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Joined: Sep 2014
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We renovated our spring-fed pond late last summer, and into the fall. We are working towards creating a natural swimming pond. We killed all the fish in the pond using hydrated lime, and the water looks great. The weather's warmed up, and it's time to plant water plants!

I would LOVE to have ideas on specific plant genus/type and if you know a source online that you'd trust, that would be awesome to know!

A few perimeters:
1. We live in zone 5, and prefer perennials.
2. We want as many bare-rooted plants as we can on the assumption that they'll sap more nutrients from the water.
3. Pond is almost entirely full sun.
4. We have the pond rimmed with rocks that start at the edge at just under the surface, and then slope down to a barrier to about two feet of depth. This "margin area" for plants is about 1600 square feet, so we need to try to use less expensive plants.
5. We know that it'll take a few years to create a mature water garden.

OUR CURRENT IDEAS (tell me if they should change)

1. Water irises, planted bare root in pea-gravel corrals.
2. Water forget-me-nots planted on the margins at water's edge (we got two from the nursery, do they have to stay in pots?)
3. Arrowhead (do they have to stay in pots, or can I transfer to marginal mud/pea gravel corrals?)

Thanks, in advance!


Thanks for reading and responding!

Marcia
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If you are looking for more diversity you might like Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold) and Juncus nodosus (Knotted Rush). They are also marginals. I will be attempting to grow both of these from seed in the next few weeks.



Last edited by Bill D.; 05/03/15 04:32 PM. Reason: Clarification

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I AM looking for variety! That's why I came here. Got a source for the seeds?


Thanks for reading and responding!

Marcia
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I am getting mine from Prairie Moon Nursery. I have always had great luck with their seeds and their staff is very helpful if you have questions. I also ordered seeds for Iris versicolor (Northern Blue Flag Iris) and Sagittaria latifolia (Common Arrowhead). A lot of their inventory is also available as plants.

Last edited by Bill D.; 05/03/15 05:03 PM. Reason: Clarification

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I am curious. With no fish, how are you going to keep mosquitoes from taking over the area?

Last edited by Bill D.; 05/03/15 05:44 PM. Reason: Typo

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Other invertebrates are capable of controlling mosquitoes.

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Originally Posted By: Bill D.
I am getting mine from Prairie Moon Nursery. I have always had great luck with their seeds and their staff is very helpful if you have questions. I also ordered seeds for Iris versicolor (Northern Blue Flag Iris) and Sagittaria latifolia (Common Arrowhead). A lot of their inventory is also available as plants.


BTW I have also been warned by a very wise PBF member that starting these plants from seed is not easy.


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Update...Got the seeds. 3 require 60 day moist cold stratification and the Iris requires 120 days. All seeds are in a fridge in baggies with moist sand to condition the seeds.

Hmmm...maybe better to buy plants?


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I am also trying to grow swamp marigold, Canada rush, fowl mana grass, and swamp milkweed from seed from Prairie Moon. I followed the stratification requirements and had great success with the swamp marigolds and swamp milkweeds. I have had next to no luck with the rushes and marginal luck with the mana grass. I think you really need to have control over light, temps, and moisture to get the seeds going.

It's a ton of fun and a good feeling getting stuff going from seed in your pond though! Good luck!


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I like pond plants also but what you plant may not be what you end up with in the end. Birds landing on your pond and the wind blowing in seeds have a mind of their own. I have Yellow & Blue Irises and they spread very slowly and add a lot to a pond. A short 6 inch plant I liked was the Corkscrew Eelgrass (Vallisneria americana var. biwaensis) . It grew well and spread nicely until we had a drought and the water dropped back and exposed them. Later on they died and never came back.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=280934

A friend of mine has a one acre pond that he uses for spring board diving and swimming. But he is anti plants. He spreads copper sulfate about twice and year on the pond and it is virtually plant free and kills algae. He sprays the edges of the pond and has grass growing right to the edge that he mows. But it is a swimming pond.


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We have a floating dock to swim off of, and have our entire edge planted in marginals. We also have a lot of ornamental water lilies. Our experience is that, if you don't plant it, nature will, and you will have to do constant maintenance if you don't like it. The plants also suck up excess nutrients. Its all what you are after. We have bought plants but also raised a lot from seed. You need to pay attention with some species if you want seed to germinate. Some can take a couple years. My wife is a pro at it.

Last edited by RAH; 05/06/15 06:06 AM.
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I am hoping for habitat and sucking up nutrients. I also just think a pond looks more natural with plants! In addition to the seeds, I have these plants on order. Should be here by the weekend.

Sagittaria, Dwarf Subulata (Sagittaria subulata)
Sulphurea (M) Hardy Water Lily (Yellow)
LIZARD'S TAIL (Saururus cernuus)
CATTAIL, DWARF (Typha minima)

This will be a trial run as I have never bought plants from this place before. If successfull, I will order more.

Does anybody know if geese are going to be a problem with any of these?

Last edited by Bill D.; 05/06/15 08:49 AM. Reason: Clarification

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I did not plant any "domestic" cattails because I was afraid that I could not distinguish them from the invasive types. I do like giant burred which can be distinguished by their more apparent midrib. I also like lizard's tail and irises. Hibiscus are also very showy, especially the red ones. Swamp milkweed is pretty nice too. I would be careful to get waterlilies that are domestic rather than wild types.


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