May pond jobs, monthly pond plant advice and tips and May wildlife visitors to the pond

Warm sunshine to bring on the pond plants at last - May 2013

Even with this cold start to the year your pond should be showing signs of new life now the sun has arirved - frog and toad spawn and newt efts. A wildlife pond should not contain fish as they will tend to eat these young.

Young amphibians need places to hide - give them protection from birds by having plenty of plants under the water and cover across the surface.

Veronica beccabunga Rorippa nast-aquaticum Callitriche palustris Oenanthe jav Flamingo Myriophyllum spicatum

Waterlilies are on their way to the top of the water too and will soon give even more cover - necessary as the sunshine gets warmer to keep the pond water temperature cool. In the meantime check your pond water level as it could evaporate by 2"(5cm) in a week in warm or windy conditions. Fountains and waterfalls can quickly empty a small pond on a windy day - turn off temporarily if necessary and refill with rainwater if possible.

This is also the time of year when duckweed and green algae blanketweed may begin to reappear. Duckweed (the 3 lobed leaf with a thread thin root) seeded down last Autumn will rise up to carpet the water surface and should be removed using a net as soon as it appears.

Blanketweed is like green cottonwool and can start to grow quickly in the warm weather of Spring especially if you had large volumes of frog spawn jelly decomposing into the water. Adding a barleystraw product in February/March will be having an inhibitor effect by now. If you are a regular user of a barleystraw product - either extract or straw - you may wish to write to your MP about the impending ban of its use by its inclusion in the Biocide Regulations from the EU. A draft letter has been put on the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association website for your use.

Small amounts of blanketweed will be eaten by tadpoles and will later be overcome by waterlilies and other cover plants if you have sufficient of them. Try not to twist blanketweed around a stick to remove it from the pond as that traps wildlife inside the twist and even leaving it in a pile on the pondside will not allow the creatures to get out. Unravel it and shake it straight away to dislodge the trapped creatures.

We have had queries about where to position different species of Iris plants. Iris laevigata, Iris pseudacorus, Iris versicolor and the Louisiana Iris will all sit on the shelf in a pond with water over the crown of the plant. Iris pseudacorus will take more water than the others but check in the 'planting details' for each plant because most of those will also cope if you plant them in a boggy or moist soil. The wildlife value of these emergent Iris is that they will allow dragon and damselfly larvae to use the tall leaf growth to climb up and out of the pond water to emerge as adults.

I.laevigata Variegata I. pseudacorus I.pseudacorus Creme I. versicolor I.Louisiana Black Gamecock

But moist loving Iris will NOT grow submerged in water. These include Iris ensata, Iris setosa and Iris sibirica. The Iris ensata will handle wet soil in Summer but not in Winter as they will rot and Iris setosa and sibirica will only enjoy moist soil and will survive in soil that has dried out for a short time.

I.ensata Sensation I.ensata Stippled Rip. I.sibirica Flight of Butt I.sibirica Sparkling R I.sib Golden Edge

There can be an Iris of one variety or another in flower from May - July if they are planted in the sun. Starting with the versicolor and sibirica, then the ensata, laevigata and pseudacorus through June to the last Louisiana Iris in July. So a family of plants giving much colour and flower shapes to enjoy over a long period of time if you give each one the conditions it enjoys.

Check on the ponds progress in this late Spring - April 2013

New plants can be added to the pond now that are already well rooted. If the weather warms up work on existing pond plants can begin later in the month. It will take a few weeks but nature will catch back the delay from the late snow in March.

We have at last seen frog spawn in our ponds on 14th April - very late as it has been so cold here. Remember to count the number of tight 'tennis ball-sized' clumps of frog spawn in your pond as this will tell you how many breeding females you have and then complete the Pond Conservation Big Spawn Count. Toad spawn may be wound around the stems of early growing emergent plants like larger Caltha species in the deeper water too - lift a basket slightly out of the water to find it . See Wildlife pond page.

Submerged oxygenating plants should be your first priority this Spring. Make sure you have a selection as they all respond to changes in water temperature at a different rate.
Callitriche palustris (Starwort) and Ranunculus aquatilis (Water Crowfoot) available now.

Plants outgrowing their baskets can be lifted and divided but not those due to flower before June. Do those immediately after flowering. Use surplus plant material to make more baskets so that in years to come you can divide one basket in alternate years to another. Use aquatic compost and never a peat based multipurpose compost.
Leave early plants undisturbed until after flowering. Once Caltha species have flowered lift to divide or cut down the foliage and the leaf will grow again and you may get a second crop of flowers later on in the year.

Try and remember if waterlilies were sending leaves vertically out of the water last year - a sure sign they need dividing. (Photo the pond in the summer to help you remember which to divide). Lift the baskets if you can or cut off the rhizomes with a knife and leave the mature basket where it is. The effect will be the same - you will remove a number of shoots and that will thin out the congestion of growth coming from the basket centre.

