The plants varieties used for Color On The Creek are selected primarily to provide shade but also for beauty or visual interest. Read more on the history of Color On The Creek and why shading is critical. The plants in the Creek now include about 4,000 hardy lilies, lotuses and bog (emergent shallow water) plants including water irises, reeds, rush and cattail. The garden has a mix of prolific tropical (annual) lilies to provide vibrant blue and purple colors. All plants are potted, to prevent overgrowth/naturalization of the creek bottom, and are placed in custom designed metal plant stands to vary the plant depth necessary for optimal growth. We introduced a limited number of massive night blooming Victoria specimens – these unusual lilies boast the largest pads in the world. Their thorny prehistoric pads emerge fully formed and literally unroll upon reaching the water surface. Each lily pad may reach 4 to 6 feet in diameter. Many of our Lotus plants, and some of the tropical bog plants, will typically rise 5 to 7 feet above the water and bloom from July well into October.