Pond building, aquatic plants and more..
talk/slide presentation by Soni Forsman
Water Lilies by Forsman " Eagan, MN X 651.454.3895
I. Introduction
II. Pond Construction
A. Flexible line
B. Installation of preformed pond
III. Aquatic plants
A. Water lilies
These plants are members of the Nytnphaeaceae family, genus Nymphaea. They are
found throughout most of the world. There are two kinds of water lilies - hardy
and
tropical. Hardy varieties are frost tolerant while the tropical ones are frost
tender. All water lilies require sun to flower but some will bloom with
minimum sun - three to four hours of mid-day sun.
1. Hardy water lilies
 | N. 'Chromatella' - bright yellow flower, mottled leaf, medium, full/pt sun |
| N. 'Attraction' - classic red flower, medium-large, full/pt sun |
| N. 'Pink Sensation' - light pink flower, medium, full sun |
| N. 'Hollandia' a.k.a. 'Darwin' - soft pink flower with many petals, medium- large, full sun |
| N. 'Gladstone' - brilliant white classic-shaped flower, medium-large, full sun |
| N. 'Marliac Carnea' - flesh-colored bloom, medium, full/pt sun |
| N. 'Comache' - bloom opens yellow-orange and matures to apricot (challgeable), medium, full/pt sun |
| N. 'Mayla' - fuchsia flower, medium, full sun |
| N. 'Pink Beauty' - medium pink bloom, medium, full sun |
| N. 'Peachglow" - large peach bloom held above the surface of the water, medium, full sun |
2. Tropical water lilies
| N. 'Pink Platter' - day bloomer, violet-pink flower, large, full/pt sun |
| N. unknown blue/purple lily |
3. Hardy marginal plants
| Caltha palustris - marsh marigold |
| Iris 'versicolor', native North American blue flag |
| Iris 'psceudacorus' - yellow water iris |
| Acorus calamus 'variegatus'' - variegated sweetflag |
| Typha laxmannii - graceful cattail |
| Pontederia cordate - pickerel rush, blue |
| Pontederia cordate 'alba' - pickerel rush, white |
| Saururus cernuus - lizard tail |
| Sagittaria latifolia - arrowhead |
| Myriophyllum aquaticum - parrot's feather |
4. Tropical marginal plants
| Colocasia esculenta var. fontanesii - violet-stemmed tare |
| Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' - purple/black leaves and stems |
| Colocasia anticluorium illustric - imperial tare (green leaves with brown/black blotches) |
| Red Canna - Longwood hybrid 'Endeavor' |
| Cyperus alternifolius - umbrella palm |
| Cyperus haspan - dwarf papyrus |
5. Floating plants
| Eichhornia crassipes - water hyacinth |
| Pistia stratiotes - water lettuce or shellflower |
| Azolla caroliniana - water fern |
| Salvinia rotundifolia - water fern |
6. Oxygenating plant
| Anacharis, one of the most popular submerged plants suitable for cold-water gardens. Its green leaves grow in whorls around the stem. When the stems reach the surface of the water, small white flowers may appear. |
IV. Planting and Care of Aquatic Plants
V. Wintering the Water Garden
VI. Container Water Gardens
A. Choice of containers
B. Hardy water lilies - small
| N. 'Helvola' - pygmy yellow bloom, full/part sun |
| N. 'Joanne Pring' - bright pink flower, full/part sun |
Other lilies appropriate for a container water garden include:
| N. 'Little Sue' - blooms open yellow-pink and matures to orange |
| N. 'Indiana' - flower opens pink-orange matures to red |
| N. 'Gloriosa' - bright red flower |
| N. 'Walter Pagels' - white bloom with just a hint of pink |
C. Marginal plants for containers
| Heights and number of these plants should be in proportion to tile size of the container. Some suggestions include umbrella palm, dwarf papyrus, parrot feather, lizard tail, arrowhead, sweetflag, water iris, water lettuce and water hyacinth, azolla and salvinia. |
VII. Fish for the Water Garden
VIII. Regal relative of the Water Lily - Lotus
| Nelumbo Alba Grandiflora |
| Nelumbo Maggie Belle Slocum |
IX. Conclusion
SUGGESTED READINGS
| WATER GARDENING Water Lilies and Lotuses by Ferry D. Slocum and Peter Robinson |
| Water Gardens by Jacqueline Heriteau and Charles B. Thomas |
| Water Gardens for Plants and Fish by Charles R. Thomas |
| Water in the Garden by James Allison |
| Pond Doctor by Helen Nash |
| Waterscaping by Judy Glattstein |
| Water Gardening an American Gardening Book |
| Water Gardening in Containers by Helen Nash and C. Greg Speichert |
| The Complete Pond Builder by Helen Nash |
| Waterfall, Fountains, Pools & Streams by Helen Nash and Eamonn Hughes |
| Low-Maintenance Water Gardens by Helen Nash |
| The Living Pond, water gardens with fish and other creatures by Helen Nash |
| Water Gardens by Teri Dunn |
| The American Horticultural Society Complete Guide to Water Gardening by Peter Robinson |
| Water Gardens, a Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guide by Charles B. Thomas |
| Aquatic Plants and Their Cultivation, A Complete Guide for Water Gardeners, by Helen Nash with Sieve Stroupe |
| Water Gardening Basics by Helen Nash and Marilyn M. Cook |
| Ortho's All About Water Gardening |
| Water Gardens Better Homes and Gardens publication |
For earth-bottom ponds
| Earth Ponds, Sourcebook; and Earth Ponds, 2nd edition - both by Tim Matson |
| Water Gardening, the magazine for pondkeepers is published bi-monthly. Subscription information, write Water Gardening, PO Box 607, St. John, IN 46373. |
| Helen Nash's Pond and Garden, creating backyard havens. For subscription information, write Helen Nash at 1670 S. 900 E., Zionsville, 1N 46077. |
Related associations.....
| Minnesota Water Garden Society For information about membership and meetings, call the informational line 612.803.POND, e-mail MWGS@mindspring.com or visit the website www.mnwgs.org |
| International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society Suite 328-G-12, 1401 Johnson Ferry Road, Narietta, GA 30062-8115 |
| National Pond Society For membership and a subscription to Pondscapes, call 800.742.4701 |
Measuring Pond Capacity in Gallons
For water treatment, fish medication, purchasing a pump or filtering system, you will need to know the capacity of your pond in gallons. The following equations will give you that information.
All measurements are in feet
| For a square or rectangular pond: length x width x average depth x 7.5 = capacity in gallons |
| For a circular pond: 1/2 diameter x 1/2 diameter x 3. 14 x average depth x 7.5 = gallons |
| For an oval pond: 1/2 width diameter x 1/2 length diameter x 3.14 x average depth x 7.5 = gallons |
To calculate gallons for an irregular shaped pond, divide the
pool into smaller areas.
Figure the gallons in each section and combine for total gallons.
Water Lilies by Forsman, Eagan, MN - 651.454.3895