A Pond Pick-Me-Up

In an effort to make our small waterfall pond by the museum front doors easier to upkeep, we have transitioned out all of the annual plantings and have opted for low-care perennials.
Bromeliads: A difficult to plant and narrow strip of soil has been populated with Red Torch Bromeliads (Billbergia pyramidalis). These tough evergreen bromeliads from Brazil need little care and thrive in just about any shady spot.
In the fall, these bromeliads put on a show of crimson blooms that are sure to catch the eye. Planted near this water feature they will also create shelter for the frogs, toads and other small denizens of this water feature.
Calla Lilies: The edge of the pond basin has persistently wet soil and is shady for about three quarters of the day so we were looking for a plant that would be low-maintenance and would thrive in these conditions. It was also important to find a plant species that would be low growing and not block views of the pond.
While wandering through the discount section of a garden center we found  several pots of calla lilies that had been deeply discounted after the holidays. Although the plants looks a bit beaten up, we knew this was a challenge we could handle. We brought the potted plants back to MOSI, divided them up and packed the front edge of the small pond.
Calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) are native to southern Africa where they can be found growing on the banks of waterways and ponds. These tough plants grow from a rhizome which is an underground plant stem that sends out shoots for reproduction. 
Heat tolerant and wet-soil loving, these calla lilies will provide great greenery for the front of the pond, should reproduce readily to fill the small area and will bloom throughout the year. We picked up cultivars with blooms of white, white with a blush of pale pink and a purple that lightens to pink as the flower matures. We hope to add other colors like yellow, red and black in the following years.