Why won't my water lilies grow?

have you got the lilies in the right depth of water. There are different varieties and they have different depth requirements. if they are too deep they wont flower. the fallen leaves wont affect the lilies but i would certainly remove them every autumn as they will add lots of nutrients to the water.
lilies also prefer still water so if they are near to the spring out fall they might be getting too much movement.

the willow is quite poisonas to fish but i dont know about lillies.as seaburn sais lift the planter up onto a couple of heavy blocks but if these are the leaves on the new pond they obviously can reach the top easy enough in there adult form.again as seaburn sais most lillies are from apserlutly still ponds so cant tolerate any movement .there are a couple of river veriaties but these arnt as the river ones are a lot brighter green.you know the lillies in the picture look almost like theyve got dust on the leaves like house plants get if you dont spray and wipe them.perhaps that is the answer as lillies normaly are pretty tough but look shiny.perhaps the lillies cant photosynthasize properly with that dust/scum on them as that is the reasen they are there.perhaps try wiping a few choice leaves regulerly and see if they fair better.lillies like lots of sunlight or most do .maybe the willow cuts out to much light.the pond is clear because of the lillies/shade as algi need lots of light.my ponds clear as a bell but its totaly coverd and i cant grow lillies or algi.

Thanks for the advice. From what you say I think they may both be too deep and also that the scum and muck in the pond is preventing them from photosynthesising. I will raise them higher and keep the leaves wiped clean.

well at least you will take 2 possabillities out of the equasion leaving just that willow tree be it to much shade or being somehow poisonas.some plants purpasly do battle for there piece of real estate.eucalyptes do excuse my spelling

Thought I'd update on what's happened. I decided the pond was extremely lacking in pond weed and put a whole mass of weed into it from a nearby lake. Whether it's coincidence or not, the pond is now much clearer and the grey 'sludge' which was clinging to the water lilies and other floating weeds (water hyacinth etc) has largely disappeared. Even the goldfish I thought had vanished have reappeared. The water is much clearer now and one of the water lilies is growing away. The other possible factor is that the weather has been a lot cooler with a few showers of rain.

possibly.the reasen for it being cleaer is the extra water plants have taken a lot of the sun and food from the algi.im glad its got better take care bertie