James Knock, who lives in the United Kingdom, has been a dedicated collector of Strawn waterlily cultivars for many years and is an expert in their identification and cultivation. Most cultivars were obtained directly from Strawn Water Gardens in the years 1994 through 1998.

In these galleries, James takes us through seasonal and age related changes in coloration of many Strawn cultivars. High summer in England, sometimes only two to three weeks long, provides the most dramatic colors of all, often not seen in other climates. None of the images have been color enhanced or color adjusted.  

A classic water lily with a twist. At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking this is one of many rose coloured lilies. Then it strikes you, there's something different going on. So just why does it stand out? After all it's the same colour as the others.

Its not actually the colour that's at play here, but the extraordinary graduation of shades. The inner petals are a rich rose red, where as the outer ones are almost white! This effect is accentuated by the superb form of the flowers.

The foliage is also about as good as it gets. New leaves open with a lovely red tint and then darken to a deep green. These leaves are very thick and sturdy, making them practically bullet proof - great if you're prone to summer hail storms. A very reliable and free flowering hybrid.