Pond Plant advice please

[Bouncytigger]

Now then

I was looking at my wildlife ponds earlier today in the pouring rain and as wild as they are i don't have one of those PLANT IN A BASKET PROTUDING PLANTS?? LOL

A yellow flag iris i feel might be a little to big and take over the whole pond in time i feel and i'm off the my local garden centre and aquatics centre tomorrow so some advice would be much appreciated.

i want something tall that dragonfly,damselfly larvae would be able to climb out on , something sort of BIG AND POINTY! LOL

[Kayleigh]

Hi bouncy,
Yellow flags will be fine in a basket.
I have this Acorus Variagatus its a Japanese rush the frogs love to sit in the middle of it.
Here are a few others for you to look at.

Merebrook Pond Plants :: View our selection of Marginals

[Bouncytigger]

Thats Brilliant Kayleigh!!

Any of those would be brilliant

I might be tempted to go for the yellow flag iris's after all

They do look nice don't they and i have one basket and i can always buy another tommorrow.

As for the frogs well still non to report sadly

[Kayleigh]

I have yellow flags in the pond, no basket I will regret that in the future.

Your frogs will turn up I'm sure, you might even get newts and toads.
I will be really jealous if you get a Grass Snake.
Do you go out with a torch at nigh to see what's around.

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I have yellow flags in the pond, no basket I will regret that in the future.

Your frogs will turn up I'm sure, you might even get newts and toads.
I will be really jealous if you get a Grass Snake.
Do you go out with a torch at nigh to see what's around.

i Do go out occasionally with a torch but never seen anything but have heard various rustlings in the undergrowth but never been able to quite pinpoint the cause

Probably a rat knowing my luck

I keep meaning to get up about 2am get dressed and go out and have a look then before it gets light but it's to flipping cold isn't it at the moment to go
creeping round the garden at that time in the morning

I'll report back on my pond plant purchases tommorrow.

Really looking forward to it as i've never been before to this aquatics centre or any for that matter so it should be a real adventure.

I'll probably come back with MOBY DICK knowing me!!!

lol

[Kayleigh]

Just be careful what you buy don't get floating pennywort. I made one hell of a blunder I cant get rid of the dam stuff. It should NEVER be on sale.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...nnywort203.jpg

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Just be careful what you buy don't get floating pennywort. I made one hell of a blunder I cant get rid of the dam stuff. It should NEVER be on sale.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...nnywort203.jpg

LOL

Not the most appealing is it?

Think i'd rather have a pond full of japanese Knotweed than that stuff??

Thanks for the warning!

[galanthus]

I would go with

acorus calamus
juncus
alisma plantago - water plantain
marsh marigold or kingcup
pontederia cordata - pickerel weed....... gorgeous
zantedeschia aethiopica - peace/arum lily type thing
water forget me nots ...... very fab
and the yellow flag will be lovely, tho you can get a smaller similar one but not native as such.

deep water aquatics faves are water hawthorn, golden club and water lily

I have all of these, will post a pic of my pond when the weather clears up. The damselflies are always laying in these and I've had several emergents over the last 3 years.

[djackso]

Juncus spp. seem to be very easy to grow and good for emerging insects.
Personally I like my little ragged robin. It just appeared one year and is so reliable and supports an as yet unidentified moth sp.

[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

[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.