Pond Plants

A pond without plants can easily look like a puddle, whilst a

well planted pond can look stunning.

Throughout the season (April to September) we stock a

huge range of pond & bog plants, to help you achieve a well

balance pond....

Water Lilies We usually stock over 50 different varieties, from the common Nymphaea alba, to some of the more unusual varieties like arc en ceil and some of the newer American varieties, "Texas Dawn" is a particular favourite with our staff, huge yellow flowers held proud of the water & attractive mottled red & green foliage. Lilies provide shade for the pond, giving the fish somewhere to hide from predators, and reducing algae growth. With lilies ranging from the pigmy varieties to the vigorous, and a range of flower colours, there is a lily variety that is suitable for almost every pond. Marginal Plants As the name implies these are plants for the shallow edges of the pond. They include marsh marigold, irises, water forget-me-not and very many more. Marginal plants help break up the outline of the pond, provide some shade & also provide a refuge for baby fish, tadpoles, etc. We stock a very wide range of marginals in a variety of sizes. Bog Plants These are plants for damp soil around, rather than in the pool. There is however some crossover between these two groups, with some bog plants also capable of being grown as marginals & vice versa. "Oxygenators" Sometimes referred to as "pond weed", "oxygenators" don't actually add much oxygen to the water. What oxygenators are good at is growing quickly, in so doing they remove excess nutrients from the water, and therefore reduce the growth of algae. As a general guide we suggest 1 bunch of oxygenators for every 2 square foot of surface area. Although some oxygenators (eg hornwort) may be simply weighted down & thrown in, most are best planted. Unfortunately the EU have banned the sale of Elodea, one of the best oxygenators, and as of 2nd August 2017 we will no longer be able to supply this useful plant. Floating Plants Floating plants help to reduce algae growth, partly by providing shade at the surface, and partly because they grow rapidly and suck excess nutrients out of the water. For years, probably the most popular floating plant was water hyacinth. This is native to South America, but in the wrong situation it can be highly invasive and problematic, clogging waterways, and even power station water inlets. Fortunately there’s no risk of the plant establishing itself in the UK as it is extremely sensitive to frosts & cold weather. None the less, the sale of water hyacinth has now been banned by the E.U. and as of 2nd August 2017 we will no longer be able to sell this unusual plant. As an alternative we recommend water soldier, a native species which is frost hardy, the plants sink to the bottom of the pool in winter, then float back up in spring and summer. Another floating plant that is often available is frogbit which has small, lily like leaves, and being small is better suited than water soldier to small ponds and water features. Duckweed & Azolla are small, floating plants, which can be highly invasive and should not be deliberately introduced into a garden pond, or natural body of water. Their sale in the UK is now banned.

The following gives some

idea of the range of

plants usually available in

season....

