Thursday, June 23, 2011

The trouble with over-wintering pond plants…

The trouble with over-wintering pond plants is they start out the growing season with a distinct size disadvantage. Even though they are alive they need some sun and warm temperatures to start growing. Because sun and warmth are the very two things we lacked this spring, our stock tank pond was sorely in need of some height. This fact, combined with having recently seen a fabulous variegated cattail in a friends bog garden, sent me on a trip to Hughes Water Gardens. First their display gardens…which start out as a tribute of sorts to slightly invasive plants. And then you discover a gorgeous pond. Check out the amazing group of Rodgersia leaves! And if those aren’t big enough for you how about these Astilboides tabularis? Wait! It gets even bigger! The Gunnera… The tropical greenhouses are open for the season, and full of wonderful things. Even though I’ve already got a Furcraea mediopicta my reaction when I saw this one was to want to take it home with me, it’s gorgeous! Ah! The Cattails that I wanted…aren’t they elegant? Blooming Callistemon pallidus, I’ve got this one and was excited to see what the blooms look like. One of my favorite things about Hughes Water Gardens is that they also have a great selection of non-water plants, especially spiky ones! Someday I’ll get around to buying an Agave 'kissho kan,' but not today. Ananas lucida 'dwarf spineless pineapple' Inside their water plants greenhouse… And look at all the Cannas! Back home the cattail looks great in the stock tank pond, but I wish I would have bought two, one just has less impact. Instead I bought a Water Canna, their leaves are so graceful. Any blooms (like this one from another plant a couple of years ago) are bonus!

10 comments:

  1. What a fabulous place and to find out they have other than pond plants is great. I havent visited (ever) because I thought it was all about the water plants. Must go now!

    You cattail is handsome, but you're right, it would bemefit from companionship. Will one of your overwintered plants provide a friend when it kicks in?

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  2. Wow, all so lovely! I also plan to get a Kisho Kan one day. I have my canna bulbs in the refrigerator waiting to be planted this weekend.

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  3. Gunnera is one of the gardening Holy Grails here, often coveted, but never realized.

    My own trouble with water plants is not the overwintering, but the koi. They will slowly nibble to death anything they come in contact with, so I have to keep everything in plastic pots.

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  4. I have an enduring love of cattails (even the common ones) and have considered getting a small water tub like that just to enjoy those big, waving flowering heads! I totally love the Lotus...especially those huge pods after flowering...must visit that nursery!

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  5. MulchMaid, oh you NEED to go! It is a wonderful place. And yes that is the hope...last year the dwarf papyrus and the colocasia were quite tall, and the aztec arrowhead added a nice mid-height leaf and flower. As luck would have it I am planning another visit to Hughes with a friend in a couple of weeks so if things haven't started filling in I might just grab another cattail!

    Nicole, I'm kicking myself for not grabbing the Kisho Kan I saw for 1/2 off last fall in Nashville. Of course getting it home wouldn't have been easy but I shouldn't have let that stop me!

    Les, as in you all can't grow Gunnera? Why? That is so sad!!!

    scott, you guys should get a stock-tank! You can get ones even smaller than that. If raccoons aren't a problem in your neighborhood you can get a shorter one too.

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  6. Hughes just shot to the top of my "must visit" list.

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  7. Danger......what do you do with your tanks in the winter? I have large water bowls but I have to drop heaters in.

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  8. ricki, I am glad to hear it...Hughes is really a great nursery that more people need to know about...it's not just for those with ponds!

    Beech Street, in a word...nothing. I left the underwater floaty plants in place (the "oxygenators") but took everything else and overwintered the plants in the basement in buckets (so they could remain wet). Oh and the fish (just a couple of goldfish) stayed in all winter too! The top of the tank froze but the fish hunkered down and the bottom and were fine.

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  9. Variegated cattail? Sign me up!

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  10. Wow! All of that and you only came away with a couple of purchases? I am absolutely impressed with your self-control. :-D

    I envy you your pond. I wish I had a water feature already. I'm still in the process of collecting pictures to help me decide on my "yard" design.

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