Here in Southern California summer slips into the doldrums as the weather heats up and the land dries out. If only we had shallow lakes everywhere we might have acres of waterlilies blooming their heads off. Things might look a little bit like this…

Jenny was at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania recently and sent me these photos of their water gardens. (Thanks, Jenny!) She was struck by their flowers, but was really drawn to the foliage. It’s easy to love the variegated ones, but the crinkled edges on the other varieties are awfully cool too. These are all waterlilies but for one, the plant without blooms. I’ll try to get the name of the from her, but if any of the rest of you know what it is, just drop a note.

Of course, having a body of water in a warm climate is no guarantee that water plants will thrive. Last year, up in Los Angeles, the Echo Park Lotus Festival took place. But after celebrating the blooming of the water lotuses every year since 1972, there were no lotus blooms to show. Earlier this month they went ahead and held the annual celebration, but this time it was re-branded the Echo Park Community Festival. No lotuses. Sad.