"Oxygenators" Sometimes referred to as "pond weed", "oxygenators" don't actually add much oxygen to the water. What oxygenators are good at is growing quickly, in so doing they remove excess nutrients from the water, and therefore reduce the growth of algae. Unfortunately the EU have banned the sale of Elodea, one of the best oxygenators, and since 2nd August 2017 we are no longer be able to supply this useful plant. Starwort Callitriche stagnalis Native Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Mare’s Tail Hippuris vulgaris Native Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Ivy leafed Crowfoot Ranunculus hederaceus Native Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Fibre Optic Plant Scirpus cernuus Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Marginal Plants As the name implies these are plants for the shallow edges of the pond. Marginal plants help break up the outline of the pond, provide some shade & also provide a refuge for baby fish, tadpoles, etc. Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Native Large round leaves and copious bright yellow buttercup like flowers in April and May, excellent marginal and will also grow well in damp, boggy conditions White Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris alba Native cultivar Cultivated variety of the native marsh marigold with round leaves and white flowers with yellow centre. Flowers in April and May, excellent marginal and will also grow well in damp, boggy conditions Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis Native Low growing, creeping, spring flowering plant with pale lilac flowers on a stalk. Best grown in very shallow water or damp soil. Japanese Horsetail Equisetum japonicum Tall straight dark green stems with dark horizontal banding Dwarf Horsetail Equisetum scirpoides Low growing straight dark green stems with dark horizontal banding Water Avens Geum rivale Native Low growing with dark green leaves, the flower stalk droops over with the weight of the brown/peach flower. Flowers April/May. Iris “Black Gamecock” Iris louisiana “Black Gamecock” Vigourous iris with tall straight leaves and large purple black flowers with yellow highlights. Flowers in May & June, a vigorous plant best suited to medium and larger ponds Yellow Flag Iris pseudocorus Native Tall straight leaves and large bright yellow flowers in May, a vigorous plant best suited to medium and larger ponds Blue Flag Iris versicolor Tall straight leaves and large blue/purple flowers in May, not quite as large or vigorous as Iris pseudocorus Soft Rush Juncus effusus Attractive clumps of thick like reed like vegetation. Corkscrew Rush Juncus effusus spiralis Corkscrew variety of sort rush with attractive clumps of thick like reed like vegetation spiralling out like an explosion in a fireworks factory. Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis Dark red foliage growing upwards to produce a flowering stem covered in bright red flowers. Flowers late summer to early autumn. Creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia Native Vigourous creeping plant with round leaves growing either side of a central stem and bright yellow flowers from June to September. Can be grown as a marginal or bog plant. Golden Creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia “aurea” Native cultivar. Slightly less vigourous golden cultivar of creeping jenny with yellow coloured round leaves growing either side of a central yellow stem and bright yellow flowers from June to September. Can be grown as a marginal or bog plant. Water Mint Mentha aquatica Native Vigourous plant with dark green leaves and small purple flowers in a circular clump. Strong minty fragrance. Flowers mid to late summer. Yellow Monkey Musk Mimulus luteus Vigourous plant with bright green leaves and large yellow snapdragon like flowers. Flowers late spring and early summer. Mimulus “Lothian Fire” Mimulus sp. Sadly, not the original “Lothian fire” but a mimulus with dark green foliage and unusual double “hose in hose” red flowers. Flowers late spring and early summer. Square Stemmed Monkey Musk Mimulus ringens Vigourous plant with bright green leaves and pale purple snapdragon like flowers. Flowers late spring and early summer. Water Forget-me- not Myosotus palustris Native Low growing creeping plant with small bright blue flowers with yellow centres. Flowers May to August. Watercress Nasturtium officinale Native Vigorous growing plant with small white flowers from May to October. In growing vigorously it helps to remove nutrients which would otherwise feed blanket weed and other algae, it is therefore an excellent plant for plant bed filtration systems. But can be invasive. Although edible, we do not recommend eating cress growing in ponds where fish are present, or ponds that have been treated with any pond chemicals. Dwarf Reed Mace Typha minima A dwarf species bullrush much better suited to a typical garden pond than the native species which grows too tall and vigorously. Brooklime Veronica beccabunga Native Low growing creeping plant with rounded leaves and small blue flowers. Flowers May to September. 3 Litre Mixed Native Basket Native A 3 litre hexagonal basket planted with a selection of 3 native plants 8 Litre Mixed Contour Basket An 8 litre contour basket planted with a selection of 6 attractive marginal plants 2022 Marginal, potted oxygenators & bog plant prices Bunched oxygenators £2.50 each 9cm temporary pots £4.99 1 litre planting baskets £6.99 2 litre planting baskets £13.99 3 litre planting baskets £15.99 8 litre contour baskets £29.99 Deep Water Marginals These plants can tolerate growing at greater depth most typical marginal plants. Water Hawthorn Aponogeton distachyum Sends long elongate floating leaves to the surface each spring, providing shade before the lilies get going. This is followed by flowering stems with strange elongate white flowers. The plant dies back during the summer, but comes again in the autumn, just as the lilies start to die back. Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus Native Best grown with about 8- 12” of water cover, this plant produces long thin reeds, but also flowering stalks with clusters of pink flowers. Fringed Water lily Nymphoides peltata Not a true water lily, but with small lily like leaves and pretty yellow flowers, this is an ideal plant to provide surface cover in smaller ponds. Golden Club Orontium aquaticum With large broad leaves this plant gets it’s name from it’s unusual inflorescence which is a long white and slender topped with bright yellow. 2022 Deep water Marginal plant prices 1 litre planting baskets £11.49 2 litre planting baskets £13.99 3 litre planting baskets £17.99 Water Lilies Lilies provide shade for the pond, giving the fish somewhere to hide from predators, and reducing algae growth. With lilies ranging from the pigmy varieties to the vigorous, and a range of flower colours, there is a lily variety that is suitable for almost every pond. The following are just a few of the many different varieties of lilies that we stock. Our water lilies are supplied ready potted in 3.5 litre* planting baskets. *Some smaller varieties are supplied in 1 or 2 litre baskets. Nymphaea “alba” Native This is the native lily with large green leaves and white flowers with bright yellow centre. Vigorous, recommended for ponds of at least 8 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “white sultan” Not quite as large or vigorous as “alba”. Free flowering with large green leaves and pure white flowers with bright yellow centre. Large, recommended for ponds of at least 6 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “chromatella” A traditional free flowering lily with mottled red and green leaves and creamy yellow flowers. Medium, recommended for ponds of at least 4 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Texas Dawn” One of the newer American varieties, this is a particular favourite with our staff, huge yellow flowers held proud of the water & attractive mottled red & green foliage. Large, recommended for ponds of at least 6 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Charles-de- Meurville” Another favourite with our staff, free flowering with large pinky red flowers & large green foliage. Vigorous, recommended for ponds of at least 8 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Escarboucle” A beautiful free flowering red variety with large deep red flowers & large green foliage. Large, recommended for ponds of at least 6 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Ellisiana” A small early flowering red variety with red flowers & dark green foliage occasionally flecked with brown. Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Froebeli” A small red variety with red flowers & dark green foliage Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Aurora” A small variety with red and green leaves and flowers that change from yellow to red as they age Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Little Sue” A small variety with orange pink star shaped flowers. Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Odorata Minor” A very small variety with star shaped white flowers with golden centres and a subtle fragrance Very Small, recommended for ponds of at least 1 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Pigmaea Rubra” A true pygmy variety with star shaped red flowers. Pygmy, recommended for very small ponds 2022 Water lily prices Prices start at £22.99 up to £29.99 depending on variety.

