@JBtheExplorer - I think you were the one who posted about Windy Oaks Aquatics in Eagle, WI. We saw bog bean there last year in June.
Good bog plants?
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JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
That is good news! I have their plant list somewhere, looked for it but haven't found it yet. I figured if anyone around here has bog bean, it'll be them.
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
I take that back! Found it! They carry Bogbean, Water Willow, and Pickerel! I'll definitely be making a trip out there this Spring! and now that I have their plant list, I'll have to look into their other plants, too.
That was a very interesting place! Very nice lady (I can't remember her name). Very knowledgable and helpful. She told us it was just her and one other woman who do all the work - quite the operation.
We plan to go back this year to buy a tropical lily... and see what else they have that we can't resist!
We plan to go back this year to buy a tropical lily... and see what else they have that we can't resist!
Have you ever been to Aquatica in Wales? They have a good selection of plants, too. Last year they didn't have as much - they were moving their store from across the street or something. But we've seen some different stuff there, too. And if you ever come south, Lurvey's in Des Plaines has some nice display ponds and a nice selection of plants. I've seen bog bean there, too. I think the secret is to find it early in the season.
I can feel my heart pounding faster as I talk about all my favorite pond places... haha! Most women like shopping for shoes and clothes - take me to a nursery or pond store ANY DAY and I'll be a happy girl!
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This is the bog bean, getting ready to explode, you can see the flower stalk.
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I learned the hard way (plants didn't come back) that many plants don't like wet crowns, just wet roots.
JBtheExplorer
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Looks like it extends out into the water and floats? I bet my frogs would love that!
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JBtheExplorer
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Haha! I'd kill to go on a plant shopping spree! Never quite have the money for that, but it's always fun getting a packet of seeds here and there. I sure have made it work out in my native garden. I can hardly believe how many plants I've grown over the past couple of years.
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It is planted in dirt around 2-3 inches below water, then it sends out runners that have a ton of roots on them, they just float.
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
That's what I thought. I might have to get them for both the pond and the bog. It adds a really natural look.
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
That may be what it was for me, although the plants were fine previous years. I wonder if the lack of snow had anything to do with it. Corkscrew Rush, Red Stem Golden Club, and a hosta all died off this winter.
We learned (the hard way) that marginals need to be either under the ice, covered with snow, or otherwise insulated. The first year we shut our pond down for the winter which causes our water level to drop about 6 inches below where it's at with the pond running, leaving all the plants exposed. Every single one died. Replaced them all. The next year we left the pond running which kept the plants under the ice for most of the winter. I thought for sure they would all be dead again, but to my surprise every single plant came back, bigger and better than they were before.
One thing that I've learned from terrestrial gardening is to leave the dead plant matter from my perennials behind for the winter. The dried up, dead plants will then gather leaves and snow around the crown, providing natural insulation. I do the same for my pond plants - if the dead plant matter won't fall into the pond, I leave it. The stems and stalks of all those plants provide a nice barricade to keep leaves from blowing into the pond, and the leaves provide insulation to the plants. Win-win!