Shade for pond

[icsd71]

Does anyone have a good sugestion as to what kind of small tree or shrubs can be used to grow and give shade for my pond? Nothing to tall but nice looking. Also I was thinking about a wooden frame and latus over the pond to give shade. That way i can also add bird houses and climbing flowers to. Does anyone have this? Anythoughts?

 

[j.w]

Japanese Maples look very nice near a pond but they do shed leaves! They have some that grow taller and would provide nice shade in summer but again remember those leaves! I have a short one near my pond and a larger variety near a shed:

 

[JohnHuff]

My pond is partly shaded by a maple and they do shed a lot of leaves. On the other side is an evergreen of some sort that doesn't shed leaves but sheds needles which I think is worse! My best plants are rhododendrons which don't shed anything except flowers. So my answer would be a tree or shrub which doesn't shed anything.

 

[HARO]

It would be useless for me to give you ideas, since I don't know what is available in your area. Go to your friendly local garden center and ask questions about the trees they carry. Avoid Home Depot and other big box stores, as the only advice they can give is largely BS.

 

[icsd71]

I do love the red maple. Have one in the front yard. But I imagine the leaves at fall would be troublesome. So your pond only get shade in the morning and evening? THis is how mine is now. I like the small one at your pond. If it would stay that size i would plant one by the pond. Thanks for the input.

 

[j.w]

Actually I was just showing you trees that I have that you could use to shade your pond but the way my pond sits the little maple is on the north side of the pond and those other small evergreen trees are on the south side of the pond and they only shade it a tiny bit and when the sun is high in the Summer there is not much shade at all there. We don't really need shade here as our weather does not get hot here hardly ever. Yes if you had any trees that lose their leaves near your pond they are going to get into your pond especially depending on which way the wind blows them. I am somewhat fortunate that the little Maple's leaves get blown away from the pond towards the front porch. Some get into the pond tho and I just scoop them out. My little maple won't get much taller but it will tend to get wider but I trim it underneath and on the lower branches to keep it from getting too wide and hanging too low. I like to keep it kind of airy so you can see light through the branches as they look prettier that way. Never prune them too much tho as to open up the trunk part that faces south or it could burn the trunk...........that's what the radio garden guy says here anyways. He also says he likes to prune his so that it looks as tho a bird could fly through the branches,lol!
You can see the leaves on the ground here in the fall in this photo:

 

[addy1]

Red tip photinia

We are zone 6b-7a it does fine here, beautiful ever green shrub, all new growth is red. The only time it has been damaged is this year the new growth got frost burnt due to our weird winter. hot then freezing.

It grows about 12 feet or so tall. It does not shed leaves.

 

[icsd71]

Nice pond J.W. Awesome thanks look good abby I want some of that. I will have to look for it.

 

[j.w]

Hey icsd you mentioned building something over your pond and I saw these interesting ideas on the net and sure would be nice to have one of these over my pond. They also deter the heron from flying over and seeing your fish. I kinda went crazy here looking at these:











and http://www.nipponnis...onstruction.pdf

I really like this last one w/ the bamboo type fencing around the back!

 

[sissy]

I like those ideas jw and remember birds will also bring a lot of bird poo to you pond .That last one is my fav too

 

[Waterbug]

Shade is top of my list for my next pond. I'm thinking of shade cloth with steel cable through grommets. I can pull it back in winter. I've seen them and think it can look nice.

 

[icsd71]

The first pic JW is exactly what i am going to build. But the last pic is awesome too! Thanks for the ideas.

 

[sissy]

I made those shade sails and so easy waterbug .I used the outside shade cloth fabric and sewed pockets in each end and used electrical conduit and eye bolts .I used a metal bit in my screw gun and drilled holes in the conduit to hold the eye bolts .I then drove pipe in the ground at an angle and put the electrical conduit down inside the pipe .I wanted to be able to remove the electrical conduit just in case of bad storms .Lightening rod no, shade yes .The pipe i drove into the ground at an angle had an end cap on it so dirt would not get inside the pipe and is 5 feet long and 4 feet is in the ground and one foot above and when the poles are not in I put an end cap over it.The smaller pipe in the pocket goes through the eye bolt .