Why you shouldn't buy "Clearance" Pond Plants

3-5 years til you see anything but lily pads Four or five years ago I built a pond. It was to keep me from putting waterlilies in tubs all over the yard, and forgetting about the mosquitos just long enough for them to learn how to fly. I had one water lily then. A huge 'Attraction' that by some miracle bloomed all the time, in spite of the fact it was a five dollar dry plant from a big box store. That of course went in the new pond. Every year I got suckered into the end of season plants. That pond pickerel that is just a stump now, but weakly will put out leaves next year., or the irises with nothing but floppy leaves. And roughly 7 more water lilies in various states. I got three with names. A Sioux, which is growing in a yogurt container it was so small, an 'Alba', and something scented that's supposed to be orange I think. Requiring names has cut down the collecting considerably. The fact that there isn't room in the pond for another one isn't really stopping me. Anyway, none were bought last year, and I was so lazy last October that I just dropped all the pots to the bottom of the shallow above ground pond, and hoped I could start over. Nothing died... I ended up with just as many as last year, even though the pond froze down to a block of ice. Last week one bloom from 'Attraction' came up, which I've come to expect. This week I got another bloom from a different plant, and a third is peeking up from yet another plant... They are definitely getting left outside next year if this is the result. They were wintering in the basement in minimal light and heat. I'll still move the fishies though.