Plants for next to my barrel pond

[msm]

I only have a small garden and living in a busy housing area dont feel that I will get much wildlife but I have decided to give over a small patch to a barrel pond and some plants.

I have filled my barrel (34" x 22") and am waiting for the tap water to become safe to plant in. I originally had pebbles around the barrel but have since removed these with the aim of planting more wildlife freindly stuff. The barrel is currently situated near a hawthorn hedge so once i get some plants into the barrel I think the birds will use it, but am not sure what to plant around the barrel. It is in about a 2m x 3m space, and is situated to one end of this space.

Any advice on the pond or the planting around it to attract wildlife would be great (I think I have decided what to put into the barrel, but advice for there also appreciated).

Thanks,

Matt

[ilia123]

Inside the barrel I would have a mix of few of these: water crowfoot, curly pondweed, water buttercup, rigid hornwort, starwort, stonewort. You could include a dwarf lilly for aesthetic appeal. Maybe a bit of frobit on the surface along with a water soldier (which will grow quite large).

On a few bricks or around the pond you could have a marsh marigold, yellow flag iris (people say its invasive but its in a basket you could just prune it when necessary - same goes for a bullrush), water mint, ragged robin, flowering rush, water forget-me-not, bogbean, purple loosestrife, maybe a bit of creeping jenny (which can tolerate boggy conditions), booklime, etc.

Don't forget to have a well built ramp that will let wildlife get down in the water, and up if they fall in. Try and include a shallow area as that is where most of the life will be (2cm deep) - maybe stack plant baskets on bricks and fill them with sand, gravel - it will also give the birds a place to bathe.

Instead of the pebbles you could include the marginal plants above or maybe a few British wildflowers (foxglove, daisy, etc)

[Stevelphoto]

What ilia said! Be careful with curly pondweed though - make sure not to accidentally buy canadian pondweed - a very invasive, non-native species which I have seen sold in garden centres!

[ilia123]

Originally Posted by Stevelphoto

What ilia said! Be careful with curly pondweed though - make sure not to accidentally buy canadian pondweed - a very invasive, non-native species which I have seen sold in garden centres!

That's a very good point. I bought some curly pondweed on ebay which turned out to be canadian - I think the sellers don't care what they sell. I have a habit of checking what the seller is selling if he is also selling azolla then stay clear of him.

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by msm

I only have a small garden and living in a busy housing area dont feel that I will get much wildlife but I have decided to give over a small patch to a barrel pond and some plants.

but am not sure what to plant around the barrel. It is in about a 2m x 3m space, and is situated to one end of this space.

Any advice on the pond or the planting around it to attract wildlife would be great (I think I have decided what to put into the barrel, but advice for there also appreciated).

Thanks,

Matt

Is the barrel free-standing or sunk into the ground? Any photos?
T2

[msm]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

For the edges of the ponds I managed to find a kidney shaped plant basket that is about 18cm wide and 27 cm long. This will be secured to the side via plant ties and eyelets in the wood and filled with a couple of plants and gravel creating a shallow area. I will also use couple of small square and round planters around the edge in the same way for marginals.

The barrel is not sunk into the ground so is quite high. I am thinking of building up against one side but not sure if i will have room. I have a few spare logs that I will create a log pile with near the pond.

I bought some curly pondweed today. It came in bunches of about 5 secured by a small metal? tag. It said to just drop them in so I did, but am not sure the metal was meant to go in as well - without it the weed just floated though....

Once I have the planters in place I will get some pictures.

Matt

[ilia123]

Originally Posted by msm

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

For the edges of the ponds I managed to find a kidney shaped plant basket that is about 18cm wide and 27 cm long. This will be secured to the side via plant ties and eyelets in the wood and filled with a couple of plants and gravel creating a shallow area. I will also use couple of small square and round planters around the edge in the same way for marginals.

The barrel is not sunk into the ground so is quite high. I am thinking of building up against one side but not sure if i will have room. I have a few spare logs that I will create a log pile with near the pond.

I bought some curly pondweed today. It came in bunches of about 5 secured by a small metal? tag. It said to just drop them in so I did, but am not sure the metal was meant to go in as well - without it the weed just floated though....

Once I have the planters in place I will get some pictures.

Matt

Be sure that it is in fact curly pondweed - it should look similar to this:

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY.../pondweed1.jpg

I usually take the metal bit out, tie them with a piece of string and then put gravel on the bottom bit.

[msm]

Hmm, it was sold in a bunch as curly pondweed (elodea crispa), but looking at your picture and the others on the net looks more like canadian pondweed! Oh well, onto the compost heap with it!

Think I will shop online form now on and try and stick to native plants

Matt

[diggleken]

Originally Posted by msm

Hmm, it was sold in a bunch as curly pondweed (elodea crispa), but looking at your picture and the others on the net looks more like canadian pondweed! Oh well, onto the compost heap with it!

Think I will shop online form now on and try and stick to native plants

Matt

Hi Matt,
this might be a useful source of advice - from Plantlife, about invasive species and there is an e-mail address on line for advice/help.
Invasive non-native plants
Cheers
Ken

[Stevelphoto]

Matt,

I've had good dealings with puddle plants online, very helpful people and the plants were very well packaged!