Pond Plants

A pond without plants can easily look like a puddle, whilst a

well planted pond can look stunning.

Throughout the season (April to September) we stock a huge range of pond & bog plants, to help

you achieve a well balance pond....

Water Lilies We usually stock over 50 different varieties, from the common Nymphaea alba, to some of the more unusual varieties like arc en ceil and some of the newer American varieties, "Texas Dawn" is a particular favourite with our staff, huge yellow flowers held proud of the water & attractive mottled red & green foliage. Lilies provide shade for the pond, giving the fish somewhere to hide from predators, and reducing algae growth. With lilies ranging from the pigmy varieties to the vigorous, and a range of flower colours, there is a lily variety that is suitable for almost every pond. Marginal Plants As the name implies these are plants for the shallow edges of the pond. They include marsh marigold, irises, water forget-me-not and very many more. Marginal plants help break up the outline of the pond, provide some shade & also provide a refuge for baby fish, tadpoles, etc. We stock a very wide range of marginals in a variety of sizes. Bog Plants These are plants for damp soil around, rather than in the pool. There is however some crossover between these two groups, with some bog plants also capable of being grown as marginals & vice versa. "Oxygenators" Sometimes referred to as "pond weed", "oxygenators" don't actually add much oxygen to the water. What oxygenators are good at is growing quickly, in so doing they remove excess nutrients from the water, and therefore reduce the growth of algae. As a general guide we suggest 1 bunch of oxygenators for every 2 square foot of surface area. Although some oxygenators (eg hornwort) may be simply weighted down & thrown in, most are best planted. Unfortunately the EU have banned the sale of Elodea, one of the best oxygenators, and as of 2nd August 2017 we will no longer be able to supply this useful plant. Floating Plants Floating plants help to reduce algae growth, partly by providing shade at the surface, and partly because they grow rapidly and suck excess nutrients out of the water. For years, probably the most popular floating plant was water hyacinth. This is native to South America, but in the wrong situation it can be highly invasive and problematic, clogging waterways, and even power station water inlets. Fortunately there’s no risk of the plant establishing itself in the UK as it is extremely sensitive to frosts & cold weather. None the less, the sale of water hyacinth has now been banned by the E.U. and as of 2nd August 2017 we will no longer be able to sell this unusual plant. As an alternative we recommend water soldier, a native species which is frost hardy, the plants sink to the bottom of the pool in winter, then float back up in spring and summer. Another floating plant that is often available is frogbit which has small, lily like leaves, and being small is better suited than water soldier to small ponds and water features. Duckweed & Azolla are small, floating plants, which can be highly invasive and should not be deliberately introduced into a garden pond, or natural body of water. Their sale in the UK is now banned.

