Thanks everyone for all the compliments. My floating baskets aren't doing too good this year. Don't know if it's the weather or my koi (now that they are bigger they are able to tip the basket with their body just enough to nibble. They remind me of deer they don't eat the whole plant just enough to stress it out). I heard a rumor it could be my water is too clean. Pond is in it's third year so it may be fully cycled now. Don't know if any of you read Nosambos (Lisa's) post earler this month so I am linking it to mine. She is so creative she can turn anything that floats into a planter as you can see from her post. I just love visiting her pond because I never know what she has created that is going to surprise me. I got 4 large sheets of styrofoam pads from work. They are about 3 ft long by 1 1/2 ft wide. I am planning on connecting them together with computer cable ties. I am going to try to make a large floating impatiens, watercress island out of them by cutting holes in the pads and placing punctured styrofoam cups in the holes (hopefully this will make them koi proof), then placing impatiens and watercress bare root in the styrofoam cups. It may work unless my koi decide to tip it over. (They completely destroyed one floating basket of watercress in a day). I will post pics if it does work. I am just wondering if I should surround it by pond noodles to make it more stable. Only problem will be getting it in and out of the pond. My pond is in full sun and my fish have no shade other than the floating planters you see in the post here. As they are getting bigger their shade is getting smaller. Jenny Here is a link that might be useful: Nosambos floating watercress idea

Sue I live in s. florida and find that they can survive everything though there is an obvious decline in the 40's I was always curious about "seeds " because they flower for at least 10 months of the year but seeds are never obvious. Nor have I ever had obvious seedlings and they never moved to another pond less than 15 feet away So my conclusion was that while they are a "Noxious weed " they can be controlled I find them irreplaceable as a water filter.lol So easy to harvet since they never root and make wonderful mulch . Another curious aspect to them is the dark purple ,surrounded with yellow "eyespot" Most plants that flower that way do so to attract a particular pollinator Seems odd they would expend so much energy flowering when they offset by the gazillions lol setconi Here in florida they will die if they don't have standing water. If there are heavy rains it will prolong the period . I find they make wonderful mulch for that reason very light and breakdown very rapidly and they pull nutrients from the water by the ton . Sue thanks for that info I can sort of fuigure out why mine don't seed. gary

Which state do you live in? Some states prohibit these plants because they are quite invasive in open waters. As long as you keep them in your pond, that doesn't have access to open waters, then you are OK. I have bunches of them. I throw them out regularly because they multiply so fast.

Hi....Live in PA and would love some also for postage. Still cool here so no hurry. Let me know and thanks.