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A reigning symbol of summer, the water lily captures our imagination immediately. It’s an important plant in our culture and religion as well as in nature – and a wonderful plant to grow if you have a suitable pond! |
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A customer requested some stained glass water lilies at the beginning of this year, so I’ve been working on a couple of new suncatcher designs… Read on for some fascinating waterlily facts & look to the bottom of the page for my new designs |
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The classic water lily is white – but they actually grow in a rainbow of colours: pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, and blue. Even the leaf colours vary from deep green to rich burgundy |
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They usually live in temperate and tropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia, as they require at least 5-6 hours of sunlight a day. |
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In Bangladesh the water lily is the national flower & is called shapla. It is harvested as a crop and the long stalks are used in vegetable curry – and these stalks can grow up to 8 metres long, so that’s A LOT of curry! |
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| They have special significance in Buddhism and Hinduism as they symbolise resurrection – this is because the flowers close up at night and reopen in the morning, similar to a spiritual rebirth. Buddhists also believe that the water lily represents enlightenment because a beautiful bloom emerges from the dark, dirty mud. |
Attention July birthdays: the water lily is your flower! |
| Water lilies bloom from May to September, putting July smack in the middle of prime water lily season. In frost-free regions, water lilies bloom year-round. But each individual flower lasts only for about four days before sinking under the water to rot. The water lily's beauty is short-lived - but maybe that’s why we think of them as so special? |
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White water lily is found in many skin care products as it is extremely beneficial for your skin. It’s brilliant for hydrating and soothing dry, irritated skin – and it contains essential compounds that help to eliminate toxins, allowing your skin to renew itself. |
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And finally, whenever we think of waterlilies, we generally think of Monet. In his last thirty years he painted his water gardens at Giverny repeatedly, showing off his feeling for colour and appreciation of light. In fact he produced more than 250 oil paintings of his lily ponds and his Japanese bridge, executed in different sunlight and at different times of the day! |
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Today Monet’s paintings are seen as some of the most important contributions to the development of modern art, and sell for anything up to $50 million. The paintings represent not just what was in front of Monet's eyes but also what he was feeling. They combine Impressionism with Expressionism in almost equal measure, and verge on abstract art… |
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Water lilies are the love of many, many artists through the years. None of us can hope to live up to Monet – but we can all make our own contribution! And here is mine: two different waterlily views in radiant spring colours – |
The Waterlilies Lake Suncatcher
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The Pink Water Lily Flower Suncatcher |
