Larry and Lili would like to thank everyone who came out to LotusFest 2019 on August 2 to August 4, at Bergen Water Gardens. The weather was superb, the lotus were exceptional and the food was tasty! We hope to see even more lotus enthusiasts next August! The lotus were in excellent numbers and form: Food was great: Great meet so many new people and introduce them to lotus: https://youtu.be/6wgKWJGBOWE Lotus Paradise: our 5' x 5' display … [Read more...] about LotusFest 2019 Summary
Articles
Perry Garden Club at Lotus Paradise
Bergen Water Garden was thrilled to host a meeting of the Perry Garden Club at Lotus Paradise. About 15 members of the Perry Garden Club toured the lotus beds and greenhouses for about 2 hours. Highlights included the micro lotus display, a bed of N. Magnificent lotus, peppered with baby tree frogs and our greenhouse 5 filled with blooming lotus. The club members also enjoyed our Nepenthes collection, tropical waterlilies and the huge, tropical N. Super lotus. It was perfect day, with a cool … [Read more...] about Perry Garden Club at Lotus Paradise
LotusFest 2019
LotusFest 2019 Join us at Bergen Water Gardens as we celebrate everything LOTUS in Lotus Paradise! Date: Friday August 2, 2019 through Sunday August 4th, 2019 Time: 8:00 am till 5:00 PM Location: Bergen Water Gardens 7443 Buffalo Rd Churchville, New York 14428 Questions: [email protected]; 585-293-2860 Over the past 5 years, Bergen Water Gardens has introduced hundreds of new lotus varieties to the US marketplace. At our nursery in New York, we grow over 400 varieties of … [Read more...] about LotusFest 2019
Micro Lotus Exhibit
Micro Lotus exhibit combines imagination and artistry Micro Lotus are the smallest of all the Chinese lotus to grow. Their pots are often just six inches in diameter and sometimes smaller. Due to their petite size, the plants tend to be more delicate and challenging to grow. In China, the small plants are submerged in a larger pot filled with water. This helps to insure the micro lotus has ample water, it prevents overheating and limits damage by strong winds. The micro lotus is removed from … [Read more...] about Micro Lotus Exhibit
Late Lotus Season
2019 will be the year of the Late Lotus Season! Spring of 2019 has been remarkably cool, to outright cold in Western New York. In mid April, we placed over 30 pots of lotus outside our greenhouses, with the intention of harvesting them. Life happens and we never got to them. The lotus in the greenhouse have been growing just fine and are about to flower. The pots outside are still dormant, due to the exceptionally cold weather. We have finally decided to harvest these pots and they are … [Read more...] about Late Lotus Season
Nepenthes Update May 2019
Slowly, we are updating our website with our newly arrived Nepenthes which will be for sale. We are also taking the time to update our photos from our November and December 2018 Nepenthes shipments, from Borneo Exotics. At this moment there one new addition: Nepenthes (veitchii x lowii) x platychila BE3920 Updates thus far include: N. (veitchii x lowii) x spectabilis BE 3400 N. boschiana x tenuis BE 3763 N. burbidgeae x aristolochioides Be 3784 N. fusca x robcantleyi BE … [Read more...] about Nepenthes Update May 2019
Tasty Lotus
Bergen Water Gardens is excited to offer some of the most tasty lotus varieties found in China! Edible lotus are grown throughout China and are a basic component of the Chinese diet. Varieties of edible lotus have been selected for their size, color, texture and taste. Bergen Water Gardens is offering starter edible lotus tubers for 2019. Plant these tubers in a mud pond or a man made pond which is 5' x 20' x 1.5'. By the end of September, there will be lotus tubers ready to harvest for your … [Read more...] about Tasty Lotus
Variegated Lotus
Bergen Water Gardens is thrilled to introduce a horticulture first, the first stable variegated lotus: Nelumbo 'Gold Splash Hibiscus' Sǎ jīn fúróng. This exciting plant appeared growing in a group of stock Lanceolate Pink lotus. The unique lotus caught the eye of a premier lotus grower in Guangdong Province, China. He isolated it and has grown it since 2016. The variegation has remained stable in the leaves during this time. The beautiful leaf pattern is passed along to its progeny via tuber … [Read more...] about Variegated Lotus
How to Pot Micro Lotus
