Its ice everywhere.....but at least its February so its almost over. I will say its a pretty site but I still prefer the green color over the white! I look outside and imagine pictures like this...
The plants continue to grow nicely in the greenhouses and while standing in there you almost can forget what's going on outside. Call it an escape from reality. The marsh marigolds are starting to bloom alot and I must say they are really nice plants this year.
The snow storm isn't over yet so we are all in a holding pattern....waiting on the next blast to come through. Whether it will be ice or snow remains yet to be determined. So I will continue to think of all the plants growing and start to update our store to share the plants with you that we will be offering this year.
Well the holidays are over, the tree is down and all the holiday christmas decorations are put away. I could probably leave my christmas tree up for months as I always miss it once its put away. Its hard to imagine the room is exactly like it was a month ago because it looks so bare now. With that behind I start thinking that in just a few months it will be spring again. My how time flies. The plants are all beginning to grow nicely in the greenhouses and within a couple months will be ready to plant.
No sooner said then the snow began...let's hope February is a quick month and we can all get started on our spring projects and planning our gardens. Actually January is a good month to start ordering some plants for your gardens, at least I'm getting alot of plant magazines in the mail. So its getting me in the mood.
I'm not certain of the identity of this butterfly. I thought perhaps it was a male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. I'm really not certain, although it sure liked my dwarf crab-apple tree. It came back day after day.....I'm thinking it was the same one.
I know we don't want to think about it but it won't be long and fall will be here and we all know what comes next.....its time for us to be thinking about taking the extra care with our pond plants to make them comfortable for the winter cold. I've noticed the butterflies aren't as plentiful as they had been but occassionally I'm able to catch one.
HARDY BOG/MARGINAL PLANTS
Once your hardy marginal plants begin to brown, usually after the first hard frost, prune back excess foliage and discard any decaying material, so it does not compromise the water quality over the winter months. Potted bog plants such as Pickeral, Thalia Dealbata, and Japanese Variegated Iris should be placed at a sufficient depth to avoid freezing the crown of the plant. Most of the other hardy bog plants can be left as they are and will return the following spring.
Tropical Bog Plants
Many of the tropical bog plants will winter well indoors in a sunny window or with a grow light. They do not need to be submerged in water. Keep the soil constantly moist by placing the potted plants in a tray of water.
Woke up this morning with a chill in the air....gone for a few days are the 80 degree temps. This is what we woke up to this morning.
The leaves are even beginning to fall with the wind blowing. I guess we all know what is in store for us for the next couple months.
Another Red Scarf bud is starting to open in my pond. I find I enjoy the pond plants even more towards the end of the season. It's such a pretty lotus bud.
I probably should get out my sweatshirts and sweaters now. I love fall with its beautiful colors when the leaves begin to turn but don't look forward to what comes after....snow. There are a few things we can start doing to our ponds now since the days are numbered. Here's a list of some fall and winter pond plant care items for the hardy pond plants.
HARDY WATER LILIES
With the lower temperatures during the fall season, you will notice a decrease in water lily blooms and the lily pads turning yellow as the water temperatures cool. It is important at this time to remove the dead leaves and spent blooms to avoid having the debris in the pond over winter. As winter approaches and water temperatures drop, the water lily will go dormant. Remove all dead lily pads and lower the potted lily to the deepest part of the pond or to a water depth of about two feet.
SUBMERGED PLANTS
As long as the submerged plants are below the ice, they will usually survive the winter. Any part of the plant that is allowed to freeze will turn to mush and add unwanted debris to the pond. It is wise to cut these plants back and sink below the surface.
HARDY BOG/MARGINAL PLANTS
Once your hardy marginal plants begin to brown, usually after the first hard frost, prune back excess foliage and discard any decaying material, so it does not compromise the water quality over the winter months. Potted bog plants such as Pickeral and Thalia Dealbata should be placed at a sufficient depth to avoid freezing the crown of the plant. Plants such as Japanese Variegated Iris and Cardinal Flower should be removed from the pond and planted in the yard for the winter. When new growth begins in the Spring, they can be placed back in the pond for the summer. Most of the other hardy bog plants can be left as they are and will return the following spring.
