Some questions from a SOCAL newb

hey guys

I set up a pond last year, and this year I am looking to really get into it, making it look "right".

I am not planning to do koi, it's purely for plants and the "look". I have put 4 huge pregnant mosquito fish last year and now I have 1,000s of mosquito fish in there. Was shocked how well they did in the winter. I know it's Socal and it's not that cold but still, I was pleasantly surprised.

One area of the pond has a built in planter for lilies. Last year the people who built the pond put 2 lilies in there, one yellow and one purple, but they had huge leaves and not a lot of flowers which only were open for a couple of hours mid day. After it got cold, most of the lily leaves got scummy so I cut them all off for the winer. So far nothing is back.

So , I guess my first question is this: What lilies should I use if I want "lots of small colored lilies" and smaller leaves? And what is a good reliable and knowledgable place online to get them as I think locally here it's just not a good selection.

Same goes for other plants, I want to plant stuff around the pond. But I can't find anything good locally. I want cattails, iris and a few other things. I got a good deal on some Elephant ears that I put straight into the pond and they are doing well. What else would you recommend that does well in Socal?

I know it's a bit all over the place but I just have a lot of questions and I guess a need of a primer on pond plants specifically for my area.

paradise

Where in Southern California are you? I just met some folks who specialize in aquatic plants and their Koi and Aquatic farm is within 10 minutes drive time from Escondido.
They have many varieties of water lily and they even have Lotus plants.

Originally Posted by DrDave

Where in Southern California are you? I just met some folks who specialize in aquatic plants and their Koi and Aquatic farm is within 10 minutes drive time from Escondido. They have many varieties of water lily and they even have Lotus plants.

thanks for your answer. I am in the San Fernando Valley.

Originally Posted by paradise

hey guys I set up a pond last year, and this year I am looking to really get into it, making it look "right". I am not planning to do koi, it's purely for plants and the "look". I have put 4 huge pregnant mosquito fish last year and now I have 1,000s of mosquito fish in there. Was shocked how well they did in the winter. I know it's Socal and it's not that cold but still, I was pleasantly surprised. One area of the pond has a built in planter for lilies. Last year the people who built the pond put 2 lilies in there, one yellow and one purple, but they had huge leaves and not a lot of flowers which only were open for a couple of hours mid day. After it got cold, most of the lily leaves got scummy so I cut them all off for the winer. So far nothing is back. So , I guess my first question is this: What lilies should I use if I want "lots of small colored lilies" and smaller leaves? And what is a good reliable and knowledgable place online to get them as I think locally here it's just not a good selection. Same goes for other plants, I want to plant stuff around the pond. But I can't find anything good locally. I want cattails, iris and a few other things. I got a good deal on some Elephant ears that I put straight into the pond and they are doing well. What else would you recommend that does well in Socal? I know it's a bit all over the place but I just have a lot of questions and I guess a need of a primer on pond plants specifically for my area.

Hi! I am in Socal as well! I bought some plants from ponddeals. com I was a little sketchy about plants arriving in the mail but they send them 2 day air mail and if you spend $50.00 you get free shipping. I just bought a lotus from them. This was my second order from them and the plants arrived in pretty good condition.....Let me know if you find any good pond supply stores in the valley. I am only about 20 minutes away... )