “Monet’s Late Work from the Vantage Point of Modernism.” Karin Sagner-Düchting, exh. cat. (Prestel, 2001), p. 25.
  • In Monet and Modernism, ed. Karin Sagner-Düchting writes about “The Waterlilies in Giverny and the Grande Décoration.” Karin Sagner-Düchting, exh. cat. (Prestel, 2001), pp. 66, 73 (ill. ).
  • The book by Norio Shimada and Keiko Sakagami is called “Kurōdo Mone meigashū: Hikari to kaze no kiseki” (Claude Monet: 1881–1926). 2 (Nihon Bijutsu Kyōiku Sentā, 2001), p. 106, no. 234 (ill. ); 190.
  • Debra N. Mancoff, Monet: Nature into Art (Publications International, 2003), pp. 96–97 (ill. ), 128.
  • Françoise Cachin, “Claude Monet, Le pont japonais, sur le bassin des nymphéas,” in L’impressionnisme, de France et d’Amérique: Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, ed. Françoise Cachin and Richard R. Brettell, exh. cat. (Artlys/Musée Fabre/Musée de Grenoble, 2007), p. 140.
  • Eric M. Zafran, “Monet in America,” in Wildenstein and Co. Claude Monet (1840–1926): A Tribute to Daniel Wildenstein and Katia Granoff, cat. (Wildenstein, 2007), p. 127.
  • The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibition by Gloria Groom and Douglas Druick, with help from Dorota Chudzicka and Jill Shaw cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Kimbell Art Museum, 2008), pp. 15 (ill. ); 19 (ill. ); 20 (ill. ); 22; 161; 163; 167; 172 (detail); 173, cat. 90 (ill. ). Gloria Groom and Douglas Druick, with help from Dorota Chudzicka and Jill Shaw, wrote and published The Age of Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago at the same time (Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2008), pages 15 (ill. ); 19 (ill. ); 20 (ill. ); 22; 161; 163; 167; 172 (detail); 173, cat. 90 (ill. ).
  • Some pages from Jon Kear’s book The Treasures of the Impressionists (Andre Deutsch, 2008) 66 (ill. ), 72.
  • Alec Mishory, Still Life: From Objects Shown to Objects Real, vol. 1 (Open University of Israel, 2008), pp. 241, fig. 208; 292.
  • “Drawing as Insight into Wholeness,” by Michael Sciarrillo and Scott Aker, Magazine for Geometry and Graphics 12, 1 (2008), pp. 87; 89; 91, fig. 1.
  • Michel Draguet, Les Nymphéas: Monet; Grandeur; Nature (Hazan, 2010), p. 4, fig. 10.
  • Monet and His Muse: Camille Monet in the Artist’s Life by Mary Mathews Gedo from the University of Chicago Press in 2010 (p. 221, fig. 15. 1.
  • Monet’s Garden, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, exhibition by Marianne Mathieu and Sophie Matthiesson cat. (National Gallery of Victoria, 2013), pp. 126 (ill. ), 173.
  • “Cat. 37: Water Lily Pond, 1900,” in Monet Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, edited by This article by Gloria Groom and Jill Shaw was published by the Art Institute of Chicago in 2014. artic. edu/monet/reader/paintingsanddrawings/section/135470.
  • George T. M. Shackelford, Monet: The Late Years, exh. cat. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019), 165, 169 fig. 171.
  • Gloria Groom, et. al. Monet and Chicago, exh. Cat. (Chicago: Art Institute, 2020), 29 fig. 8, 32 fig. 11, 120 cat. 75, 141.
  • New York, Durand-Ruel Galleries, Paintings by Claude Monet, Feb. 1–16, 1915, cat. 8.
  • Art Institute of Chicago, Exhibition of the Mrs. L. L. Coburn Collection: Modern Paintings and Watercolors, Apr. 6–Oct. 9, 1932, cat. 25.
  • From June 1 to June 22, 1948, the American Federation of the Arts put on a circuit show at the Dayton (Ohio) Art Museum called 19th Century French Paintings from the Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. There was no catalog. ; Springfield (Mo. ) Art Museum, Sept. 9–30, 1948, no cat. ; Probably Poughkeepsie, N. Y. , Vassar College Art Gallery, Oct. 15–Nov. 5, 1948; Probably Manchester, N. H. , Currier Gallery of Art, Nov. 16–Dec. 7, 1948; Saginaw (Mich. ) Museum (as Exhibition of Nineteenth Century French Painting), Dec. 19, 1948–Jan. 9, 1949, cat. 19; Probably Omaha, Neb. , Joslyn Memorial Art Museum, Jan. 23–Feb. 15, 1949; Probably Memphis, Tenn. , Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, Mar. 1–22, 1949, no cat. ; Utica, N. Y. , Munson–Williams-Proctor Institute, Apr. 3–24, 1949, no cat.
  • Chicago, Remington Rand, window display, Apr. 14–30, 1952, no cat.
  • Art Institute of Chicago, The Paintings of Claude Monet, Apr. 1–June 15, 1957, no cat. no.
  • Art Institute of Chicago, Paintings by Monet, Mar. 15–May 11, 1975, cat. 101 (ill. ).
  • Monet’s Years at Giverny: Beyond Impressionism opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in April. 19–July 9, 1978, cat. 33 (ill. ); Saint Louis Art Museum, Aug. 1–Oct. 8, 1978.
  • “A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from June 28 to September 9. 16, 1984, cat. 93 (ill. ); Art Institute of Chicago, Oct. 23, 1984–Jan. 6, 1985; Paris, Museum of Fine Arts, Grand Palais, as L’impressionnisme et le paysage français, February 4–Apr. 22, 1985.
  • Auckland City Art Gallery, Claude Monet: Painter of Light, Apr. 29–June 9, 1985, cat. 27 (ill. ); Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales, June 21–Aug. 4, 1985; Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria, Aug. 14–Sept. 29, 1985.
  • Madrid, Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo, Claude Monet, 1840–1926, Apr. 29–June 30, 1986, cat. 94 (ill. ).
  • Basel, Kunstmuseum Basel, Claude Monet: Nymphéas, July 20–Oct. 19, 1986, cat. 10 (ill. ).
  • Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts had an exhibit called Monet in the ’90s: The Series Paintings from February 7 to April 29, 1990. 91 (ill. From May 19 to August 12, 1990, at the Art Institute of Chicago; from September 7 to December 9, 1990, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
  • Art Institute of Chicago, Claude Monet, 1840–1926, July 22–Nov. 26, 1995, cat. 114 (ill. ).
  • Museo de Fine Arts in Boston, Monet in the 20th Century, September 20–Dec. 27, 1998, cat. 1 (ill. ); London, Royal Academy of Arts, Jan. 23–Apr. 18, 1999; Kunsthaus Zurich, May 6-August 8, 1999.
  • Monet: Le cycle des “Nymphéas,” Musée National d’Orsay, Paris, May 6–Aug. 2, 1999, cat. 6 (ill. ).
  • Fort Worth, Tex. The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago will be shown at the Kimbell Art Museum from June 29 to November 5. 2, 2008, cat. 90 (ill. ).
  • From May 10 to September 30, Monet’s Garden: The Musée Marmottan Monet will be shown in Melbourne at the National Gallery of Victoria. 8, 2013, no cat. no. (ill. ).
  • The Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham, UK, from June 24, 2017 to September 10, 2017.
  • It will be at the Art Institute of Chicago from September 5, 2020, to June 14, 2021. 75.
  • The artist (d. 1026); sold to Léonce Rosenberg, Paris, Dec. 1900 [this and the following per Wildenstein 1996]. Prince de Wagram, 1904. Léonce Rosenberg in Paris by July 22, 1914 [this and the two after it are listed in Durand-Ruel’s stock book for 1913–21 (no. 10710, as Le bassin aux nymphéas, 1900), as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago on February 2, 2019. It was sold to Durand-Ruel in Paris on July 22, 1914, for 21,000 francs, and again to Durand-Ruel in New York on December 21, 2013. 3 or 30, 1914; sold to Arthur Meeker, Chicago, Apr. 8, 1915, for $7,400 [based on the Durand-Ruel, New York, stock book for 1904–24 (no. 3780, as “Le bassin aux nymphéas,” 1900), which was confirmed by the Durand-Ruel Archives in the above correspondence, curatorial object file According to a letter from Durand-Ruel to A. Wildenstein in 1996, the painting was bought by Durand-Ruel again around 1923. Meeker, dated Nov. 24th, 1923; however, in the letter mentioned above from 2013, the Durand-Ruel Archives said, “We have not found such information in our archives.” ”]. Annie Swan Coburn, Chicago (d. 1932), by 1933; .
  • bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1933.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about downloads and licensing is available here.

