I had a lovely dwarf Lotus called "Baby Doll" that is a small enough plant to grow in a tub-size pond. They do need to be in at least 4 hours of sun per day to bloom well. I had to give up on mine because it bloomed in June, but as the sun got lower, it stopped blooming. The foliage is nice, but I really wanted more flowers.
These pictures from June 2012. Excuse my feet in the first picture, they give a size ref for the plant, about 20in. across.
