Pink Saturday - The Lovely Lotus, Part Two

Last week for Pink Saturday I wrote about the spunky little lotus, Momo Batan. This week I want to show you the majestic Mrs. Perry D. Slocum. In my imagination this lotus is an elegant grande dame in a pink ballroom gown!

Dr. Slocum was a pioneer in the hybridization of water lilies and lotus and named this exquisite lotus in tribute to his wife. It will grow to 6 feet tall with the blooms being held at least a foot above the pads. The pads on the plants we grew this year were up to 18 inches across with blooms nearly as big! People would see it in the nursery yard, pull over to ask what it was, then promptly buy it so that they could have one of the these giant beauties for their very own.

Mrs. Slocum is the only "changeable" lotus, its flowers are vivid pink on the first day, pale pink on the second, creamy yellow on the third and creamy white on the fourth! The picture above was taken of three blooms on the same lotus plant, and - being bog plants - they are also grown in a 7 gallon feed pan which can be placed anywhere in your garden!

We will begin anew with tubers in early spring, come join me in my obsession with the sacred lotus...

Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for more delicious pinkness!