Page 36 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2025

FEATURED MEMBER (Continued)

Water Becomes a Garden has no are geared toward sterile plants growers and the finest U.S. growers.
employees, just local volunteers, with more compact growth habits Billing offers contract growing for
usually students. Billing works with a for small backyard ponds, while large projects like estate ponds, golf
former coworker, Bobbi Jo Ayres of some hybrids are better suited to be courses and water features with
Ridge Heights Nursery in Whiteford. showstoppers when space allows. special requirements, like natural
“Team work makes the dream work!” You have to meet the needs of the swimming pools.
Billing said. Ayres’ business is a full- client,” she said. She also does a lot of trialing of
service wholesale nursery, as was Waterlily and lotus hybridization plants. “You have to know them to
Maryland Aquatic Nursery, which is is changing at what seems to be understand how they will respond in
closing the end of this year. lightning speed. Plants that were the environment,” Billing explained.
Billing prefers plants that are well once were beyond imagination Water gardening is still a small
behaved in the landscape. She is are real and available: vibrant color segment of the horticulture industry.
very pro native plants, she said, but intensity, extraordinary blooming, True trial gardens don’t exist;
recognizes there are certain places, variegated foliage and even however, the International Waterlily
designs and elements appropriate magnificent purple hardy waterlilies. and Water Gardening Society (www.
for non-native plants. “Native Water Becomes a Garden specializes iwgs.org) has developed an aquatic
waterlilies seed aggressively and are in new plant cultivars not widely database that offers information on
problematic in natural earth-bottom available on the market, imported most aquatic plants.
ponds. Waterlily hybridizing efforts
directly from leading international (continued on page 38)

36 WINTER 2025 • Free State News