Assemble, soil, pot, and fertilizer. Any topsoil will do, but a heavy clay loam is best. Avoid commercial potting mixes. The pot should not have drainage holes and be wider than it is tall.

Fill 1/3 pot with soil and insert fertilizer tablets according to dosage rate.

Hardy lilies have a long rhizomes ( a modified stem that acts as a root) which are planted at a 45 angle in the pot. Point the crown or growing tip (the point at which new leaves and buds emerge) towards the center of the pot at the surface.

Make a cone of soil in the center of the pot for your Tropical Lily and arrange the roots around the cone.

Add the rest of the soil taking care not to cover the crown or growing tip with soil.

With your fist, pound the soil down firmly, then add water.

Cover the soil with 1-2 inches of pea gravel, (prevents fish from rooting around in the soil).

Lower gently into the pond allowing trapped air in the soil to escape without dislodging the plant. If the plant is dislodged, no need to start over, simply push back into the soil and add more gravel.

These same steps are used to plant margianls aquatics, always taking care not to cover the crown of the plant with soil.