The following gives some idea of the

range of plants usually available in

season....

"Oxygenators" Sometimes referred to as "pond weed", "oxygenators" don't actually add much oxygen to the water. What oxygenators are good at is growing quickly, in so doing they remove excess nutrients from the water, and therefore reduce the growth of algae. Unfortunately the EU have banned the sale of Elodea, one of the best oxygenators, and since 2nd August 2017 we are no longer be able to supply this useful plant. Starwort Callitriche stagnalis Native Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Mare’s Tail Hippuris vulgaris Native Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Ivy leafed Crowfoot Ranunculus hederaceus Native Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Fibre Optic Plant Scirpus cernuus Can be grown either as a marginal plant or submerged in shallow water as an oxygenator Marginal Plants As the name implies these are plants for the shallow edges of the pond. Marginal plants help break up the outline of the pond, provide some shade & also provide a refuge for baby fish, tadpoles, etc. Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Native Large round leaves and copious bright yellow buttercup like flowers in April and May, excellent marginal and will also grow well in damp, boggy conditions White Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris alba Native cultivar Cultivated variety of the native marsh marigold with round leaves and white flowers with yellow centre. Flowers in April and May, excellent marginal and will also grow well in damp, boggy conditions Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis Native Low growing, creeping, spring flowering plant with pale lilac flowers on a stalk. Best grown in very shallow water or damp soil. Japanese Horsetail Equisetum japonicum Tall straight dark green stems with dark horizontal banding Dwarf Horsetail Equisetum scirpoides Low growing straight dark green stems with dark horizontal banding Water Avens Geum rivale Native Low growing with dark green leaves, the flower stalk droops over with the weight of the brown/peach flower. Flowers April/May. Iris “Black Gamecock” Iris louisiana “Black Gamecock” Vigourous iris with tall straight leaves and large purple black flowers with yellow highlights. Flowers in May & June, a vigorous plant best suited to medium and larger ponds Yellow Flag Iris pseudocorus Native Tall straight leaves and large bright yellow flowers in May, a vigorous plant best suited to medium and larger ponds Blue Flag Iris versicolor Tall straight leaves and large blue/purple flowers in May, not quite as large or vigorous as Iris pseudocorus Soft Rush Juncus effusus Attractive clumps of thick like reed like vegetation. Corkscrew Rush Juncus effusus spiralis Corkscrew variety of sort rush with attractive clumps of thick like reed like vegetation spiralling out like an explosion in a fireworks factory. Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis Dark red foliage growing upwards to produce a flowering stem covered in bright red flowers. Flowers late summer to early autumn. Creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia Native Vigourous creeping plant with round leaves growing either side of a central stem and bright yellow flowers from June to September. Can be grown as a marginal or bog plant. Golden Creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia “aurea” Native cultivar. Slightly less vigourous golden cultivar of creeping jenny with yellow coloured round leaves growing either side of a central yellow stem and bright yellow flowers from June to September. Can be grown as a marginal or bog plant. Water Mint Mentha aquatica Native Vigourous plant with dark green leaves and small purple flowers in a circular clump. Strong minty fragrance. Flowers mid to late summer. Yellow Monkey Musk Mimulus luteus Vigourous plant with bright green leaves and large yellow snapdragon like flowers. Flowers late spring and early summer. Mimulus “Lothian Fire” Mimulus sp. Sadly, not the original “Lothian fire” but a mimulus with dark green foliage and unusual double “hose in hose” red flowers. Flowers late spring and early summer. Square Stemmed Monkey Musk Mimulus ringens Vigourous plant with bright green leaves and pale purple snapdragon like flowers. Flowers late spring and early summer. Water Forget-me-not Myosotus palustris Native Low growing creeping plant with small bright blue flowers with yellow centres. Flowers May to August. Watercress Nasturtium officinale Native Vigorous growing plant with small white flowers from May to October. In growing vigorously it helps to remove nutrients which would otherwise feed blanket weed and other algae, it is therefore an excellent plant for plant bed filtration systems. But can be invasive. Although edible, we do not recommend eating cress growing in ponds where fish are present, or ponds that have been treated with any pond chemicals. Dwarf Reed Mace Typha minima A dwarf species bullrush much better suited to a typical garden pond than the native species which grows too tall and vigorously. Brooklime Veronica beccabunga Native Low growing creeping plant with rounded leaves and small blue flowers. Flowers May to September. 