5 Tips for Water Lilies: How to Place Them in a Pond

FAQ

What is the purpose of the water lily pond?

In 1893, Monet, a passionate horticulturist, purchased land with a pond near his property in Giverny, intending to build something “for the pleasure of the eye and also for motifs to paint.” The result was his water-lily garden.

Are pond lilies good for a pond?

By getting rid of the sunlight part, lily pad leaves help cut off the ability for algae to overtake a pond. As most pond owners know, algae is something we all want to avoid. Many fish have been killed due to a lack of oxygen once algae overtake a pond. That’s why I like to have decent coverage of lily pads in my pond.

How to make a water-lily pond?

Line a 12-inch plastic or terra-cotta pot with landscape fabric to keep the soil from escaping. Place a lily rhizome in the pot, fill the pot with wet topsoil, and cover the soil with a layer of gravel to hold the soil in place. (Don’t use potting soil—it floats.) Place three or four pots at the bottom of the pond.

How much does the water lily pond cost?

Le Bassin aux nymphéas (Water Lily Pond, 1919), a celebrated work from Charles Monet’s iconic Water Lilies series of paintings, was sold for near $70.4 million (€58.3 million) in New York on Tuesday.

What is a water lily pond?

Water Lily Pond was among the 18 similar versions of the motif that he made in 1899–1900; their common theme was the mingling of the lilies with reflections of other vegetation on the pool’s surface. Lucien Descaves, “Chez Claude Monet,” Paris-Magazine, Aug. 25, 1920, p. 354 (ill.).

Do water lilies need a pond?

And you don’t need a pond for growing water lilies; they’ll thrive in a big tub on your patio. If you’re new to water lilies or short on space, try growing them in a tub (it’ll feel more manageable than an entire pond of water lilies). Keep these aquatic plants contained in ponds and pots.

How deep should a water lilies pond be?

Natural ponds: If you have the space and resources, consider creating a natural pond for your water lilies. A pond should be at least 2 feet (60 cm) deep to ensure stable water temperatures and protect the plants during winter. Plan the size of the pond based on the number of water lilies you intend to cultivate and the available space.

How do you plant a water lily in a pond?

Substrate: For container planting, use a specialized aquatic planting soil or a mix of clay and loam soil to anchor the water lily and provide essential nutrients. In natural ponds, the heavy clay-based soil or aquatic planting soil added during preparation will suffice.

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