A floating display of floral splendour: Water lilies

A sought-after pond plant

Their beautiful flowers make water lilies a sought-after pond plant. The pink calyx with a yellow centre sits atop green leaves floating on the blue water. They are the crowning glory of any pond. Water lilies fulfil an important ecological function. They block out light, thereby limiting the growth of algae. Lilies are great for the fish in the water, as the fish keep insects and water snails away from them. Conversely, fish like to take shelter under the floating leaves of a water lily when faced with the threat of a hungry heron. A wonderful ecosystem!

Blue lotus

The blue lotus is fascinating and mysterious. As far back as Ancient Egypt, the flower was considered sacred. The flower symbolised light (the sun), as its petals open during the day and the calyx closes at night. The blue Tiffany glass in the Blue Lotus range reveals shades of purple when illuminated. It is perfectly complemented by the fresh green aquatic plant leaves at its base.

Monet’s Water Lilies

In the 1890s, the French artist Claude Monet (1840–1926) had a colourful garden with a pond laid out at his studio in Giverny, and it was here that he found fresh inspiration time and again for his much-loved subject. He produced his famous series of water lily paintings towards the end of his life, as his eyesight began to fail. As a result, his works became more abstract and less detailed. He rendered the swaying aquatic plants, leaves and the subject water lilies as broad, vague lines in shades of green, yellow and red.