After a rainy start to the British summer, July brought the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society (IWGS) symposium attendees flying in from all corners of the world to a week of beautiful sunshine and mild summer temperatures. Longtime IWGS members James Allison and James Bennett hosted the society in the South of England for the 2024 Symposium.
The itinerary featured a full day conference with speakers and panelists from different avenues of the water-gardening industry. In addition, there were two field trips to local gardens.
Day One
Our first stop was the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden Wisley, the oldest of the five RHS gardens, in Surrey. The garden has been maintained continuously since 1878 and was officially gifted to RHS in 1903. Featuring many different garden spaces, the different focus of each is designed to engage and inspire. While many attractions remained terrestrial, our interests naturally gravitated to the ponds.
The wildlife garden around the new Hilltop Horticultural Science Center is a relatively new garden. Its design evokes a natural wetland habitat. This exhibit seamlessly wove waterlilies into a mix of marginal aquatics like flowering rush, pickerel weed, mare’s tail and others.
The rock garden, built along a slope with beautifully placed waterfalls and ponds in between colorful garden beds, features beautiful examples of waterlilies and pitcher plants alongside alpine plants and Japanese maples.
Next, we boarded our bus and anxiously headed into London to visit the world-famous Kew Gardens. The Gardens identified and grew the official third species of the South American water platter, the Victoria boliviana. As you might imagine, a cascade of waterlily enthusiasts eagerly converged on the two glass houses where these magnificent water platters are displayed. The waterlily house features a red-lipped V. boliviana with platters over 5 feet across that currently hold court. The Princess of Wales Conservatory also displays the white variant of the species. It shares a pool with the better-known V. cruziana and the dark-leafed V. amazonica ‘Dreamer.’
Day Two
The second day found our congregation venturing further west to the Longstock Park Water Gardens in Stockbridge. Located in the Hampshire countryside, Longstock is a tranquil garden of interconnected ponds and canals. Waterlilies and lushly planted edges are surrounded by grassy fields and mature trees.
Our last stop was extra special for many of us, as Bennetts Water Gardens is managed by one of our own. This family-owned business has been around for three generations, and the Bennetts are longtime members and supporters of the IWGS.
The Bennetts collection disappointed no one. It is easy to see why this 300-cultivar-strong collection of hardy waterlilies is designated the United Kingdom’s National Collection of waterlilies. Plants range from rare old hybrids to new celebrity-variety waterlily hybrids. We wandered the well-maintained paths around the ponds documenting, discussing and admiring our favorite plants. Needless to say, we were all in our element!
Day Three
The third and last day of the main symposium was spent at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Reading. Attendees gathered for a full day of presentations and a panel discussion on the role of sustainability and conservation in the world of water gardens. We heard about sustainable practices from nursery growers from the U.K. and the U.S., a researcher studying biodiversity in urban ponds, and horticulturists with a passion for inspiring the public.
Carlos Magdalena from Kew Gardens, a featured speaker who described his plant exploration work with Victoria and various Australian species, was inducted into the IWGS Hall of Fame for his work on waterlily research and conservation.
Our keynote speaker was Wolfram Kircher from Germany. Kircher discussed the pros and cons of different filtration systems for natural swimming-pool ponds.
This day also featured the IWGS Annual General Meeting. We thanked outgoing board members Jeannie Suffern (President) and James Bennett (Treasurer, Website Committee Chair), and welcomed new board member Krishnan Subramanian.
Members of the IWGS are welcome to view some of the presentations on our website (www.iwgs.org). If you are not currently a member but would like to become one, please visit our website. The International Water Gardening Society is a nonprofit organization funded primarily by membership. Your involvement helps us bring the latest water-gardening techniques and practices to you.
Next year, our symposium will land in the New York City metropolitan area. We are still in the planning phase, but details will be shared on our website as they become available. We look forward to seeing you there!
Suzanne Boom is the newly-elected president of the IWGS and a senior horticulturist specializing in aquatic plants at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.
