I went to McKee gardens today and they had a water lily demonstration.
I had to try it so went out and bought a livestock waterer and going to sink it into the ground
I bought 2 water lilies (for 6.00 a piece which seems like a bargain though I would not know)
and something called lizard's tail which is native to FL
I have 2 questions
1. Can I have some suggestions on other plants to use? and where to buy them?
and
2. Any other suggestions on doing this the right way :)
Ok I am taking the plunge
You are going to love your new water garden! There are a LOT of different plants that you can use besides water lilies, some of them you would not really think of at first like certain types of the elephant ear plant. The garden watchdog section of DG has many companies that do mail order with the advantage of knowing which companies are good to do business with. Don't forget to check your local garden center as most of them have some water plants. One of the things you may want to keep in mind if you want blooming plants is the more sun the better. Also do not forget to add a few fish. They will be a joy to watch and eat misquito larvae and other pests. I purchased feeder goldfish from a bait store and they are doing pretty well. Big Ben is about 2 yrs old now and about 8" long. :)
It depends whether you want a fish pond or a wildlife pond. I only have native fish in my pool - 2 green tench and some sticklebacks. I also have quite a few frogs and newts. I have 2 water lilies but one is a miniature - the rest of my plants are native. Ponds are fascinating - good luck with yours!
Ditto on tetleytuna's suggestion that you visit Garden Watchdog. You will be glad you did.
Galanthopile - I have ordered in the past from Water Gardening Direct, an operation native to your environs. (Lately they havn't responded to my order requests although I still get promotional emails from them.) I am looking for a fiberglass or resin molded gunnera leaf to compliment the one I got from them two years ago. It is fabulous. Do you have any idea if they are available any where there? They were never available here.
Mary
Thanks so much everyone for the advice :)
Chris_Lorry,
Watch the Lizard tail in our weather, it can spread quickly. It's a great plant.
Look for things that are of different height and texture. Most of the Elephant Ears can grow in water (make sure they are colocasia and not alocasia- the colocasias tend to do better in water) Canna's can also grow in water. I would suggest some lotus, they come in a large variety of colors and sizes now, so even when they aren't in bloom, they are still amazing plants. Get the tubers, don't attempt they seeds. Water Iris also comes in a green or variegated, so blooming or not, no biggy, they are still spikey and attractive.
I grow a good many things in pots filled with pea gravel only ( I know, I know, many DG-ers are cringing right now about me not using soil ) I have tadpoles and fish, so I think they are getting enough....um...."liquid" fertilizer to keep them happy and healthy.
Thanks so much Merry :) and will keep an eye on lizard's tail :)
I was thinking about getting some irises and wanted hyacinth but that seems to be invasive here in FL so no one wants to send it here :(
I also love the clover stuff :)
right now..I need to do a lot more collecting. I only have the 2 pads and the lizard's tail
Water lettuce is also very attractive, although it can be invasive as well, so dispose of the extra in the trash or compost. I'll hopefully post some pics for you later today of different plants that survive in the water.
That would be awesome and appreciated :)
I have water hyancinth in my pond and it is very healthy and has just about taken over. Is there such a thing as too much of it? Does there reach a point at which it is actually detrimental to a pond?
gawolf, I think water hyacinth is one of the prettiest plants in the world, but there are laws against bringing it into Texas because it is so horribly invasive. When you thin it, please be very careful what you do with it. It's about as bad as kudzu here. And it will choke a pond.
Yes, certain states have restrictions on plants that are invasive, usually you can check their list online. gawaolf, it is wise to leave some open surface water. I also had a large tub water garden with water lettuce in it, that eventually choked out all surface space, and the roots were so massive, that many of my small fish got tangled in their roots and just couldn't move, they died. So now I thin it out from time to time, it's great (as is water hyacinth) for spawning fish, but too much of anything can be a pain. Share extra or compost it. Pickerel is another attractive water plant, found locally in lakes. Tall tropical upright leaves, with purple spikes of flowers, very pretty.
LOrry where are you ? Hope your OK. A box is on the way to you !
Allison
Gawolf;
We have a hard time getting water hyacinth up here. and some years it don't even grow. It's not against the law here either. As if you do get it grow good it dies off in October. and is gone forever. Then in the spring if anybody gets any in, its not till may. and they want $4.00 -$5.00 apeace for it.
And I agree it is a very pretty plant and very usefull in a pond.
If it wern't so far, I'de be knocking on your door. I could use all I could haul. I like it for filtration as much as anything. One year I did get a bunch to bloom, yes very pretty.
I don't think it is detrimental untill your lilies don't have any room to come up, an you can no longer see your fish.((*-*))
Uhg.....one of the tubes came off my pump last night and drained one of my ponds! Worked all morning collecting fish from one inch of muck. So far all have survived (WOW! What are the chances of that???) Have been refilling all day, and adding as much anti-chlor as I can, but will have to rush the whole process a bit because I just don't have adequate long term storage for so many fish! We'll see how it goes.....
MerryMary
Ouch. good thing you caught it bebore any racoons did.
Or the sun really started scorching down.
If that happened to me. I think my pond would be empty in a matter of two hours. Frightning!!!!!
However my upper pond would not run empty.
Sorry you had to have it happen.
Well....it's the morning after, and so far no fish loss. A few with butterfly fins I will keep in quarantine, as they had some damage to their fins. Keeping my fingers crossed!
AWWWWWWWWW, I bet your heart was beating fast for awhile!! I am so glad your fish are good :) Boy, you were right on your toes and knew just what to do and how fast to get it all done!! Now time to take a deep breath, and relax, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.