A Rare Bloom

I'm not a real "water feature" person. I do like water in the garden but it doesn't have to be a feature, however . . . . two years ago Husband Jim and I found the cat.

The first year, he sat in a black tub in the place where the "pond" now sits. We loved the charming one-eared cat having fallen in love with this fountain when we first saw it at a Garden Center in the city.

Last year, we had a pond dug so he would have a proper place.

And last year we put in a water lily -- a $30 water lily! As well as three small water hyacinths. The three hyacinths became a mass of hyacinths, that we moved, gave away, threw away . . . all the while the water lily disappeared. . . . .

But the hyacinths are not winter hardy on the prairie and so they were gone with the first frost. The water lily grew dormant and, alas, it, too, disappeared.

Only to reappear this spring -- and grow and grow and grow.
Last week, it bloomed! The first bloom. A rare bloom! It closed at sundown only to open again the next two days.

I love water lilies with their big leaves floating on the surface and that bloom -- so extra special.

No more water hyacinths for us -- we learned our lesson last year -- our first with the pond. The only thing I could wish for -- a frog to sit on the lilypad. Alas, I thought I had some tadpoles but they disappeared.
One of Oliver's duties is to make sure that cats don't bother the fish in the pond -- he takes his job seriously -- always on watch!

The pond is his first stop on his morning ritual -- smelling his way around it . . . . and in the year plus that we've had it -- he's only fallen in twice!!!!! Scaring the fish, I'm sure, as much as it scared him!

It's Wednesday which means that it's Outdoor Wednesday so please join Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see what wonderful outdoorsy things there are this Wednesday.