Top soil alone is okay. You can buy the lotus tabs to feed your plants. But only feed it once the leaves grow above the water. I have not successfully grown lotus from seeds, but I think it will take months or even a year to see flowers. I recommend growing from tubers.

I released some green lacewing larvae to control pests. Other than that, I don't spray anything. You can also set up traps for thrips.

Yes, once the roses in my garden are at peak bloom, I will upload a video. It's probably some time this weekend.

Đa số DA trồng ở nam Cali đều lặp hoa nhé bạn. Nhưng nếu nhiệt độ nóng quaq thì form hoa và màu hoa không chuẩn. Hoa hồng đẹp nhất vào mùa xuân. Còn mùa hè thì vẫn có hoa nhưng chỉ nở lác đác và không đẹp. Ở bang lạnh như mình cũng vậy.

Yes, it is catmint called cat meow from Proven Winners

Yes, it is nepata cat meow from Proven Winners

I don't change water. I just top it off.

Deers are roaming my neighborhood in a pack of 4-8 every day. The only thing that works is a 7 foot fence. Nothing else works here. They eat everything, including salvia and beebalm, which are known to be deer proof.

With either of the pure species, it's a easier to know what you are getting, but what she was saying was that she had had bad experiences buying seeds for specific horticulturally-bred varieties, especially of the micro lotuses. Which is true for any specialty plant, really. You have to have a seller you know you can trust, when buying seed. She said she didn't have a pond, and so was growing dwarf/bowl lotuses. Nelumbo lutea can't be grown as a bowl lotus... it will struggle even in a relatively generous-sized container. I wish more people with the space *did* grow our native lotus from seed, but nucifera is showier, I guess, so it's more popular 😔

Top it off

I bought it from Home Depot years ago. It is just a plastic container. Just make sure you buy the one that does not have predrilled holes.

They will if the weather is too hot. Avoid moving roses in summer months. It is best to locate when they are sleeping in the winter or early in the spring, like right now in March, when they are just waking up.