Edging plants for a wildlife pond.

[weirdwolf]

Last year I put a very small pond into my garden, unfortunately because of the soil conditions I had to go for a pre-cast plastic type. The edging is of erm, "recycled" local limestone slabs from a building site about 1/2 a mile and two hernias away.
The pond has plenty of plant life and wildlife in it but I want to break up the edging and make it a little easier for things to enter and exit the pond although there is a slope at one end and give a little extra cover. The soil is about 30cm of clay over solid limestone,rock hard in the summer and squelchy in the winter.
Does anybody have any suggestions for plants that fit the bill?

[Hedera]

You could try Bergenia, which has nice leaves which nothing seems to eat, and sends out rhizomes which trail.It's pretty bombproof. Or for planting among the stones, oldfashioned stonecrop which has bright yellow flowers and forms a mat and doesn't mind drying out. Hoverflies etc love it.

[tcvarlh]

You could try asking your local botanical garden they should help, I've always found mine to be prompt and knowledgeable. Or a neighbour with an established pond. You're guaranteed to get a response.
The Stonecrop is a good idea tho'.

h

[weirdwolf]

Thank you both for your suggestions. I have some some stonecrop already growing in my garden and so repositioned some of it this afternoon. It is one of the few plants along with the elephants ears that will grow happilyin the conditions, I even have to grow nettles in a pot because they don't like the conditions, the only weed I really have problems with is sunspurge. I went with the stonecrop because it's the side of the pond that I tend to sit next to and wanted something tough enough to stand being squished occasionally.

@tcvarlh

I don't think we have a botanic garden locally and none of my neighbours have ponds, most don't even have a garden with anything in it but grass and gravel.