looking for a plant catalog

[dasonisme]

I'm trying to map out a 30,000 gal pond, but I can't find anywhere online that has a picture catalog and a plant description. Preferably with color variances, water depths, and grown size.

Anyone know where I can find one online? If not online, does anyone have a good suggestion for a book that's under $30? I'm trying to put together a layout that will bloom all year round. Thanks!

 

[Waterbug]

I don't think you can beat Kit and Ben Knotts . Take you a full day to get through that puppy.

The search term you want is probably "marginal plants". First 3 I saw in Google looked pretty exhaustive, including the Knotts marginal list site.

Then "water lily" would be the other search that'll bring up a lot of good online catalogs.

Then "floating pond plants" but Water Hyacinth is the only floater I know of that has a chance of flowering. Uncommon for it to flower in most cases.

Beyond that there's "submerged pond plants" but they don't flower.

Keep in mind than when they say "shallow" or 6" or whatever for a marginal that this is the maximum amount of water above the crown. Deeper and the plants do less well and at some point die. However, virtually every marginal will do better with no water over the crown. Planting this way also keeps string algae from growing in and around the plants which is a huge mess. I would never plant a marginal any other way.

Shout out to a couple of my fav flowering marginals...

Canna, Cannaceae, if you can get virus free stock. Constant bloomer, many colors, great foliage, big plants perfect scale for large ponds. Easy to reproduce. Here's some 8' tall Canna Wyoming planted in a bog.

Marsh Mallow, Althaea officinalis. Almost a tree, and again, perfect scale for a large pond. Easy to reproduce from cuttings and very fast grower. Full of blooms all summer. Not on the Knotts list :sad:

I wouldn't over look terrestrial plants like one of my favs, Angel Trumpet, Brugmansia. When planted next to a pond you can't really tell if it's in or out. Like most plants it's listed as toxic but my Koi ate the heck out of it. Flowers, leaves. They pulled in and broken off whole branches. So not that toxic. Flowers all summer, lots of huge flowers. Very fragrant at sunset, from a dozen feet away or more.

For large ponds I also like Gaint Reed, Arundo donax. But it takes intestinal fortitude. Really has to be contained and kept after. But 15-20' tall in the first year, they're spectacular from a distance and awe inspiring up close if kept tidy. Great back drop for Canna.

Banana is also a great back drop. The flower is impressive but short lived.

Hope you tell us more about your plans.

 

[adavisus]

'Water gardening Water lilies and Lotuses' by Perry D. Slocum and Peter Robinson (ISBN 0-88192-335-4) has nailed the subject better than any other, you can probably pick up a copy on Amazon at a reasonable price. A rather ambitious tome no less

Nice touch about such a work, its produced by folk that really know their stuff...

There are other gems published down the decades by folk like Frances Perry, Helmut Muhlberg, Helen Nash, Steve Stroupe, Philip Swindells, Gordon Ledbetter, Anthony Paul, Stapeley Water Gardens all good bedtime reading... There may be a few to be found at the public library...

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[addy1]

I'm trying to map out a 30,000 gal pond, but I can't find anywhere online that has a picture catalog and a plant description. Preferably with color variances, water depths, and grown size.

Anyone know where I can find one online? If not online, does anyone have a good suggestion for a book that's under $30? I'm trying to put together a layout that will bloom all year round. Thanks!

Remember most will die back in the winter, unless where you are is pretty mild. And the tropicals will need to be brought in or replaced each year.

 

[j.w]

dasonisme

 

[addy1]

lol jw I forgot to say welcome to our group.........

 

[dasonisme]

thanks guys! That'll all help alot. Pulling back in the winter isn't an option as the plan is to let it go natural with minimum maintenance. I went to school for architecture and did a lot of eco-plans, so balancing an ecosystem isn't difficult, I just don't have any starting lists! lol. I'm breaking what appears to be cardinal rules on this site and going filterless/pumpless (small pump on a "waterfall"ish setup, but that's mainly to keep ice from forming and stopping stagnation). I have know the balances and will have a low fish count (just enough to control mosquitos), have chosen a natural runoff spot on our property to filter water into a bog "filter" with a water break and an overflow field on the opposite end, chosen bentonite clay on shallow slopes to seal the bed, 2 inches of aquatic soil, 1 inch of pond rocks for a bedding. We have a huge frog population here and get geese all the time so it'll make a great place for them to hang out.

I used to do aquascaping on fish tanks so I understand chemical balances and not overcrowding either fish OR plants. Don't want to suffocate either to start, but I do plan on letting them fight it out of coverage.

 

[addy1]

Neat, post a picture of your pond, or pond to be if you don't have it yet. Mine is filtered by a bog, does a heck of a good job. Keep us informed as you go along

 

[dasonisme]

awesome! how big is your bog to pond ratio? I was planning on it being about 4 or 5 to 1. Any plants to recommend as particularly useful in the bog?

 

[adavisus]

You might check out Anthony Paul's website (landscape designer), he is into doing serious water gardening projects in England

Regards, andy

 

[addy1]

awesome! how big is your bog to pond ratio? I was planning on it being about 4 or 5 to 1. Any plants to recommend as particularly useful in the bog?

Mine is around 30% maybe more, surface ratio, I have a bunch of different plants, the rushes put in a ton of roots that just suck up anything the pond has to offer,. The rest I selected for flowers.

Here is a list of what I have growing.
Obediant plant
black gamecock iris
dwarf golden sweetflag
dwarf cattails
Water Willow
green creeping Jenny
Marsh betony

4 leaf water clover
fuzzy 4 leaf water clover
white star grass
penny wort
water mint
blue water forget me not
water iris soft pinkkirk strawn
4 left water clover variegated