St Peters RC Church Hamilton

The water lily really is truly

A stunning summer beauty,

Being so delicate and pretty.

And fortunately they linger

Rather longer than only in summer,

Decorating park ponds and garden pools

Into September, with its cooler weather.

The welcome cup did open up

Gently floating, quiet colours boasting,

Whilst feeding on nutrients during the growing season.

In God’s goodness, these are found in the sludge

That firmly sits at the bottom of a pond.

Flourishing from spring to autumn,

A lily may well require extra feed

Than that gained from plants decaying and invertebrates dying.

A warning signal of a food deficient lily

Is yellowing leaves and fewer or smaller flowers produced.

If however, fertiliser pellets are sunk down

Into the compost near the roots, under water,

This provides the very best answer.

The water lily takes up the nutrients readily, steadily,

Preventing leakage into the water, where unfortunately

An excess of richness can cause algae to start forming,

Spoiling the look of a clear, clean lily pond.

And of course, our preference is for no interference

To impair the beauty of the water lily.

Lord, for the elegant beauty of the water lily, I praise and thank you very much indeed, for this flower is an unusual summer beauty. Amen.