Garden Pools Flashcards
Name 2 Deep water plants
Nuphar lutea (Yellow water lily)
Yellow flowers in summer. 2-5m deep. Prefers still or slow running water.
Nymphaea ‘Attraction’ - Pink water lily
Name 2 Floating plants
Pistia stratiotes (Water lettuce) Stratiotes aloides (Water soldier) No anchorage they float on surface.
Name 2 marginal plants
Zantedeschia aethiopica (Arum lily)
Arrow shaped leaves with funnel shaped white flowers.
Caltha palustris (Marsh marigold)
Rounded rich green leaves and yellow flowers in spring.
Plant to depth 30cm, and can also go in a bog garden.
Name 2 Bog plants
Gunnera manicata
Shallow marginal or bog plant. Can grow to 2.4 metres. Large circular leaves with spiny veins.
Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’
Scarlet plumes of flowers in late summer and dark green red divided leaves.
When is it best to plant aquatic plants?
Mid spring to early summer, as the water is warm enough for plants to establish.
What should aquatic baskets be lined with?
Hessian or polypropolene fabrics to stop the soil washing out from the container.
What growing medium?
A medium to heavy loam. Can get specialist aquatic compost which contains slow release fertilisers which won’t leach out into water. Gravel used as a top dressing to stop soil floating away.
What are the annual autumn jobs?
The little clean and tidy.
Cleaning done in Autumn when wildlife is less active.
Remove autumn leaves
Lift & divide overcrowded plants.
Top dress marginal containers with gravel.
Remove excess vegetation that is choking the pond. Leave at edge of pond overnight so that creatures can crawl back into the pond. Aim for 50% water exposed to light.
Trim back dead foliage.
Remove blanket weed with a twirling brush on a stick.. Scoop duckweed out with a net.
What is the autumn BIG clean?
Every 5-10 years!
Small ponds every 5 years, big ponds every 10 years.
Removal of silt build up, by moving deep water plants and pond life to a holding tank.
Drain the pond using a pump.
Remove some of the silt from the bottom of the pond - this can be added to the garden borders.
Put any decaying plant material at the edge of the pond overnight so that creatures can crawl back into the pond.
Scrub the liner clean with a brush and water being careful not to puncture it.
Return the saved silt and any saved pond water.
Refill the pond using rainwater.
Replace pond plants to correct depth.
Once filled return fish and wildlife.
Summer Pond care?
Top up water if necessary with rain water.
Remove floating weeds that are taking over.
Aim to keep 50% of surface free of vegetation.
Plant new plants in spring/summer.
If algae a problem remove with a stick/net. Add barley to readdress balance or plant Nymphaea or floating plants.
Winter pond care?
Melt a hole in a frozen pond using a hot pan.
Clear ice or snow if it appears on top of pond so photosynthesis can continue.
Prune back overhanging vegetation to allow light to reach the pond for photosynthesis.
