cecil you can come remove as many lily pads as you want from my pond and i will pay you to take them. Here they are very invasive. I am trying to use crayfish to help keep them under control with some success. I got the idea from Tim Matson the pond designer. If you have a home depot near you they often carry the blue flag iris, lousiana and the yellow iris in the spring. I have had very good success with them since they are potted big plants and have no shipping costs.