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water lilies and water movement
Guernsey Donkey2
Posts: 6,713
in Plants
We are going to place a couple of water lilies in our new pond.
I have read that water lilies don't like water movement. Our pond has a pump and water fall but we will place the lilies a metre away from this - how much will the lilies be effected, and would you advise another type of plant instead of lilies?
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Sounds pretty similar to my pond, and the lilies are taking over the pond!
Your lilies must be very happy in their location Charlie - thanks for the positive reply. How big is your pond and how many lilies do you have?
My pond is about 4000L and I think we started with two lilies on the bottom floor. They have since grown and combined in one big bush with serious roots which we have to harshly cut back in summer.
Hi GD - my fish pond has a waterfall and lily. Both have been co-existing for 20+ years. I have to confess I've never done anything to the lily in all that time, but it seems happy enough and by mid-summer covers most of the top of the pond.
The pump moves about 1,500lph
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
That's a pretty setting for your pond Pete - I hope you take time out to sit on the little bench and enjoy the sound of the water and the surroundings. What is the large plant overhanging the edge here on the right of the picture? It appears to be making a good edging and covering.
Thanks for the reassurance Charlie - we were going to start with two lilies, starting them just below the water level, then gradually dropping them down to the full depth of the pond.
Thanks GD I do sit out occasionally and have a cuppa between whatever else I'm doing.
The green creeper is juniperus squamata. I put it in to deter the heron and it has worked well, but the heron has found suitable spots often enough to clear the pond years ago.Now, the 2 remaining koi are so big he just looks at them then flies off.
I gave the pump a clean earlier and noticed it's a 2500lph pump. The 3-tier waterfall (approx 2'6" high) goes into the shallow (18") end of the pond and the lily is in the deep (3ft) end where it thrives.
And sometimes I sit here - and can even dip my toes in
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
You paint a lovely picture Pete - of how your pond has evolved into this beautiful scene. I googled the Juniperus and it seems to be a slow grower. It does look very effective hanging over the edge of your pond.
You've got it all to look forward to GD
and on a much grander scale!
It took a couple of hours to fill my new w/l pond at the other end of the garden, so will order some native pond plants for delivery next week probably from waterside nursery - they seem to have good reviews. I know it'll all go bright green for a while and all sorts of algae will probably cycle through but in 2-3 months hopefully it'll clear and balance. And by then I'll have a nice arbour to sit in next to the pond and watch what's going on
I'll build a small yorkstone rock feature and beach at one end with just a trickle from a low waterfall then see what nature brings along..
Read your post and so pleased it's all running smoothly! also looking forward to some pics
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
As I sit here returning your message next to the open window I can hear the sound of trickling water - it is a lovely sound. We switched everything on this morning, no hiccups, just a few minor tweaks. The landscapers used a lazer leveller when working on the pond which helped enormously.
We used granite to dress the pond which is our local stone, we have tonnes and tonnes of it, left over from old commercial greenhouse walls (low walls, 6 huge greenhouses that my family owned). With all those lovely camouflage plants in your garden you will soon have an interesting variety of wildlife in your pond Pete.