Lflypons Water Gardens is one of world's
BY SHARON SCHUSTER
Staff Correspondent
LILYPONS, MD - The story
unfolds like a fairytale, with all the
majesty and mystery of a night
blooming tropic water lily. It was
in 1936 that Miss Lily Pons of the
Metropolitan Opera Company
visited the water gardens of Three
Springs Fisheries near
Buckeystown, Md., founded by
entrepreneur George Leciester
Thomas in 1917.
The legendary Miss Pons flitted
onto the scene like a butterfly to
light momentarily upon the lily
filled waters. A crowd of about
3,000 rimmed the perimeter of one
of Three Springs’ 500 ponds to
watch the opera star dangle her
fingers over the side of a rowboat,
teasing the exotic Koi that swam
under the lily pads.
Said to be a publicity stunt to
bring attention to the soprano’s
career, the water gardens, from
that day, became known as
Lilypons Water Gardens. “The pun
was irresistible,” said Virginia
Thomas, great-granddaughter of
the founder of “the largest supplier
of water lilies in the free world.”
Relating the story as her
grandmother told it to her, Thomas
Charles Thomas displays one of many statuaries Lilypons
offers its customers.
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Lilypons Lilies lies like an exotic island paradise on the banks of the Monocacy River.
said the start of Lilypons was
“legendary.” She said her great
grandfather had developed a
thriving goldfish business with
water lilies as an aside. The
business grew to such an extent
that in 1935, Lilypons opened its
own post office and officially
became a town.
Lilypons lies like an exotic island
paradise on the banks of the
Monocacy River and is surrounded
by the fertile fields of dairy farms
of nearby Buckeystown. The area
has a fair amount of lime deposit,
with a lime kiln just a mile away
from the water gardens. Thomas
explained that the lime rich soil is
“extremely good for goldfish,
especially for their color. ’ ’
“Lilies always were the aside,"
said Thomas of her family’s
business, “until about 1978.” At
that time her father, Charles
Thomas, whom she identified as
“the most progressive aquatic
nurseryman alive today,” in
creased the emphasis on water lily
propagation. “He was very in
terested in it, and he has turned the
business into what it is today,” she
added.
And what it is today, is 300 acres
of ponds, canals and bogs
(originally excavated by hand and
with horses), that produce enough
varieties of aquatic plants to fill a
75-page catalog. Lilypons fills the
orders of loyal visitors to “the fish
house,” and mail order customers
from as far as Japan, Africa,
France, Germany, India, Mexico
and Canada.
Water lilies come in a full
spectrum of colors, ranging from
white to pink, and from yellow to
blue, and with foliage that is ter
med ‘mottled,’ ‘speckled’, or with
a ‘bronze cast.’ And, water lilies
come in day-blooming varieties
(not to be confused with the day
Uly that thrives along dusty
country lanes), and night
blooming varieties.
Day bloomers “awaken each
morning and go sleep in late af
ternoon,” according to the glossy,
color-illustrated catalog designed
by Mrs. Charles Thomas, “Hardy
lilies,” such as the exquisite white
“Virginia,” named for Charles
Thomas’ mother, the golden
“Sunrise,” and the radiant red
“Flammea,” are available from
April through September.
The tropical day-bloomers, such
as the “Yellow Dazzler,” and the
blue “Charles Thomas,” named in
honor of the current owner of
Lilypons, are available from June
through September. And, the lotus
is another aquatic plant that
thrusts its stems 2 to 5 feet out of
the water. It’s blossoms permeate
a “heady fragrance” that is “in
toxicating.” A Lotus Festival is
held in early September each year.
But, it’s the luminesence of the
night blooming tropical lilies that
attracts the eye of the catalog
shopper. The night bloomers start
to open their colorful petals at
dusk, and emit their special
radiance under the moonlight, well
into the following morning.
“A lot of people like to get one of
each,” said Thomas, ‘‘so they have
something blooming all the time.”
Thomas said the fragrance of the
tropicals is “an amazing scent. If
the breeze is blowing your way, it’s
a beautiful fragrance.”
The most popular lily is the
“Hardy pink”. Thomas suggested
that its popularity may be linked
with the famous Monet painting
which is spattered with their
likeness. Lilies also come in a
variety of sizes from the 2 to 3 feet
spanse of the “pygmy,” to the
sprawling “Victoria,” whose pads
alone may measure 4 feet around.
Prices of lilies start at $17.95, with
the most expensive lily in the
catalog priced at $95. The medium
price for lilies at Lilypons is about
$25.
Thomas said water liliies are
“very tough.” Some varieties may
even take over an earth bottom
pond. She recommended the more
hybrid varieties.
Planting a water lily that has
largest water lily suppliers
This lovely water lily, the Charles Thomas, is named in
honor of the current owner of Lilypons.
been freshly harvested by a wader adds not only an element of beauty,
at Lilypons is a fairly simple task; hut also serves to aerate the water,
perhaps one that is best suited for a ' Aeration is particularly important
hot, sticky summer day. In an when the pond is stocked with
earth bottom pond, such as the goldfish or Koi.
typical farm pond, Thomas said, The ornamental fish, in all sizes
“Go in barefoot or in hip waders; aa( f colors, are available at
push the plant into the ground. The ,‘JP starting at $3 for a pair
mud will almost suck the plant in,” of2-to3-inch Comets, to $195 for
she explained. “Make sure the a Pf 8- °f the imperial shxmmery
crown of the plant is not under the B®*® to 12-inch Koi, Lilypons
mud.” She recommended six to ten °« ers one free with each pair the
square feet of pond surface for customer purchases,
each plant, with at least 30 percent Koi are very popular. “The
of the pond remaining free and definition of their color is what
open. makes them so valuable,” said
For those who have something Thomas. She explained that Koi
smaller than a farm pond in mind, are . intelligent fish that can be
Lilypons simplifies the chore of trained to respond to a whistle, and
excavating and designing. The eat out °f the hand. “People
catalog outlines step by step become fanatical about them” she
illustrated directions for installing said. “Some of the fish are fine
a pool liner or one of 12 preformed, enough that we price them in
fiberglass pools, from the 70 gallon dividually.” During the Koi
Tear drop, to the 420-gallon Lagoon. Festival in early September,
Waterscaping can still be Thomas said they will have the big
achieved without the excavation of “two footers,” on display,
a pond. No need to fear that As an added dimension to the
swampy area just back of the water garden, Lilypons suggests
spring house anymore. Why not that fountains, sculpture,
plant a bog garden? Poorly- waterfalls and statuary create
drained soils that stay wet all year melodic sounds and fascinating
are described as “ideal” for Patterns made by spilling water.”
planting cattails, water poppies, Statuary displays range from 4-
the flowering arrowhead, spider * nc h frogs to almost lifesize
lilies, lizard’s tail and iris- "/mph-like children who are
“royalaty of the bog.” poised to frolick in the spray of a
Cultivating water lilies is a fountain,
favorite hobby with many, in- 0° a hot August day, the trickle
eluding one of Lilypons’ regular ®f water “makes it seem just a
customers, Vice President George little cooler,” Charles Thomas
Bush. Lilypons is the place to sa^-
become initiated into the Finally, there is a variety of
fascinating world of water gar- scavengers from which to choose,
dening. Described as the “sanitation
Whatever the choice for department” for the pool, snails,
waterscaping, Lilypons offers tadpoles, clams and mussels are
many items to add a special touch sold in pairs, dozens or by the
to a water garden. Thomas said hundred. Lilypons suggests
that most people with lily ponds stocking one scavenger per square
have a spray or waterfall which foot of pond area.
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Photo Courtesy of Lilypons
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