Click here: For more details on repotting a waterlily.

Build a bog garden to house moist loving plants by digging out an area around the pond edge. Click for: More details. Bog plants should be both flowering uprights and low growing with leaf spread to give a variety of habitats. Bog garden plants need to be split every two to three years when the middle of the plant starts to die off - replace the vigorous outer portions and discard the centre.

Tall Goatsbeard for the back of the bog garden

Dark leaved Ligularia Britt Marie Crawford flowering in July

White variegated leaf Bog Iris flowering in June

yellow shades of Candelabra Primula flowering in May

Pale coloured Trollius cultorum Alabaster flowering in May

Aruncus diocius Ligularia B-M Crawford Iris ensata Variegata Primula bulleyana Trollius Alabaster

The plants in a container pond also need checking for growth and as they are in a sterile environment they will benefit from the addition of Plant food Plus. A vigorous rafting plant that has made a large amount of root growth last year should be reduced in size if this was not done in the Autumn. The taller emergent plants will take a couple of years growth before they will need dividing but Iris will flower better if fed now. Feed given to healthy plants ready to make use of it will not start to make the water green but encourage them to grow better.

Copper coloured fibreglass container pond in a pot

Whatever the look of the water in the container do not be tempted to empty it out and refill as the whole process of maturing the water will have to repeat itself - you are better working with the existing water and encouraging the plant growth which will in turn balance and clean the water for you. Add Extract of Barleystraw to help clear it.

Plant cover for amphibians - March 2013

Most of our plants are available already because they were potted on the Nursery last year and have overwintered with us. Those not available are seasonal so if you want to be alerted when they are ready to purchase please click '+ Add to wish list' and when these become available to buy on the website you will receive an email.

Callitriche palustris (Starwort) and Ranunculus aquatilis (Water Crowfoot) bunched oxygenating plants now available.

Frogs, newts and toads will soon be returning to their old spawning grounds (your pond)!
Newts lay their eggs on small broad-leaved plants, carefully wrapping up each one in a leaf. They are more likely to breed in ponds that contain this type of plant - water mint Mentha aquatica and water forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides and those illustrated below.

Myosotis scirpioides Alba - white Forget me not

Veronica beccabunga Ranunculus flammula Myosotis scirp. Alba Mentha aquatica Rorippa nasturtium-aqu

A new or extended pond should be nearing completion now so that water is added through rainfall and the plants becoming established ready for mating season and Spring flowering. Look at the surrounding area to see if it is possible to add a bog garden or even a stream entering the pond as a waterfall as this will increase oxygen levels to the pond. Complete the area with a seat near the pond so you can enjoy watching the visiting wildlife as the season progresses.

Flecked grey granite look fibreglass container

If you do not have a pond (or space to create one) your garden could still benefit amphibians if you install a small water feature instead - a sink or plastic bowl sunk half way under ground surrounded by cobbles or logs will allow amphibians to climb in. Plant with oxygenating plants and a couple of Veronica beccabunga or Myosotis scorpioides. An above-ground container pond will attract amphibians but they will need help accessing the water - group other planted containers around the pond-in-a-pot as stepping stones.

Warm spells at the end of Winter can bring frogs into mating activity early. But sharp frosts at night can make early laid spawn vulnerable - the outside eggs may be killed but leave alone as the centre eggs will be protected and can survive if the weather warms sufficiently. If a small number of spawn clumps die off leave it to decompose in the water but it will breakdown to give a nutrient high water area - just what we dont need in our fight against green algae and blanketweed. Newt eggs and toad spawn tend to be more protected from frosts as they are laid deeper underwater. Protective plant cover and oxygenating plants are vital to the survival of all these young amphibians who are not yet ready to leave the pond.

Water Hawthorn - fragrant and early flowering

Ceratophyllum demersum Hottonia palustris Aponogeton distachyos

Pond Conservations Big Spawn Count 2012 results: Click the link to see these in detail.
Help complete the 2013 Big Spawn Count - follow this link to the Pond Conservation website.

Remember that once the adults have mated and laid spawn in the pond they leave the water to shelter and search for food on land. Provide bog gardens, log and stone piles, long grass or hiding places under sheds or decking.

Check your pond pumps, filters and pipes for frost and other winter damage and replace the uv bulb in your uv steriliser unit.

Native versus non-native plants? - February 2013

Most of our plants are ready now because they were potted on the Nursery last year and have overwintered with us. Those not available are seasonal so to be alerted when a plant is ready to purchase please click 'add to wish list' against a desired plant on the website and when each plant becomes 'available to buy' you will receive an email.

Please note we do not sell any of the 5 invasive non-native plants that have been listed this week by the Government and that will be banned as from April 2014. If you wish to see images of these please go to October 2011 archive.