This is the Cardinal Flower I brought home from the greenhouse this spring and wondered at the time if it would straighten up. The Cardinal Flowers were all nice plants this year but some were growing slanted in their containers. The one I had planted a couple years ago didn't survive. Now I know we say "Don't Drown those bog plants" so I should know better. But too much water did it in, so I tried another. This year I'm glad to report it bloomed and flourished. It didn't straighten up until it started to bloom. I transplanted it after several weeks from its pot directly into my bog area and hoped that it wasn't too late to prevent it from blooming. I had wanted to give it some time to adjust to the water depth before I planted it directly in the pond but then I just got too busy to plant it. Look how gorgeous the flowers are. I think its a winner!
Not only did it get one flower but I have several more getting ready to bloom. Now that its established it will spread to even a healthlier plant by next year. At least that's my hope.
Here we go again. I call it the Spring Tease. Just when plants are beginning to sprout and the warm weather hits....big time....it teases us with a mention of snow! The cold front here in Ohio and across the north has moved in for a few days. If you have already put plants out in your ponds, be sure and bring them in or protect them.
I was going to clean my pond last week, but with taking care of our customers and being busy taking your orders and sending orders I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I did see that I had some marsh marigolds blooming and bog bean. It gets me anxious, wanting to put more plants out. Good thing I held back. I'll just leave them be in the nursery where they are nice and warm. Besides, I really need to clean my pond at home since I neglected to do that last year. It's pretty bad. I think I need the Microbe-Lift Sludge Away. I have alot of build up of sludge on the bottom of my pond. Maybe then I'll only need to change out half the water this year. I did start putting the Microbe-Lift Spring and Summer in a couple weeks back and the water is crystal clear, but now you can really see the goop at the bottom. For those that haven't tried the Microbe-Lift Sludge Away it works great at speeding up the removal of sludge & muck naturally.
It is especially helpful for ponds that have a rock or gravel bottom, where vacuuming is impractical. Microbe-Lift SA/Sludge Away is formulated specifically for the removal of organic bottom solids that are slow to degrade but works faster at warm water temperatures, however, Microbe-Lift SA/Sludge Away may be used effectively at any temperature year-round.
We had highs in the low to mid 80's the last couple of days here in Ohio. One week snow, the next unseasonably warm. Don't want to get too used to it though, next week we will be back to the normal spring time temperatures. Normal here this time of year is mid 50's to mid 60's. Nothing like a few warm days though to get people out working on their ponds. The weather has been on the unusual side. One week snow, the next record breaking high temperatures. It makes it very difficult to know when to ship plants. Many of the plants we sell are cold sensitive and trying to second guess Mother Nature is sometimes impossible! We have customers in the Pacific Northwest that are still freezing, the time has passed when we usually can start to send their plants. Old Man Winter just isn't moving out of that part of the country yet. Hopefully, things will start to warm up for them in the next week or two. And for us in Ohio, we can only hope the milder temperatures will continue. We just want to remind everyone, just because you are having warm temperatures today, does not mean it is safe to put plants out before your last frost date. It has been such a long winter, I know everyone is a little impatient....I am too! But, always remember, Mother Nature likes to throw curve balls at us! Just when we think it is safe to put plants out, along comes a freeze warning!
Variegated cattail, Typha latifolia 'Variegata' is an attractive bog plant for any pond. The variegation in this cattail is bold forming bright green and white longitudinal stripes. The Variegated Cattail will grow to 5 feet tall in sun to part shade. It requires moist soil or water to 12 inches deep. It does well in Zones 4-11. The Variegated Cattail doesn't grow as readily as the other cattails and doesn't like to be transplanted.
The Variegated Cattail is a nice addition to any pond and provides a taller backdrop for smaller plants around your pond. In addition, it also is a great pond plant that will attract dragonflies and other wildlife to your water garden.
Once your hardy marginal plants begin to brown, usually after the first hard frost, prune back excess foliage and discard any decaying material, so it does not compromise the water quality over the winter months. Potted bog plants such as Pickerel, Thalia Dealbata, and Japanese Variegated Iris should be placed at a sufficient depth to avoid freezing the crown of the plant. Most of the other hardy bog plants can be left as they are and will return the following spring.
All plants thrive when given fertilizer. Pond plants aren't any different than our garden plants and flowers. A little tip for your water hyacinths is to take them out of your pond and place them in a tub with water and miracle grow in it. Leave them soak for awhile soaking up the fertilizing in their leaves. Rinse them off and return them to your pond. They will flower more for you. You can also do this when you first receive your plants when re-hydrating them prior to planting them or placing them in your pond.
