Longwood Gardens

Kennett Square, Pa

Water Lily Gardens

in the Conservatory

October 2, 2006

There was one type we found fascinating.  These pads are the leaves.  To get an idea of the size, notice the feet and legs of the people toward the top right.  

The pads are really leaves which are on long stems.  Notice the spiny one near the flower.  It is an immature leaf..  The white ball-like things are flower buds.

The pods are opened and the seeds taken out.  The seeds are covered with a gelatinous substance that makes them float.  In nature, they would float downstream to  grow in an area away from the parent plant.  The seeds harvested today will be taken into the greenhouse to dry out.  In March, they will plant them in soil.  In June the plants will be ready to go out into the ponds for the new year.

The day was beautiful, and after 5 hours of wandering, we felt we had only scratched the surface.  We took many pictures, and we would be happy to share them.  Let me know if you want to see more!

e-mail Leslie here.

Here's a link to all the rest of the grandkids' pages.