Waiting for the Lotus to Bloom

I am lucky to have a great garden centre just down the street from me, in fact, in walking distance.  It has a pond store across the street from the trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.  I noticed the lotus the other day and it looks like it might bloom this week.  It got me started on lotuses.  I saw more last year than ever before.  They are not hardy in my zone - they are hardy in the Philadelphia area - and Chanticleer has a beautiful pond of lotus.  I also saw a beautiful stand at Lotusland in Pasadena.

Here are a few from last year - I was lucky to get some pretty lighting and be able to get close enough for a macro image of the lotus centre.