So glad you asked this question - after the programme I ordered some irises from Rowden Gardens (the place that was on Gardeners' World) on the Internet. Then I watched the Iris bit of the programme again and thought -' Hang on I can't put them in the pond after all'. Think I will have to keep them at the side in ordinary soil that is kept wet. The lady had them in baskets with water up around them and definitely ordinary garden soil - which as you say would wreck the pond balance.
janebal, Do what you were originally going to do. If you find it doesn't work, do something else next year. There are no hard and fast rules, there are opinions, some more informed than others. A natural pond, where the irises naturally grow, has ordinary soil all around the edges and on the bottom. Natural ponds find a balance.
Do a bit of experimentation and report back with your opinion.
Went to Mapperton House, Beaminster, Dorset today where they had a plant sale. I bought an old zinc bath there (like a Roman sarcophagus!} and have decided to keep the irises in these for the time being.I think I will line the bath with pond liner and put the irises in pond baskets with ordinary soil (with water three quarters of the way up the basket as they had on the programme) and see how they go. Do you think this will work?
On the ordinary soil vs aquatic compost question, we use to start wildlife ponds by filling with water and tipping in several spade fulls of garden soil. The water would clear in two days and not appear nutrient rich at all (no algal bloom seen). I'm sure Geoff Hamilton advised this on one of his shows years ago too.
I think it is adding nutrients to established ponds that can upset the delicate balance and then one should be careful to us aquatic compost to avoid algal bloom.
This is interesting because my pond is new - made it last week - but Monty Don definitely used aquatic compost in his new wildlife pond on Friday's 'Gardeners World' so I went out and bought a bag of that. Bit confused now.
Posts
I haven't watched it, I was going by the information given by Daryl.
Dove, of course we're still friends.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
So glad you asked this question - after the programme I ordered some irises from Rowden Gardens (the place that was on Gardeners' World) on the Internet. Then I watched the Iris bit of the programme again and thought -' Hang on I can't put them in the pond after all'. Think I will have to keep them at the side in ordinary soil that is kept wet. The lady had them in baskets with water up around them and definitely ordinary garden soil - which as you say would wreck the pond balance.
Janebal, maybe you could email the Rowden place and ask their advice about repotting then report back to us?
janebal, Do what you were originally going to do. If you find it doesn't work, do something else next year. There are no hard and fast rules, there are opinions, some more informed than others. A natural pond, where the irises naturally grow, has ordinary soil all around the edges and on the bottom. Natural ponds find a balance.
Do a bit of experimentation and report back with your opinion.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Went to Mapperton House, Beaminster, Dorset today where they had a plant sale. I bought an old zinc bath there (like a Roman sarcophagus!} and have decided to keep the irises in these for the time being.I think I will line the bath with pond liner and put the irises in pond baskets with ordinary soil (with water three quarters of the way up the basket as they had on the programme) and see how they go. Do you think this will work?
On the ordinary soil vs aquatic compost question, we use to start wildlife ponds by filling with water and tipping in several spade fulls of garden soil. The water would clear in two days and not appear nutrient rich at all (no algal bloom seen). I'm sure Geoff Hamilton advised this on one of his shows years ago too.
I think it is adding nutrients to established ponds that can upset the delicate balance and then one should be careful to us aquatic compost to avoid algal bloom.
This is interesting because my pond is new - made it last week - but Monty Don definitely used aquatic compost in his new wildlife pond on Friday's 'Gardeners World' so I went out and bought a bag of that. Bit confused now.
and people say it's just his opinion, NO , PEOPLE GO OUT AND SPEND THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY after hearing it.