How to pot micro lotus is one of the most common questions we receive at Bergen Water Gardens. Micro lotus are the smallest growing lotus in horticulture. Often their height is only 6 to 10 inches tall. Some micro lotus only produce a few flowers during a season, others produce close to a dozen or more. There are varieties which are genetically very small and will stay small even if planted in larger pots. Some larger lotus may be planted in much smaller pots and literally dwarfed, much like a … [Read more...] about How to Pot Micro Lotus
Lantern Festival
This week, people throughout Asia celebrate the Lantern Festival, which traditionally marks the close of Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival. Brightly color lanterns of red and yellow are hung everywhere. Perhaps the most famous Lantern Festival is along the Qinhuai River in Nanjing China. The tradition dates back to the Eastern Wu, about 222 AD. Lanterns were hung to honor the return of warriors. The Lantern Festival gradually expanded and during the Ming dynasty the Lantern Festival … [Read more...] about Lantern Festival
Fresh Lotus Chips
For the second year, Bergen Water Gardens will be offering edible lotus tubers for sale. How to enjoy? Fresh lotus chips are a good option! Lotus tubers are staple food throughout China and much of Asia. The tuber may be boiled, fried or pickled. Soups with lotus tuber are also popular. A quick, easy way to enjoy lotus is to make lotus chips. The lotus chip presentation is especially novel due to the numerous holes in the slices of the lotus tuber Here is a quick … [Read more...] about Fresh Lotus Chips
Micro Lotus Porcelain Pots
Micro Lotus Pots are essential to grow the minute micro lotus. It’s best to have a pot which is no larger than 6 inches or 15 cm in diameter. In 2019, Bergen Water Gardens will be offering a limited number of Micro Lotus Pots. These will be from the famed city of Jingdezhen; renowned for it’s quality porcelain pots. It’s best to grow your micro lotus in a small pot but submerge it in a larger container/pot of water; this will keep it cool and hydrated! We use 10" plastic pots at Bergen Water … [Read more...] about Micro Lotus Porcelain Pots
Lotus Paradise on Ice
Lotus Paradise on Ice refers to an unusual "icing event" which occurred in western New York February 6 and 7, 2019. On the morning of February 6, cold air was in place and moderate rain showers fell; substantial icing took place. As the day wore on, temperatures failed to rise and more ice accumulated. That night additional cold air funneled down from the upper St. Lawrence River, following Lake Ontario and "settling over" the Rochester, New York area ( this phenomenon is common due to our … [Read more...] about Lotus Paradise on Ice
The Year of the Nepenthes
February 5, 2019 marks the start of the new lunar year; which is the Year of the Pig. Perhaps 2019 could also be considered the Year of the Nepenthes? The Pig represents luck, overall good fortune, wealth, honesty, general prosperity in Chinese tradition. Nepenthes are very popular and desirable plants during Lunar New Year celebrations. Their hanging pitchers resemble money bags and therefore are considered lucky. The Chinese characters for Nepenthes are 猪笼草 or zhū lóng cǎo. Zhū … [Read more...] about The Year of the Nepenthes
IWGS Certified Nelumbo Collection of Excellence
Bergen Water Gardens is honored to be designated as an International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society's Certified Nelumbo Collection of Excellence. Lotus Paradise is the first garden to receive this distinction in the 37 year history of the IWGS. Over the past 5 years, Bergen Water Gardens has worked diligently to collect, import and grow one of the largest collections of lotus (Nelumbo) outside of China. To meet the IWGS's Collection of Excellence, there must be a minimum of 75 varieties … [Read more...] about IWGS Certified Nelumbo Collection of Excellence
Micro Lotus Pots
Micro Lotus Pots are essential to grow the minute micro lotus. It's best to have a pot which is no larger than 6 inches or 15 cm in diameter. In 2019, Bergen Water Gardens will be offering a limited number of Micro Lotus Pots. These will be from the famed city of Jingdezhen; renowned for it's quality porcelain pots. It's best to grow your micro lotus in a small pot but submerge it in a larger container of water; this will keep it cool and hydrated! 2019 also brings 10 additional varieties of … [Read more...] about Micro Lotus Pots