Can I get some ideas please?

The really hard part is done, more rearranging will be done of rocks, and some sort of mulch will be added, and of course a lot of plants, but I was wondering if I could get some ideas on plants that I can use to come out of the rocks, and head toward the water, to make the rocks look "softer", or possibly even cover some of the rock. I was thinking we will add some Ipomoea (like blackie etc.) but I was thinking something more on the smaller leaf side also, but really open to anything. I hope this makes sense. Any help would be SO appreciated!

Right now I have some peppermint and water clover (aka varigated four leaf clover) just tucked into my rocks with their roots just dangling into the water. The water clover is supposed to spread onto the suface of the water and cover it a bit like water lily only much smaller.

In back of the rocks I have some mini petunias and I also have some pennyroyal to plant out which is a creeper and should drape over the rocks a bit. I imagine creeping thyme would work as well.

I've seen creeping jenny mentioned as good pond ground cover.

Ajuga would look good. That stuff will grow anywhere that has a small pocket of soil and has a spreading habit yet is easy to control. Basket of gold sedum would also be a good choice to cover the rocks. It will not spread into the water though.

I can tell you what I put by my pond. 2 eucalytus trees, bromilads, creeping juniper, sweet olive, 2 rose bushes alot of garlic chives, black EE, 2 lorapedilums (sp) and sago palms.

Here is a picture of the other side.

Within a year whatever you plant will grow and soften the rock edges although I like them.

Thank you all so much for the replies and suggestions!

I like the idea of the water clover, and how it will grow. Thank you Prickle!

Tetleytuna! I completely forgot about all the different types of sedum there are, and how they creep all over. This will be a great idea. The stuff grows like wildfire here, but is really easy to pull up when it goes wild.

jeri11, what a beautiful area! In the 2nd picture, on the left of your walkway, what is the plant there, starting over the rocks? This is the effect I had in mind. I was not thinking to completely cover the rocks, just something some what natural looking.

I know much will change the 1st few years, and we are excited about the potential, and yearly changes. We will definitely do some EEs, Colocosia, and Alocosia (I bought some Taro root from an Asian market, and darned if the stuff isnt doing well), Brugmansia, Abutilon, Canas, and at least a Banana near there, with a Hosta or 2 between the 2 ponds, and will see what we like, and what will go LOL. We are thinking of perennials along the outside areas, with annuals mixed in.
We really are excited about the whole process, and cant wait to see how things turn out.
Thank you all again!

Shelly you are gonna laugh but that is plain old pittosporum. I use it in alot of beds for evergreens during the winter months and just a filler during the summer. I alternate with Indian Hawthorn also.

Personally I hate the pittosporum but during the winter when everything else is dead it shines.

What zone are you in? I could try rooting some for you if you like or Lowes has them real cheap.

Shelly, where are you located? You've got the bare bones of a great little 'garden room' there. I can see something tall and sort of willowy in the corner where the fence ends, and some other larger plants around the periphery to help define the space a little, plus maybe a little garden bench or chair that would allow you to sit and watch the water and fish. But I can't recommend anything specific as I don't know where you are.

Thank you Jeri. I will look at Lowes. Is it just Mock Orange pittosporum? I see that is hardy in zones 8+, but really things will be a mishmash (is that a word?? LOL)

We are in The suburbs of Denver Colorado. I have been always told we are zone 5b, but easily have glads, and calas come back for me year after year with no mulch, so I do push the envelope knowing well that I could, and probably will lose much of what Ive planted. But then I just get to buy more LOL.

I have thought about Vinca, as its a nice spreader, and also easily pulled up. We really dont have to worry about too much being incredibley invaisive here, the soil is terrible, the winters often times get harsh, the droughts do alot of things in, and very few things can tolerate our full sun LOL.

We have a pretty big Peony in the back left of the picture, that grows to about 3'x4-5' we have some magic lilies in there, and a forget-me-not that all got spared.
I wish I had a better picture of the before, this one is awful shaded.

I would be VERY careful of the vinca. I planted a very small pot of it in one of my beds where stuff did not seem to want to grow and I am going to have to completely dig up that bed and move what I can and then tackle the vinca. The vines cover everything above ground and the roots cover everything below ground.

