Looking for planting recommendations and any tips for this new pond/fall

[Kamgarolf]

Hi Everyone,

After many false starts and mistakes and water loss (the water table is one to watch for!) the pond and cascades are now running well with minimal water loss from the splashing and stones.

I'm looking for any tips people might have on improving the look and also the planting around the pond. Some of it is quite damp from splashing but the soil around is very well drained, so a bit of a weird environment.

Thanks for any tips and help you can give.

PS I've yet t drain it, clear out all the stuff that's ended up in the pond whilst building, and stick in freshwater.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome to the GPF!

First thing I would suggest - and this is rough for someone who has announced their pond is "finished" - is to widen out your stream. You want to be able to see that water flowing and once you start planting, you'll lose it.

Now that the hard part is out of the way, I'd suggest you start with plants that are A. easy to grow in your location and B. suited to the exposure you have on your pond. Is it in full sun? Partial shade? All day shade? Give us a bit more info about your situation and we can help with specifics.

In general though, you want lots of ground cover that will creep over the rocks and soften the edges, grasses and reeds to give you some upright form, and things that will add color and texture. Consider adding some rocks OUTSIDE the pond and stream to get rid of the visual that a convenient collection of rocks just gathered here and formed a pond. Big rocks placed strategically can give birds a place to perch, create a nice backdrop for plants and give form and structure to your whole landscape. I'd also suggest some wooden elements - driftwood or fallen logs or stumps can all be incorporated into a pond to give a more natural look to the surroundings.

Poke around this forum - you'll find lots of great examples!

 

[Kamgarolf]

Hi there,

Thanks for the comments. It might not be clear from the pic but most of the central section is pretty steep, the flatter section at the top is wider and there is a wider pool just before the last drop which you cant see. I'm not sure I have the water volume to make that section any wider, it would mostly not have water in it!

We have plenty of wood and stumps about the place so I can use some of that. Hard to place any substantial rocks as it's just me now with no lifting gear.

Thanks

 

[brokensword]

what Lisa said! With plantings, you'll probably lose the visual of a stream as it is now. If staying with current width, I'd not put much that gets tall or will overgrow into your stream and hide it even more, so low growing perennials. Place some larger rocks 1/3 to 1/2 buried below the grade to give a natural appearance, and extend the rock area outwards, scattered and/or clumped. Rocks just 'placed' to the side and on top the soil don't look as natural, imo.

 

[sissy]

COLLEEN FROM CANADA ON HERE IS YOUR BEST SOURCE But she has given up ponding now . Plant farther away from the waterfalls edge as roots will seek out moisture and destroy the stability of the liner . I learned that the hard way . Upper pond waterfall area got breached by roots and then by frogs and had to rebuild it . Not once but twice

 

[TheFishGuy]

Looks great! I would say that if you don’t want to widen the stream ( I sure wouldn’t after I had finished the whole thing ) go with mostly low growers, like creeping Jenny, mabye some more creeping Jenny, and some creeping Jenny . ( seriously it is great stuff )

Obviously that wouldn’t look great so you could add some taller grasses and such along certain sections, and then you wouldn’t loose the whole thing.

 

[brokensword]

Looks great! I would say that if you don’t want to widen the stream ( I sure wouldn’t after I had finished the whole thing ) go with mostly low growers, like creeping Jenny, mabye some more creeping Jenny, and some creeping Jenny . ( seriously it is great stuff )

Obviously that wouldn’t look great so you could add some taller grasses and such along certain sections, and then you wouldn’t loose the whole thing.

did you suggest 'creeping jenny' to him yet, FG?

 

[Kamgarolf]

it would be quite a challenge to make the steep parts wider I think..it was bad enough getting the liner hidden for the width as is!

I'll check out creeping jenny, thanks
Rolf

 

[GBBUDD]

welcome
YOU SAID IN YOUR OPEING POST THAT SPlashing has ben an issue. IT APPEARS YOUR WATER STARTS AT THE TOP AND BUILDS UP SPEED AND ENERGY . theres nothing to slow it down...

You just need to watch a couple videos to learn how to control water.
in the drawing below the red represents pools small pools the green is travel where the stream is a stream and the blue is where you dug out the hill side making bowls for the red pools . the blue is water falls like the lower blue area it comes up along side the large boulder this way any splash hits the rock and falls back into the pools . split the water from the pools into two or three waterfalls break up the energy of the water.

Make the liner at least 6 or 8 feet wide dig into the hill sidse and fold where needed and hide where needed having the liner under everything means the water is contained. also find out how to use waterfall foam it's not water proof but it diverts the water where it does not disapeers under the rocks it stays where the eye can see it

 

[Kamgarolf]

welcome
YOU SAID IN YOUR OPEING POST THAT SPlashing has ben an issue. IT APPEARS YOUR WATER STARTS AT THE TOP AND BUILDS UP SPEED AND ENERGY . theres nothing to slow it down...

You just need to watch a couple videos to learn how to control water.
in the drawing below the red represents pools small pools the green is travel where the stream is a stream and the blue is where you dug out the hill side making bowls for the red pools . the blue is water falls like the lower blue area it comes up along side the large boulder this way any splash hits the rock and falls back into the pools . split the water from the pools into two or three waterfalls break up the energy of the water.

Make the liner at least 6 or 8 feet wide dig into the hill sidse and fold where needed and hide where needed having the liner under everything means the water is contained. also find out how to use waterfall foam it's not water proof but it diverts the water where it does not disapeers under the rocks it stays where the eye can see it
View attachment 147786

Hi there, thanks for your response. splashing isn't an issue so far, I just mentioned it as some areas get a bit of spashing and I thought it might alter the types of plants you could use. Each steep bit has a shelf at the bottom which slows the water down before the next gradient, so it's not straight down from the top.

Thanks

 

[j.w]

@Kamgarolf
I'd be getting some plants going good around all that hillside as you don't want a hard rainfall to end up throwing a bunch of soil into your pond. Make sure your pond edges are all up high enough to thwart off all the water. Looks like from the video you are trying to do just that.

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forum.

There are a wide variety of pond plants. It can be easier to make suggestions for another person if one has some idea what they might prefer. Which features of care, growth, or appearance are most important for you?

I would recommend having at least some of your plants be native, as they will be best adapted to your conditions and may provide the best wildlife habitat.

Here are two sites focusing on aquatic plants native to Britain.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/native-plants-for-wildlife-ponds/
https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/gardening-for-wetlands/a-guide-to-native-pond-plants/

 

[rubyduby]

I just planted this creeping Jenny a couple of weeks ago as a teeny two inch plant..as you can see it stays close to the ground and loves being among rocks. Would be a good idea for your situation

 

[TheFishGuy]

I just planted this creeping Jenny a couple of weeks ago as a teeny two inch plant..as you can see it stays close to the ground and loves being among rocks. Would be a good idea for your situation

I love creeping jenny... bought every plant of it I came across last summer ( only 5 unfortunately.. there was some shortage I guess )

I think its great in every situation if I hadn't made that clear already!

 

[j.w]

I love creeping jenny... bought every plant of it I came across last summer ( only 5 unfortunately.. there was some shortage I guess )

I think its great in every situation if I hadn't made that clear already!

That's funny, a shortage of Creeping Jenny! I could gather up a ton of it around here as it grows like crazy!
Those 5 you bought will turn into a poo load of plants soon enough for sure