Stock your pond in January?

Just wanted everyone to know that I fulfilled an order today for a pre-potted hardy waterlily today. Today is January 9, 2012 and the air temperature is about 35 f here in central Maryland.
When the customer asked if we had it/ could get it, I stated that if he was going to put it in his pond I would get it for him.
After tapping through less than 1/2" of ice I retrieved the lily (dormant rhizome) of his choice, wrapped it up as normal and sent him back to (relatively) balmy Bethesda. I did not get this gentleman's name, but what he may lack in judgment he makes up for in pond passion. I would like to make it clear though that I am not advocating stocking your pond in January.
Sorry no images with this post...nothing to see.

Overwintering Pond Fish: The Complete Story

There is a lot of talk out there regarding this subject. Here is my attempt to clear things up.
Click here for the full story.

Blue, or Purple Hardy Waterlilies?

The blue "hardy" waterlily has long been the most sought after prize of the water gardening world. The only waterlilies on the market with blue or purple flowers are "tropical" and will not overwinter in at least 95% of the mainland U.S.
Recently some hybridizers have made great strides in creating these plants. Mike Giles, a waterlily grower in southern West Virginia has created dozens of different crosses of hardy plants with flowers of various shades of blue, purple, and lavender colors. Many of these can be viewed at Mike's Facebook page.
It may be a while before these plants are widely available, but it appears to be inevitable that pond owners will be enjoying them soon.

I had a chance to meet and visit with Mike this past summer. He has several large ponds filled with waterlilies on a beautiful farm in the West Virginia hills. He lives very simply and devotes much of his time to his waterlilies and his three horses. He is the good looking guy on the left in the photo. I salute Mike for his vision and obvious Pond Passion.