Here's a picture of my water clover that's just starting to creep out over the water:

Here is my floating island that's planted with Impatiens and Dichondra - Silver Falls. It still needs to fill in a bit.

I'm wondering now if the dichondra would survive planted around the rocks.

This message was edited Apr 27, 2007 7:43 PM

Here is plain 'ol spearmint, tucked into the rocks.

I don't know if you can see it but the root system gets huge for such a little plant.

and just because he came up to say hi, here's Digger my calico Oranda.

Oh Prickle! Digger really is a beautiful fish! We have Adam and Eve LOL just plain old goldfish. We wanted to go cheap, since its such a new setup, and there isnt a huge amount of room for larger koi.

Thank you so much for the ideas, and pictures. We will definately do the water clover. Your island is a great idea! The dichondra we could probably plant close to the rocks, on the out-side, and let it sprall. Great idea! I like that plant alot, and isnt invaisive like the vinca. The mint Im too scared of LOL. We have that in a few select places, and it's mad I tell ya!

We did decide against the vinca. We have it in a bed, and thats good enough.

Thank you again for the ideas. We put in one hyacinth, and one lettuce, I know how they multiply LOL. We also added some parrot feather, and frog bit. The rest of the actual planting will probably be on Mother's Day.

Putting any koi in?

Digger's just a fancy goldfish. I didn't want any that were fussy or expensive either. Our pond is really new too.

We also have Fishstick, Inkspot, Marigold and Magnolia, two Orandas and three Fantails, all are goldfish, just slightly different shapes. I figure the pond is about 150 gallons. So it's not huge.

Have fun planting and please take some "after" pictures :)

Yup... You might put koi in after a while

LOL flkoifarm I dont know. We were offered some koi that were larger from a realtor, who has a house up for sale. The previous owners werent able to take the fish. Some of them were really big, and I'm sure worth alot of money, but I want them to have room, and be happy. Im still scared with leaving them out during our winters here. If I lose something that was only 28 cents, I wont feel quite as terrible, as losing something that I know is in the bigger dollar range, tho it was free to us.

I will surely take pictures as we go on! I like your idea about the different goldfish. I will have to try to get pictures of the fish as they become friendlier to us. Adam is orange, with a black "mohawk" if you will down his back. Eve is orange with a white face. Its hard right now, as they are still so small (read: feeder size) to get a decent picture.

Jeri-Your pond is beautiful, love the Victoria water lily.

I like to use parrot's feather planted at the edge then flowing over into the pond.

Loretta

Hey Loretta Lou!!! Thanks, I gotta go get a new one next week. It's waiting on me in NO. Just don't have any time until then. Do you need any parrots feather. I have an abundance. It's fill in the top pond and is acting like a giant biological filter. I have plenty to share.

I've gotten 3 of the 7 water lilies planted. I'm taking a break and watching The Y & R until 5:00 and I will finish up. I got 4 EE transplanted into the ground and 5 Bleeding hearts potted up from my co-op order. I need to still pot up 9 addendiums. No rest for the wicked I guess.

Jeri

You're telling me, I still have co-op plants, 5 more hardy water lilies, 8 more tropical water lilies, and round up plants to get in the pond or the ground. And darn it, today my Greywood Farm' s Japanese Iris order came..... poor little me. Woooo Hooo ! I love her irises & daylilies so I am thrilled. Thanks for the parrot's feather offer, I might take you up on it later if it is still good. Do you get your Victoria from Rich Sanders? Maybe you could see if he has a N gigantea or immutabalis for me. I have two small corms that I am watching over like a big ole bird. Hope I don't love them to death. lol

Shelly-You must get a beautiful weeping Japanese Maple to plant by your pond. It would look stunning.

Loretta

Hi Yall no I have to drive to Elysian Fields in NO, Tuesday to PU the Victorian. Last year the street signs were gone and all the big oaks on that side were dying from Katrina. There was very little improvement. I hope this year looks better.