Caltha palustris - Native Marsh Marigold for early Spring colour

Native rafting plant Water Forget me Not scrambles across the surface giving cover and protection to wildlife

Woody stems on this Native rafting plant create cover over the water

A non Native but Juncus ensifolius is small enough to suit a small wildlife pond and a member of a family of plants containing Natives so does not look out of place

Iris versicolor is not Native but will only reach 2ft high so a better size than the Native yellow for small ponds

Smaller growing Natives and Non Native flowering plants from Native species groups.
There is much talk about habitats for encouraging wildlife to visit our gardens. Native plants are regarded as the most wildlife friendly as they have been part of our country's ecology since before the formation of the English Channel. They are in tune with the needs of our wildlife but some are vigorous and not in scale with the more modern small-scale pond or garden. The Native Iris can reach 5ft tall and only suitable for a large pond or lake. Iris that are non Native will still give you the foliage shape and function for emerging dragonfly but can be smaller in size and introduce extra colours to the flower range. If you have a small pond try to combine the smaller growing Natives with some ornamental, non Natives and leave the larger growing Natives to the larger ponds.

Native Gallingale roots well into clay lakes and can reach 5ft tall

Carex pseudocyperus clumps up well in the shallow water of a large pond

Native Mint will travel a long way from its starting position as it colonises a natural pond

Each stem of Menyanthes trifoliata can reach 1 metre in length over time

Larger growing Native plants for the larger scale pond project.

The weather is changeable at the moment and it is cold enough to have ice on the pond in many areas of the country. Try and maintain as much light getting through to below the ice as possible to allow the oxygenating plants to function. Clear snow from the pond as it acts as a blanket of darkness(with care) but don't worry about making a hole in the ice as light can penetrate through clear ice. 'Winterkill' of some frogs and newts that remained in the pond in winter will occur whether or not there is a hole in the ice as this is caused by ongoing decomposition of decaying plant growth using up oxygen supplies. The best way to avoid this is to increase the volume of oxygenating plants and be more scrupulous in maintaining the pond in Autumn by removing any foliage to the compost heap before Winter. The bottom of a small pond is not the best place for a compost heap of leaves and foliage debris!

Amphibians will return to your pond year on year - possibly by the end of this month if it warms up. Allow them to naturally colonize a new area of water. Pond conservation are again doing their Big Spawn count and we encourage our customers to complete the survey to give them more information to work with.

A look at shelf depths to use in the pond - January 2013

Happy New Year to all our customers.

It is now the time for thinking and planning - try using the website to become familiar with some of the terms used in water gardening and what makes water plants different to other plants you grow.

A pond is constructed using a range of depths of water - each has plants that suit it.

The deepest area of the pond which, unless you have fish, need be no deeper than 75cm(30") caters for plants that remain either fully submerged or that send up leaf stems travelling from the deep water to the surface or that simply float freely across the water. This area is referred to as shelf 3 in a deep pond and houses oxygenating plants adapted to absorb nutrients through their many finely cut leaves. Free floating plants have some form of buoyancy to allow them to either remain on the water surface or to sink down to deeper water in the cold. eg Frogbit or Water Soldier. Waterlilies and Water Hawthorn send up leaf stalks to the surface from the rhizome housed in deep water. Their leaves unfurl to absorb oxygen and this is transported back to the rhizome. Hence the reason that a waterlily will struggle if you cover its flat, open leaves with water - it can't breathe!

Oxygenator - Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort)

oxygenating plant - Spiked Milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum

Surface cover plant that floats freely - Water Soldier(Statiotes aloides)

Water Hawthorn Aponogeton distachyos surface cover plant

The next area of water is shelf 2 at a depth of between 25-40cm(10-16"). This will house dwarf or repotted waterlilies and some emergent plants that require an extra depth of water over their crown as protection in winter. Some people will call these 'marginal' plants but this can be a misleading term - to some it means crowns under water to others crowns planted on land in the 'margins' near to a pond. We prefer to say emergent for a pond plant growing from a shelf - then we know it is emerging from the water.

Shelf 2 pond plant Pontederia cordata lancifolia

Butomus umbellatus enjoys a deeper water situation

Smaller waterlilies use a shelf 2 situation Nymphaea Albida

Shelf 1 is at 15-20cm(6-8") and will cater for the majority of emergent pond plants. These can have 2 forms - either vertically upright or rafting horizontally. The crowns of these plants will have between 5-10cm(2-4") of water over them and fleshy roots that can absorb maximum amounts of water.

British Native Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris

Rafting plants also use shelf 1 Mentha aquatica Water Mint

Shelf 0 is a very shallow shelf - within a couple of inches of the depth of the planted basket - that puts the crown of the plant near water level or these plants can be suited to a marginal stream edge where their crowns could be exposed out of water.

Fragrant flowers from Anemopsis californica that uses shallow water on shelf 0

Water Forget me not Myosotis scorpioides spreads across a shelf 0 area

Brightly coloured leaf on Houttuynia cordata Chameleon

Fragrant Giant Cowslip Primula florindae

Spearmint aroma on this clump forming Mint for shelf 0