Saw this picture on BoredPanda ... #6

http://www.boredpanda.com/25-c...

Could you really grow a lotus in a glass?

Its very impossible to grow lotus in a glass, from the pict its not lotus but its a tropical waterlily, i dunno about miniature waterlily can live in a glass or not. Maybe someone else grow it?

The fact u also cannot grow normal waterlily in a glass

Thanks for your reply Hendrik - I'll have to check into miniature waterlily's ... it would be nice if it were possible!

They are adorable little fellows no matter what. I wonder if Dusty at Texas Water Lilies would know?

Mary it seems like it's one of those 'too good to be true' things.

Anne, it does indeed. I don't have a lot of luck, well maybe three or four blooms a summer on hardy water lilies, so this would be so neat. People grow them in small tubs so why not in a small glass vase. There are mini-lilies though I doubt lotus would work. But the tubers I get from TWL would be much too big for those little glasses.

Given there's only one leaf at a time shown here, and no space for the tuber or roots, I think these are pictures of flowers (and a leaf or two) that have been cut and placed into the glasses. Pretty, as a short-lived indoor decoration, but not a "unique aquaponics technique" for growing waterlilies.

Even the small waterlilies like Dauben require enough leaves, and enough bright light on those leaves, to fuel plant growth and flowering. I've had miniature waterlilies bloom in just a couple gallons of water, but they were in outdoor light with a bunch of leaves sticking out of the water.

Thanks Paul .. the more research I did the more I came to the same conclusion.

Anne, I missed this thread last week but have a little thing to add - I have planted a dwarf Lotus called "Baby Doll" in a 20gal. tub this year. (got it from Texas Water Lilies, too!) I grew it once before in my pond, but it didn't get enough sun to bloom for more than about a month. In the tub, I can move it around the yard so that it can be in the sun all summer and into fall.

For the winter, I'll move it back to my most protected, sunny spot and the tub of water will act as a nice big, dark heat sink for my roll-up tent that I put over my veggies and tender plants when we get cold nights. It will stay warm enough through the winter for the lotus plant to survive, too.

Just thought I'd mention this because a similar tub could act as a heat sink in your greenhouse in winter, too. I know a couple of people who have grown small lotus in a half-barrel size tub of water.

I agree about the growing water flowers in a glass - they like some soil and a fair amount of fert as well as lots of sun to bloom.

Here's my new tub - the forks are to keep the raccoon from stepping in the pot and upsetting it. Once the plant gets more mature, the leaves stand up out of the water, and so do the flowers. I just planted this a month ago.

Thanks for the input Elaine .. I'm actually planning to make a small water garden for my 'jungle'.