pond and marsh/bog plants

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by 2annbrow, Oct 16, 2009.

  1. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Location:
    North Bend OR US;Oregon coast, just N of Coos Bay
    Don't see a forum here for these plants. As I'd like to eventually install a koi pond with biofilters and a waterfall, and grow water chesnuts, sweet flag iris, lotus, water lilies and water cress, does anyone have experience in designing a water feature which would incorporate areas to satisfy the growing needs of each. [I know, I know - but "Gardening means you never have to say there's nothing more to do!" So I dream on . . .]
     
  2. tugo

    tugo Active Member

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    Location:
    Istanbul,Turkey
    Hi 2annbrow,
    After reading and searching more than 6 months, I have built a 9.000 liter pond with liner and thought that it would match all my desires perfectly.

    But as the days past, I start seeing my mistakes and would like to rebuild it again whenever I have the power. Here are some of my mistakes:

    - Koi and potted plants: At the beginning when the koi was young and small, all was ok. But now they are grown up and they are ruining my potted lilies and lotus.Also floating aquatic beauties are just as fresh salad for them. What ever I put on the water is digested immediately. So I cannot give the pond the nature I desire. Should have done the pond in two sections, one for the koi and one for the plants.

    - Should have given some twists to the design of the pond, because I cannot reach all parts of it to place the plant pots in, so all the pots are placed near to the sides. I cannot dare to jump in not to defect the liner.

    - As the days past, I see that having koi is good but you can not touch and play with them as your plants. Being busy with plants gave me much more pleasure and now I can say that I should have made the pond more suitable for plant growing.

    - Regarding all kind of equipments, I have them all but I believe they were not so necessary because the pond settles it self and goes on with the directions of the mother nature.

    But any how, ponding is one of the best things to do and I wish you good luck with your pond.
     
  3. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    North Bend OR US;Oregon coast, just N of Coos Bay
    Wow, Thanks tugo! I'm sorry that this good advice comes from your troubles, but it will certainly help me! I've always considered that the only justification for problems is if it creates some good somewhere, and I can assure you that I will take your words to heart!
    What kind of plants do you grow in your pond?
     
  4. tugo

    tugo Active Member

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    Istanbul,Turkey
    I have mainly as submerged; water liles, lotus, papyrus, pickerel weed and in the very small bog part; some Nasturtium Officinale and Muehlenbeckia. Also some others in hanging pots just by the water level.

    Since we don't have icy cold here, they all stay in water during winter. But in march I really have to find a solution for w.lilies and Lotus. Covering the pots with pebbles etc. does not help any.
    May be I will make a separation with some kind of net and collect the plants in one part but must find such a kind of net that the fish will not be trapped in.
    Good luck and pls keep posted when you start your project.
     
  5. Charles Richard

    Charles Richard Active Member 10 Years

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    Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
    Hi 2anngrow,
    As 'Tugo' had stated about the Koi destroying the plant material is something that we were faced with years ago. The Koi will eat the roots and eat off the growing points of any plants in the pond. Some of which can be toxice to the Koi.
    Because we wanted Koi and plants we have the plants surrounded by a barrier that is just below the surface of water, so that the koi cannot get in and destroy the plants.
    Do not seem to be a problem with the foliage of plants, but the roots.
    We have water lilies, sweetflag, irises, contorted reed, thalia, (water hyacinths & water lettuce -annuals here).
    Looked at getting Lotus and tropical water lilies, but they are not hardy and we did not want to have to over winter any more than what we are doing already.
    There is a beautiful water Hybiscus (I believe Hybiscus 'mueshutos'). The one we almost bought was deep burgundy flower about 8-10" across.
    We always felt that our interest in a pond was for the Koi and not for the plant life,
    so the Koi always came first.
    We have had a pond for about 14 yrs. now, last year something wiped out all of ours fish. We restocked it this spring and caged the whole thing. Not good enough as they got in again (Minks) and ate every one. We caught it in there. Anyhow, not sure what the next step will be. May need to change thinking and go with plants.
    Not to put a damper on things, just wanted to pass this along for something to ponder.
    The ponds are beautiful, and we love the sound of the water.
    Enjoy creating your pond.
     
  6. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Location:
    North Bend OR US;Oregon coast, just N of Coos Bay
    Thank you very much. It's still just a dream for now, but with all the help, it may be easier to make it real. However, first, I must fall over at least a small pile of money . . .
     
  7. Denise

    Denise Active Member

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    Location:
    Langley B.C. Canada
    We have had a pond for about 4 years. There is a multi-level waterfall, shallow pond and then a deeper one. The deeper one which has the majority of plants is about 2.5 m by 4.5 m long. It is absolutely full of various kinds of plants including iris, and water lilies, plus a bunch I can't remember the names of now. It is too crowded and I will be culling out a lot of the plants as I do fall clean up. Some of the plants are too fragile for the winter so I put them inside an outbuilding under lights and near a heater. They usually survive all right. The taro, umbrella plants and Cyprus never do, so I bring them inside the house and they eventually get covered with bugs. I hose them down in the spring and place them in the pond. They usually survive. I have never tried growing Lotus as the suppliers of pond plants around here say they just don't survive well. As for koi, we have lots and I may be stupid, but I don't see them destroying the plants. Maybe because we have soooooooo much algae in the pond, they tend to eat that first and not the other expensive greenery. I would like to mention although there is tons of algae, the water is crystal clear. The algae is the string variety and tends to hang on the rocks and not float suspended in the water.
    Anyway, having a pond is lots of fun, but also like any other garden project takes time and energy. And, like someone above mentioned, all your fish can die and you don't know why. Even losing a few is frustrating. We don't have raccoons or mink here, but we do have herons. We use a "scarecrow' which shoots water at any moving object and that has done quite well for us. I still see the birds around the pond occasionally. When they have actually entered the pond, they go for the fish of course, and then the fish hide for 3 to 5 days. We often think we've lost them all, but then they pop up their heads looking for food. Albeit, there may be one or two less. I am pleased to have a pond so I would encourage you to put one in some day. I know you will enjoy having one.
     
  8. stoneangel

    stoneangel Active Member VCBF Cherry Scout

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    I know that koi have voracious appitites. In Vancouver there is Sun Yat Sen gardens, where they seem to live together happily. Actually the water lillies are taking over. Maybe as someone mentioned earlier, it's about protecting the roots.

    I have a small pond on my balcony. I grew water hyacinths this year. However they seemed to be infected by something that made little cobwebs. They then turned brown and squishy enough that I got rid of them. Has anyone else had this problem?

    Also I regularly get mosquito larvae. I did get goldfish the year before and they loved eating them. When I transferred them to my indoor tank the fish died about a month later. Last winter was so cold my 100 gallon pond froze solid.
     
  9. runningtrails

    runningtrails Active Member

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    Location:
    Barrie, Ontario
    I had a pond for a few years with goldfish. I brought them indoors in the winter. They have to be moved indoors before the water gets cold outside and the water has to be exactly the same temp in the indoor tank as it was in the pond.

    I love it for growing things. It was a preform and froze solid all winter, so the fish had to be brought in. Lots of plants were left all winter int he pond and did very well, year after year. The iris did great just bare rooted with a rock to hold them down. I don't like to put soil into the pond if its not necessary. Watercress is another one that did well growing bare root, coming back bigger year after year.

    Its fun to experiment with all kinds to plants to see what will grow in water.
     

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