3 Litre Mixed Native Basket Native A 3 litre hexagonal basket planted with a selection of 3 native plants 8 Litre Mixed Contour Basket An 8 litre contour basket planted with a selection of 6 attractive marginal plants 2022 Marginal, potted oxygenators & bog plant prices Bunched oxygenators £2.50 each 9cm temporary pots £4.99 1 litre planting baskets £6.99 2 litre planting baskets £13.99 3 litre planting baskets £15.99 8 litre contour baskets £29.99 Deep Water Marginals These plants can tolerate growing at greater depth most typical marginal plants. Water Hawthorn Aponogeton distachyum Sends long elongate floating leaves to the surface each spring, providing shade before the lilies get going. This is followed by flowering stems with strange elongate white flowers. The plant dies back during the summer, but comes again in the autumn, just as the lilies start to die back. Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus Native Best grown with about 8-12” of water cover, this plant produces long thin reeds, but also flowering stalks with clusters of pink flowers. Fringed Water lily Nymphoides peltata Not a true water lily, but with small lily like leaves and pretty yellow flowers, this is an ideal plant to provide surface cover in smaller ponds. Golden Club Orontium aquaticum With large broad leaves this plant gets it’s name from it’s unusual inflorescence which is a long white and slender topped with bright yellow. 2022 Deep water Marginal plant prices 1 litre planting baskets £11.49 2 litre planting baskets £13.99 3 litre planting baskets £17.99 Water Lilies Lilies provide shade for the pond, giving the fish somewhere to hide from predators, and reducing algae growth. With lilies ranging from the pigmy varieties to the vigorous, and a range of flower colours, there is a lily variety that is suitable for almost every pond. The following are just a few of the many different varieties of lilies that we stock. Our water lilies are supplied ready potted in 3.5 litre* planting baskets. *Some smaller varieties are supplied in 1 or 2 litre baskets. Nymphaea “alba” Native This is the native lily with large green leaves and white flowers with bright yellow centre. Vigorous, recommended for ponds of at least 8 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “white sultan” Not quite as large or vigorous as “alba”. Free flowering with large green leaves and pure white flowers with bright yellow centre. Large, recommended for ponds of at least 6 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “chromatella” A traditional free flowering lily with mottled red and green leaves and creamy yellow flowers. Medium, recommended for ponds of at least 4 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Texas Dawn” One of the newer American varieties, this is a particular favourite with our staff, huge yellow flowers held proud of the water & attractive mottled red & green foliage. Large, recommended for ponds of at least 6 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Charles-de-Meurville” Another favourite with our staff, free flowering with large pinky red flowers & large green foliage. Vigorous, recommended for ponds of at least 8 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Escarboucle” A beautiful free flowering red variety with large deep red flowers & large green foliage. Large, recommended for ponds of at least 6 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Ellisiana” A small early flowering red variety with red flowers & dark green foliage occasionally flecked with brown. Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Froebeli” A small red variety with red flowers & dark green foliage Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Aurora” A small variety with red and green leaves and flowers that change from yellow to red as they age Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Little Sue” A small variety with orange pink star shaped flowers. Small, recommended for ponds of at least 2 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Odorata Minor” A very small variety with star shaped white flowers with golden centres and a subtle fragrance Very Small, recommended for ponds of at least 1 sq. M. surface area. Nymphaea “Pigmaea Rubra” A true pygmy variety with star shaped red flowers. Pygmy, recommended for very small ponds 2022 Water lily prices Prices start at £22.99 up to £29.99 depending on variety.