We are offering a few new plants this year and one is the Water Willow (Justicia Americana). This hardy bog plant has flowers that resemble an orchid white with splashes of lavender and purple. The flowers grow in a dense, head-like cluster originating from its slender stalks.
The plant will grow 12 inches to 18 inches high and about 12 inches wide with flowers that start blooming in April and will continue to bloom thru October. It requires part shade to full sun and best when planted 0 - 4" below the water surface but will take up to 2' of water. While it will grow in almost any type of soil its best grown in sandy, sandy loam medium loam and clay loam or clay.
Hardy Zones 4-11 (Can overwinter in pond and doesn't need submerged)
I'm not certain what happened to Spring here but I think it may have been here but we missed it......yesterday little snow flakes were appearing and in a couple days its going to be in the 70s. What's up with that???
But even though we're all anxious for the weather to turn nice so we can begin planting our flowers, vegetables gardens and clean our ponds, we have begun sending allot of nice plants to those who have the warm weather. Lucky them!
Dragonfly Aquatics has a couple new hardy water lilies to introduce. Hidden Violet which is a very unusual waterlily. Large red-violet flowers with pointed petals that catch the eye. The leaves are a darker green which gives a nice contrast to the flowers. It requires full sun as most of the red hardy waterlilies do and performs well.
The other new water lily is Walter Pagels, a very creamy white hardy water lily with with a hint of pale pink. This water lily is considered a medium hardy water lily and is an excellent choice for small to medium size ponds. Unlike the red water lilies it will perform well in sun to part shade. It also is one of the water lilies that will stay open later in the day for more enjoyment.
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.
One of our most popular bog plants is the Dwarf Papyrus. I think its an unusual looking plant and adds alot of dimension to the pond. It always seems to grow well and is one pond plant that is easy to grow and attend to. The Dwarf Papyrus is a good bog plant to create a tub garden or tabletop pond. I have one growing in a ceramic pot on my patio and it does well.
The papyrus grows in sun to part shade and likes moist soil and can tolerate water up to 4 inches deep. Its considered hardy Zones 8-11 but can easily be wintered over indoors. As long as you keep the plant in 50 degrees and above it will be fine. You may watch for mealybugs as they will sometimes appear on the plant during the winter but can easily be treated.
They grow 12-18 inches high with a spread of 6-12 inches. To start other plants take the seeds and put in wet soil or propagate from the viviparous top fronds. You'll soon have other plants to place in your pond.
If you like larger plants you can go for the Dwarf Giant Papyrus (Cyperus percamenthus) which will grow about 3 feet high. There is also the Egyptian Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) which can grow to 8 feet high.
Whichever Papyrus you chose it is a unique pond plant for your pond.
As the weather warms up and we begin to assess what plants we want to add to our ponds this spring, make sure you check out your hardy water lilies to see if they are in need of re-potting. Adding Highland Rim Fertilizer tablets at this time is also a must do. Water lilies need to be fertilized every 4-6 weeks to ensure plenty of flowers this summer.
Dividing the water lilies and re-potting them in early spring will ensure a better performing water lily this summer. Several lilies in the same pot compete for available nutrients resulting in fewer flowers this summer.
Water lilies need to be planted in at least a 1 gallon planting container for best performance. The medium to large varieties should be potted in a 2 to 5 gallon planting container to reach maximum flowering and growing potential. Don't be fooled by purchasing a potted lily in a 4 inch pot and expect it to flourish in your pond. You will end up paying more for the lily, and will still need to purchase a larger container to re-pot the lily in.
Graceful Cattails, Typha angustifolia are similar to your regular Common Cattail other than its leaves. They are more narrow leafed than the standard and the foliage arches and sways gracefully in the breeze. An elegant bog pond plant and is suitable for any pond or large container water garden. They will grow 4-6 feet tall and their catkins are very thin. The foliage makes an attractive cutting for any floral arrangement.
Graceful Cattails grow in sun to part shade in moist soil to water 12 inches deep and do well in Zones 3-11. They don't mind having water above their crown even during winter months and tolerate freezing temperatures well. Again Graceful Cattails are the same as other cattails and will propagate quickly from division of the rhizomes or easily grown by seed.
The Chameleon Hardy Bog Plant is a variegated interesting plant. The foliage is fragrant and single, small white flowers appear on it in the summer. They look like single petaled roses. The heart shaped leaves turn in the fall, as the weather turns cooler, into a dark maroon-purple color which is very striking. It is a very rampant runner in moist soil, which it prefers, and will grow in a dense mass. A good plant for around waterfalls, in a bog area or tucked around rocks.
The plant will grow to approximately 6 inches high and fill out nicely. Hardy in zones 5 - 11, but will not tolerate a freeze in the winter. It should be submerged to the depths of the pond or can be mulched into the perennial border of your pond.
This hardy bog plant will add a nice color to your pond garden.
Buy Chameleon,Hardy Bog Plant here.
When you receive pond plants by mail order they don't always appear as lush plants having used their stored moisture during shipping. For this reason we recommend the following.
Remove the pond plants from their bags and place them in some water (65-70 degrees) in the shade. This will allow the plants to replenish moisture that may have been lost during shipment. Your plants may be kept in the house in a container for a day or two before planting if necessary. Any floating plant or underwater plant can be put in your pond after the sun goes down the first day that you receive them. Make sure the pond plants stay damp and in the shade prior to being placed in the pond.
Many of our plants are shipped directly from a greenhouse environment. Just like any plant coming out of a greenhouse it needs time to adjust to its new environment outside with the direct sun and wind. This process is often referred to as "hardening off".
Anacharis (Elodea canadensis) is a submerged plant or oxygenator. All ponds should have submerged plants to aid in maintaining clean and pure water. They help prevent algae growth. Anacharis grows in sun and shade and can be in water 1-10 feet deep. Each pond plant only spreads to about 12 inches. Anacharis will often overwinter outdoors in your pond successfully in zone 5 and above. You would need to cut it back to below the freeze line. It is a good underwater plant for removing phosphates from your pond water. The submerged plants can be potted in one gallon containers with pea gravel to hold them in place or they can be weighted and dropped to the bottom of your water garden. Completely submerged these plants to a depth of at least 12 inches.
Buy Anacharis - Submerged Pond Plants here.
