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Planting suggestions for around (not in) a new pond

Bananaracer
07/01/2021 10:12

Hi folks, we 've just created a new wildlife pond in our garden. It's ringed with flat stones and then merges straight into a regular lawn, so I'm looking for wildlife-friendly plant suggestions for things to go in on the lawn side of the pond (so not margin plants actually in the water) - plants to provide shelter and ideally some flowering ones too to keep the missus happy. I've had Acorus grasses, sedges and Iris serbinica (?) recommended - any others people could suggest? We're in the south-east of England on a fairly heavy clay soil. I'm told that the ground around the pond will be barely any wetter than the surroundings so i'm not after bog plants.

  • 07/01/2021 20:22
    I would say anything that doesn't grow big enough to give a cat cover, thus protecting the birds that come to drink & bathe

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • 07/01/2021 21:24
    We have some small Geranium species and Heuchera around our pond on one side which give some low cover.


    Tony

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/wherryman/

  • 08/01/2021 09:20

    Thanks for the suggestions. I should have added that the pond is small, only about 6 feet long and 3 feet wide in an oval shape. I think both purple loosestrife and rosebay willowherb are over 1 meter tall so probably too big for my little pond?

  • 09/01/2021 09:31
    Thanks Robbo, the pond is about 2 feet deep at the right, with a sloping pebble side back to the surface on the left. Yes, I'm definitely looking for some structure - the sedges I have will grow no higher than 50cm (I think) so some flowering plants that are wildlife friendly and grow no more than 50-100cm I think is what I need to mix in. Good point about the 'running' plants - I want to be able to somehow blend the lawn into the planting without a hard stop but definitely don't want to have to spend time digging invasive plants from out of the rest of the lawn!
  • 09/01/2021 10:37
    I have Ragged Robin around my ponds, very attractive native wildflower great for pond wildlife. A few ferns always go well around a pond too. You will need to put some marginals in too, marsh marigold, water mint, brooklime good options. Hornwort good native oxygenator.
  • 10/01/2021 11:34

    A nice looking pond.

    Beware that grasses and iris' will take over the pond, so you'll need to do an annual thinning out.

    We used to have grasses in ours until a few years ago, and now we just have lily plants, which provide sun cover for the two fish and nature does the rest with algae around the pond sides.

    The grasses were removed because I'm no longer able to maintain the pond, but TBH, the water has been clearer since removing the grasses and the filter requires less cleaning.

    Mike

    Flickr: Peak Rambler