Loretta
So sorry to hear about your Mom - I know how difficult that is myself. Makes me so glad I have my siblings.
I use the yearly plant fertilizer stakes - in all honesty, if I had to fertilize my waterlilies more often than that, I am sure it would be something that would not get done. Soon I will be lifting all my waterlilies, dividing and fertilizing them. I have 22 pots and it does become a chore.
The waterlily in my picture is 'Peaches and Cream'. It has nice huge blooms and every year, I look forward to seeing it flower.