Adding sparkle to water

I would love to have a stream running through the garden, to bring movement and sound as well as wildlife, but few of us are blessed with natural water. Most of us have to be content with an artificial pond, usually lined with a butyl liner. My ‘new’ garden, being created from a field, is slowly coming together and most of the hard digging is complete. From an early stage I planned the plot and knew where the ponds were going. All three are lined now but still have to be connected with streams but that has not stopped me from getting a few plants.

Pond plants are curious things and seem quite complicated. A pond is a whole new world and takes a bit of understanding and practice. If you just fill a pond with water it won’t be long before life starts to move in and this will probably include a flush of green algae. To create a self-maintaining environment the pond needs to be planted with a variety of plants that shade the water and soak up nutrients in the water.

Waterlilies create shade and also look spectacular. They prefer a sunny spot with direct sun for at least six hours a day. They also prefer ‘still’ water and should not be placed near waterfalls or fountains. They range in size and the depth of water they will tolerate, from 15cm (6in) to more than 60cm (2ft). if planted too deep they will dwindle away and if too shallow they will push their leaves above the water. Aim to cover about half the water surface with lilies and other floating water plants.

Plant waterlilies in baskets of aquatic compost. Cover with gravel and lower gradually into the pond

Then there are marginals which grow at the edge of the pond in either damp soil or just under the surface of the water. These can be creeping plants or have upright stems and leaves and these are particularly valuable for dragonflies. A mass of creeping plants around the pond will provide cover for frogs and other wildlife as well as fish.

Submerged aquatics, that live entirely in the water, provide food for water creatures and provide oxygen. They can get too much of a good thing but can easily be thinned out and added to the compost heap when necessary.

This is the ideal time to add new water plants to your ponds. Most of us plant in planting baskets. These can be lined with hessian or weed fabric to keep the soil in place and, after planting, cover the compost with gravel. Do not use garden soil, which can contain too much organic matter. You can buy bags of aquatic compost which is ideal. Waterlilies also need feeding and you can buy sticks or feed ‘balls’ to push in the compost.

Marginals can be planted in baskets and placed at the edge of the pond in shallow water

Weekly reminders

Keep looking for red lily beetles and remove them immediately

Daylily gall midge is a problem in this area. The midges lay eggs on the flower buds which the swell and become rounded and distorted. Remove any affected buds immediately and dispose of them – do not put them on the compost heap.

Thin apples. If your apples set a good crop of fruit, now is the time to thin these out to give each room to develop. Leave just two or three per cluster.

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