Large Scale Central

Pond plants

Gardening
#1

I’m looking for suggestions . Shut up Rooster!

I would like to install some plants (water ? ) to add interest to the pond.

I have two Japanese maples , one in the top left, the second off to the right. just above the square looking rock.

There is a creeping juniper on the right.

There is the green stuff to the left of the waterfall ( Flox )

I guess you could say this is partly shady.

On the left is some green chicken wire , that overhangs into the water.

Also each leg opposite the water fall has a shelf.

I’m stuck for ideas… Thanks for your help.

Sean

#2

This might get ya started:

Aquatic-Plants

#3

Thanks Ken.

I’m hoping to hear what has worked for youus guys…(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#4

Whatever survived, is what worked. Your local pond store is your best resource.

#5

I’m no gardener but… Sedums would look good entangled in the rocks around your hill. They need almost no care. Heck, if I can’t kill 'em they must be good. If you are in a part shady/shady/the real slim shady area, Japanese garden juniper works well (most other junipers need sun). If your pond is small(ish), you might not want a pond lily. We had them in our last pond and they will get big in a few seasons. Ours took over the pond! Floating plants like water hyacinth do the same, but die off in the winter (here in the north east). The good thing about water plants is that they block some of the sun and help control algae. So does bleach (I’m just sayin). If your in a shady area, algae might not be a problem.

The chicken wire trick is a great idea and one that I’m going to use on our new layout as well (brilliant minds, Sean. Brilliant minds). Throw some sphagnum moss on it and sedums will overgrow the edge of the pond and hide the liner.

Looking forward to some progress pics.

-Kevin.

#6

The wire also helps the local critters that go skinny dipping when I’m not there! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#7

We have had zero luck with plants in our pond.

Our fish are too big and even though we feed them plenty they just destroy anything that even resembles a plant once placed in the water.

#8

There is a very tiny floating plant called “duck weed” which is pretty much maintenance free and easily scooped out of the water if it gets to be too thick. Does not get flowers just very tiny leaves.

Bart

#9

Bart Busse said:

There is a very tiny floating plant called “duck weed” which is pretty much maintenance free and easily scooped out of the water if it gets to be too thick. Does not get flowers just very tiny leaves.

Bart

I have all I want of the duck week if I want!

PS : I will be taking it from a wastewater treatment plant. I think not!

#10

Sean,

I have four ponds named for four of my Granddaughters. The ponds have hardy water lilies (Nymphaea), pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata), miniature cattails (Typha), and blue flag water iris (Iris versacolor). Mint, hosta, and vinca grow well in the nooks and crevaces along the water ede. Here is a photo of the largest pond taken shortly after it was built.

Here is a short video(set to music) of the girls and I building the ponds and doing the original planting.

Initially, we planted the pond plants in baskets, but they have now colonized the bottoms of the ponds. Everything is hardy … I just cut everything back in the fall and they come back each spring.

Bob

#11

Steve Featherkile said:

Whatever survived, is what worked. Your local pond store is your best resource.

Well, the local ponds are where I got my marsh and some of my pond plants. I figured if the plants grow wild around here then they must be hardy for this climate. The only one I bought was the lily pad. I planted the lily pad deep, and that controls its growth. But you have a small pond there, so I am not sure what would work. I do know that you don’t want Lizard’s tail. I planted that in my previous pond, and in 2 years I was ripping it out by the handfuls every chance I got.

#12

Your local fountain/pond store or nursery will be a good starting point for plants both in and around your pond, and whether or not you want fish. I had water lilies and water hyacinth. The lilies did fine to shadow the water and reduce the amount of algae growth, but the fish kept eating the roots of the hyacinth and we never had blooms. If you choose not to have fish, then the water hyacinths add some nice color to the pond.

#13

Yay! A topic where I might be able to help, not just get helped!

Based on the size of your pond and your locations, I would look at any pond plants as either annuals you can pitch in the winter or tropical or sub-tropical aquarium plants you can overwinter inside.

If you go with annuals, duckweed (a nice scale “lily pad”) or water hyacinth (not scale but gorgeous!) are cheap and fast spreading. The latter are, however, considered invasive and may be illegal to own in your state. You could also try “water lettuce,” and there are any of a number of fast growing aquarium plants.

Aquarium plants that grow in small pots such as Crytpocryne sp., Echinodorus sp. (“sword plants”), and various so-called “dwarf” and “chain swords” would make a lush carpet on the bottom. Taller species such as Vallisernia sp. and Aponogeton sp.will grow well but probably get too tall. There is also a cool dwarf lily called a “banana plant” that will send up some “lily pads.” All will have to come in before the first frost, and all will be a nice addition to any aquarium, though you will want to treat them for fish-killing parasites before adding them to a tank.

There are a couple cool epiphytic plants that you could try, too, such as “Java fern” and Anubius sp. Tie them on to a piece of driftwood or rock, toss them in the pond, and enjoy! Then pull them out, rock / wood and all, and plop them in the aquarium…after decontaminating them!

I have kept all of the above in indoor and outdoor aquariums with generally decent success. I am a very lazy fishkeeper, and I don’t keep anything that requires intensive care. Hopefully, you will find the suggestions above useful.

Eric

#14

Thanks All

But this isn’t my first pond.

I have lillies from neighboring ponds…I was looking for some thing different!

#15

Whoa…