Jeri

Hi Loretta! We may just do a japanese maple next year, I saw a really pretty one at Lowes the other day, growing in a 3 gallon container. It had pink, white, and green leaves, and they wanted 80 bucks for it.... it can wait LOL.
Here are a couple updated pictures.

Nearest to the house, starting at the bottom, there is a Geranium, naked ladies, wild violets, cyclamen, dwarf cavendish, white forget me nots, and a peony. Along the fence (probably cant see) are 2 clumps of what will be pink plumed grass, I dont know the name, but am kinda mad at myself for not reading closer, the tag said annual zones 3-7. Well duh, I skipped right over the annual part LOL I had never seen that, and thought an annual is an annual is an annual.... On the right side in the little wooden planter are annuals that are still small, petunia, coleus, alyssum, marigolds, behind it is a brug.

What the bird bath (with the stuff in it cause it leaks LOL) has behind it that you cant see are some daisy type annuals, some type of spoon daisy, a purple daisy, a neon orange with purple throat daisy, and a pink type daisy. (like how I kept track? LOL), in the rocks around the ponds, are ground covers, creeping phlox, sweet potato vines, and some other annual vine that has green with white edges, and a nasturtium I grew from seed that you can maaaybe see in the middle of the 2 ponds..

IN the pond, that are just now starting to grow, and make babies are one hyacinth, one lettuce, 4 leaf clover, frog bit, 4 goldfish, and 4 bullfrog tadpoles that we just read are poisonous to dogs when they turn to frogs geez!

One more of a favorite cool nap place.

Shelly, I love your pond and now that it's growing up it looks great. I love the peony too, it adds such a splash of color.

Judith

Thanks Judith! We have had fun with the pond for sure.
The peony has been in the family for over 50 years, and is so reliable.

Shelly that's amazing that your family has enjoyed that beauty for that long. I love peonys but it's too hot and humid here to grow them.

Jeri

Its such a hardy thing Jeri! LOL we chop it by half often, to share, and it fills right back in so fast.
I wish that you were able to grow them Jeri...

You and me both!!! We don't really get cold enough either. I love them though.

Jeri

Shelly, I grew one here on the balcony a couple of years ago. But when I was sick it dried out, so I lost it. It looked something like yours...much smaller tho. I grew up with them too.

It sure does look just like ours! How did they do in containers for you? Did they come back each spring?
I sure love your balcony shots Judith! You do amazing things with such little space.

Shelly, it came back for one winter before it dried out the next. I'll try it again sometime. It does look like yours! I don't suppose you have a clue as to what yours is named??

It's Rubra Plena. They are hardy to zone 3, so I bet it would do great in a container!

Mine was Paul M. Wild. I bought it from a Canadian nursery, and was very pleased with it. I don't know that it would have survived the winter we just had though. I wrapped the pot in bubble wrap and stuffed burlap between the pot and the edge of the wooden box it was in. It was in an 18" x 24" black plastic pot. I was sorry when it didn't come back again.

Yours is just beautiful, so wide and lush. And the color is like mine.

Have you considered "Parrot's Feather"? Not only is it winter hardy, but can also have a "dual personality" insofar as crossing the land/water barrier. It's roots stay in water, but it will gently creep over the rocks, lending a soft, purdee appearance.

Thank you wormwood! Yes we do have parrots feather in there. I forgot to mention that. In the upper pond where the movement is slower, they are really taking off. They are great! Do they bloom at all?
Also we want to add some water celery, but not the variegated Flamingo (I believe). I tried that one year in just a tub, and it did not do well, it just stayed small and pitiful LOL. I had the regular green a couple years ago, and it did wonderfully. The nurseries only sell the variegated here, so maybe I will just have to buy some next year from the net.

Not familiar with any blooms of note with the Parrot's Feather (if they've been on there then they've been too insignificant for even a geek like me to notice). It does, however, seem to also do well in moving water. I throw it about anywhere and it decides to keep growing ... heck, I've had it reach well beyond the boundaries of the pond. Fun stuff and not impossible to control (unlike that evil aquatic Pennywort stuff ... that shiznit is literally EVIL!)

If you keep it in a pot the Creeping Jenny won't invade, but you DO have to keep it contained.