My main focus over the last couple of weeks has been catching up with the pond plants which have been sitting in crates in the ponds waiting to be planted up. The ones I had already planted are establishing themselves and as more are going in, the marginal plants are really coming into play.
The water dropworts (Oenanthe), planted a number of weeks ago, are taking off and sending out runners. I can see they will be taking over if I am not careful. O. aquatica (above) are flowering.
Below are large tubs planted with Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) albescens. This variant has a thin yellow stripe running along its leaf, giving the whole plant a bright appearance. Planted right at the back where the pond(s) end, I think they will help accentuate the depth of waterway running through the garden, draw attention to the board walk in front of them and, hopefully, together with Oenanthe fistulosum and Menyanthes trifoliata also help disguise the exposed edge of the pond extension (second pic below)
I planted the remaining Butomus umbellatus last week (first pic below). Amazing to see them placed next to the ones I planted about four weeks ago (second pic). They are dwarfed compared to the more established plants, which are already sending out purple flower stems (third pic). I planted them in heavy clay topsoil (topped with sand), which they clearly seem to like.
As a side note, as
mentioned in an earlier post, I am going to try to create submersed versions of Nuphar lutea by removing any floating leaves which appear. A couple of days ago I removed the first floating leaf;
I finally planted the remaining tubs which I had sunk in along the right flank of the water. These will contain various Typha species (all in clay topsoil). The one below has Typha laxmannii (will grow to around 150cm max)
Near the decking in front of the house, at the far end, almost at the edge of the garden, I had sunk in a tub which I planted with Typha augustifolia (max 150cm, far right second pic). It really helps create the impression of the water extending all the way to the end of the decking.
I also used Typha to link the middle pond with the large pond at the back, this time Typha gracilis (max 90cm). Below you can see T. gracilis in the middle pond and in a tub in between the middle pond and the next pond. A further tub is sunk inside the large pond (can be seen in pics later on). Also in the picture below you can see Acorus gramineus variegatus growing in water and on land. As more and more layers of species are added, a stronger connection is being made between the two.
An important plant in the arrangement is Juncus inflexus. Large drifts have already been planted in the zones which visually link one pond to another and together form a matrix for what visually might resemble low marsh type planting. I had kept aside a crate of them to be planted in baskets to go in the water. Like all the other marginals in crates, I had already got them accustomed to grow with their crown submerged before removing most of the compost from the pots they came in and planting them in John Innes No3 (some in clay topsoil, depending on species), capped with 1cm of rinsed sharp sand:
Interesting how the Juncus plants growing in water are taller and more arched than the ones growing in the soil.
Pictured above you can see how Typha gracilis (taller reed like, yellow/green leaves) links the middle and back ponds.
Another plant I have high hopes for, or rather a genus, to help blend land and water, is Persicaria. In pink flower below is P. affinis superba and in water next to it is P. amphibia whose flowers will be very similar.
Late afternoon and evening are the best times to view the garden when sun is out and all the plants are back-lit beautifully. As you can see the garden is really filling out rapidly. The plant at most right of the pond below is Typha minima (60cm).