Plants for shallow end of pond

[robje29]

As on another thread of mine i said that i have cleared out my pond.
before this the shallow end of the pond never really grew that much in the way of plants, algae excepted ofcourse.
Can i get some suggestion from you for planting in, im not interested in watercress and things like that which rapidly takeover, i know i can clear but im looking for as little interuption to the pond as possible. plants can be floating or emergent.

Rob

[Kayleigh]

Japanese rush is good it spreads slow and disguises the liner the frogs like to hide in it..
I also have and love the marsh marigolds I have 3 of them they flower early spring they are bright yellow these both are low growing and not invasive.
I also have yellow flag but these get big and hard to remove if you need to.

Google marginals for more options.

[Tursiops2]

Download this info sheet fom Natural England: NE27 - Garden ponds and boggy areas: havens for wildlife

It includes a list of native pond plants coded according to the size of pond they're most suited for.

T2

[King Edward]

How deep is the water, and is there anything on top of the liner for planting into (soil, sand, pond sludge etc.)?

[Ukwildlifeo]

Have you got turf along the edge. There is a type of grass, often found in turf, that naturally grows into ponds. I find this is often rich with pond creatures.

[robje29]

Hi the shallow end when the pond is full will be approx 7" at its deepest part.

There is currently nothing on the liner given that there was so much soil before im unsure what to put down if anything or leave for natural sediment to build up.

There is no turf on the back side of the pond atm, its an idea worth some thought as there is more liner showing now than before.

Rob

[GCN lova]

Irises might be good though i prefer blue iris as its smaller and more drought resistant in ponds. Watercress is vigorous as i had a good clean of it leaving some clumps behind.

[King Edward]

I think I suggested a couple of grass species in your previous thread, but they're not very ornamental if that's what you're looking for. The advice sheet linked by Tursiops2 has a good range of other suggestions.

I've been happy with my choice of a layer of play sand as a planting medium. Being poor in nutrients, plant growth so far has been quite slow - this should allow a diverse range of plants to get established gradually, rather than have one vigorous plant just take over.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, but it occurs to me that a layer of autumn leaves over the liner might be beneficial in providing some cover to small creatures. You'd probable have to soak them first in a bucket to make them sink. Fallen leaves aren't very high in nutrients, and a thin layer wouldn't contribute much to sludge in the long run.

[Jim Ford]

If your soil isn't alkaline I could let you have a pitcher plant to put in a boggy bit. It'll be a Sarracenia flava which should do well in a sheltered sunny spot. If your soil is chalky/alkaline it will quickly die. Let me know.

Jim

[robje29]

I quite like the idea of using play sand for planting into for the shallow end, however it would need retaining at the far end of the shallow part to stop it migrating into the deep end, i guess a clay ridge would be ok, thoughts on that? a few leaves to wouldnt hurt but not many if using sand.

No my soil isnt alkaline or chalky, Sarracenia flava seems a really nice plant.

Rob