White Spot
Next to fungus, white spot 'ich' is the commonest disease of pond fish. The symptom you are most likely to see is the unusual frenzy and awkwardness ofthefish when swimming. On closer inspection you will find numerous white spots like grains of salt on the surface do not confuse these with the white spots which appear on the gitls of mate fish in the mating season. Treat white spot promptfy there are several products which will cure it if used at the early stages, but a badly Infected fish may...
Water Garden Features
A properly constructed and well-stocked pond does not demand the presence of other features. There is smooth water with fish below, Marginals above and Water Lilies on the surface if aquatic plants are your first love then this may well be sufficient. But Formal ponds in a prominent position can look distinctly dull in the winter months when fish are inactive and the pond plants have been cut down. A water garden feature or two can be helpful here, but the golden Rile is not to overdo it. These...
Making A Water Garden
Before you write a cheque or dig the first spadeful of soil you must plan carefully. It is essential to make sure that you have chosen the most satisfactory type of pond for your needs and situation. Thin, of course, should be obvious a lot of money, time and effort are involved and you can't simply alter things if you've made a mistake. The problem is that there is no such thing as the 'right' type of pond for everyone the perfect choice in one situation would be a disaster elsewhere. An added...
Vigorous Water Lilies
This is the Wild Water Lily which grows in lakes and sluggish rivers, and there it should remain. Buy one only if you need a plan for a deep and very large pond. Blooms are cup-Shaped and the leaves are large Red flecked with white. Golden stamens Wide-spreading, so this free-flowering Water Lily needs a large pond. The dowers on a young plant may be quite small and pale pink, but on a mature specimen they are 9 in rich red beaultes Wine red darkens with age. Golden stamens A very vigorous...
Spring
In March the first Primulas and early bulbs bioom in the bog garden, but you will have to wait until April for the start of the water garden year. Caltha will then be in full flower and the fish will slowly become active again. New Water lily pads appear and so does frog spawn this awakening means that there are jobs for you to do. Begin feeding when fish start to come to the surface just a little every couple of days will do. Disease resistance is at its lowest ebb at this time of year and a...
Raised Pond
It is surprising that books and articles on pond construction say so little about raised ponds, bearing in mind the number ol advantages they have over ground-level and sunken ponds The fish and plants are brought closer to eye level, so that their beauty is enhanced. Routine maintenance is made easier included here are dead-heading of spent blooms, planting, autumn clean-up, blanket-weed removal etc. This is especially important for the elderly and infirm. From a purely practical point of...
Plants
One of the major practical purposes of putting plants in a pond is to provide surface cover. This blanket of leaves serves two functions. Firstly, the growth of algae is discouraged by the shading effect of the foliage and this helps to keep the water clear by contributing to 'balance' see page 111. Secondly, the fish are provided with cooling shade during the hot days of summer. Fortunately the larger surface-covering plants are also ornamental as they bear attractive flowers. Pride of place...
Dirty Water
Brown muddy water is harmless to both fish and plants, but it is unsightly. There are two major causes scavenging fish may stir up soil from planting baskets on the bottom of the pond, or a powerful pump may create strong currents which drag sediment up to the surface. Obviously prevention is better than cure always line planting baskets with hesslan or buy soil-proof ones, cover the soil surface with gravel and site the pump so that water disturbance below the surface is reduced. You can...
Hornwort
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Looking At Rock Gardens
Both rock and water were old-established garden features before anyone dreamt of having lawns, beds or borders. Thousands of years ago the first Japanese garden was nothing more than an expanse of white stone chippings with a single Cieyera tree at the centre, and rhe Ancient Persian 'paradise' had a long canal and fountains at its heart. The attraction is easy to understand these two elements bring a natural feel to the surroundings. Until fairly recently, however, they were primarily the...
RODGERSIA Rodgersia
These plants from China and Japan are grown as ground cover, their large crinkled leaves carpeting a wide area when the plant is fully established. In midsummer plumes of small flowers are borne on top of 3-5 ft high stems. Rodgersia thrives best in a sheltered and partially shaded part of the bog garden. Leaf form and flower colour depend on the species. The most popular one is Rodgersia tabulahs the circular leaves are up to 2 ft across and the flowers are creamy white. R. pinnata is quite...
SCHIZOSTYLIS Kaffir Lily
This South African plant has flowers which have been described as similar to a Freesia, miniature Gladiolus or small Hemerocallis. They appear above grassy foliage remark a bty late in the season, the first buds opening in October and the last blooms fading in December. Despite this ability to extend the floral display in the bog garden, Schizostylis appears in none of the bestseller lists and is missing from many catalogues. The problem is that it is not fully hardy, and should therefore be...
Dwarf Water Lilies
A Changeable variety which is compact enough spread 1 '.i-2 ftl tor a half-barrel or other minipond Colour changes Irom pinkish yellow to Deep orange and then ruby red Leaves splashed with brown This native or N. Europe is a good choice if you want a white variety for a minipond. The cup-shaped flowers are held above the surface in the heart of the blooms are bright red stigmas Owarf or Small, the catalogues cant agree They do agree, however, that this is a good variety for a small pond or...
N Pygmaea Alba
The smallest Of the whites. Tiny 1 In. starry flowers are borne freely above the purple-backed leaves. An excellent choice for tubs, sinks and other minlponds. Some trosl protection Is advised The smallest of the yellows perhaps ttie most popular Dwarf The star-shaped lowers are borne above the surface and the brown-motlled leaves Blooms appear all summer long
NYMPHAEA Water Uly
The Water Lily is the unchallenged Queen of aquatic plants, and every pond owner either has or wants one. The value of the hardy Water Lity lies not onty in the beauty ol its cup-shaped or star-shaped blooms the round or heart-shaped leaves pads' help to keep the fish happy and the water clear It is a fascinating plant with a number of surprises for all and an equal number of pitfalls for the novice. The first surprise for the beginner is the enormous range of flower size, leaf size, leaf...
Acid Alkaline Water
You can buy a simple kit to test the pH acidity or alkalinity of the water. There Is no problem if the reading is between 6,5 and 6 5 water outside this range means that both fish and plants are suffering, A pH of 9.0 or above indicates that it is too alkaline water running into the pond from concrete or reconstituted stone paving is a common cause. Seal all concrete surfaces with pond paint, remove as much algae as you can and add a pH buffering agent which you can buy from your aquatics...