Pond Plant advice please

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by wellburn

I hear many references to Yellow Flag, - and we are blessed with it (and frogs too)
I have read that the flat pea like seeds in the fat pods that replace the flowers can be roasted and used like coffee. does anyone have any ideas or experience ? - it would be great to find an extra use in addition to the great flowers.
P

I've got a link here to a really useful site for edible pond plants, I think I'm allowed to post it If not I'll pm you with it...... here it is .....

The Edible Pond and Bog Garden - Plants For A Future

It says this about the lily so you may have confused it with flag ?

Nymphaea alba - White Water Lily: Native of Britain, it grows in the deeper parts of the pond - about four feet of water should suit it well. It prefers a sunny position and a rich soil. Rootstocks that are several years old may be eaten - they contain about 40% starch. Roasted seeds may be used as a coffee substitute. A related species from North America, N. odorata, can also be found in ornamental ponds. Its young leaves and flower buds can be eaten cooked and young flowers can be eaten raw.

[dampflippers]

I found a reference for a yellow flag use of seeds for roasting for coffee, alos one saying it may be toxic!

[oliviamaryb]

Whatever you do, don't buy your pond plant from B&Q. I usually buy from my local garden centre, but was in B&Q and found that they sell water plants and the stuff you need to plant them. Once I had planted them, the water began to smell awful\and there was a grey greasy layer on top. I didn't realise what it was and thought my neigbour might have vandalised my pond! Anyway, I cleaned it out TWICE (big effort - by bucket not hose), same thing again, and then realised that it was the 'aquatic copost' that came with the plants, but not in time to save my fish :-(. Anyway, have now washed everything in washing up liquid, plants included (my water soldier did not come out of that well) re-planted the lily and iris in ordinary compost and am expecting everything to be fine now.
Rant over.
olivia

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by oliviamaryb

Whatever you do, don't buy your pond plant from B&Q. I usually buy from my local garden centre, but was in B&Q and found that they sell water plants and the stuff you need to plant them. Once I had planted them, the water began to smell awful\and there was a grey greasy layer on top. I didn't realise what it was and thought my neigbour might have vandalised my pond! Anyway, I cleaned it out TWICE (big effort - by bucket not hose), same thing again, and then realised that it was the 'aquatic copost' that came with the plants, but not in time to save my fish :-(. Anyway, have now washed everything in washing up liquid, plants included (my water soldier did not come out of that well) re-planted the lily and iris in ordinary compost and am expecting everything to be fine now.
Rant over.
olivia

You should always use an aquatic compost as the you will end up with too many nutrients in the water from normal garden compost.

[Bouncytigger]

Many Thanks for all your suggestions BuddY bears

I've just ordered a large bag of aquatic compost and gravel online and a couple of acorus (various sorts)

i bought some baskets the other week and a couple of verigated yellow/purple flag iris so when Wimbers has finished it will be my next project.