Starting from the beginning

[Peter Weedon]

Hi all,
I inherited our concrete lined pond when we moved here (Berkshire, UK) in 1998. I think the pond could have been built as long ago as the 1950s. The pond is 10ft X 4ft with three tiers, with water depth of approximately 4 inches, 10 inches and 16 inches. It is roughly north-south orientation, with the only shade being a garden wall to the east. Most of the day the pond is in full sun with no shade.

The inherited plants were lilies and irises and the pond became completely clogged with weed. I removed all the plants. emptied and refilled the pond with clean water. The new plants are:
Waterlily and yellow water iris (zone 3)
Purple loose life (zone 2, submerged)
Upright water milfoil, red stemmed parrot's feather, scarlet lobelia (zone 1, but were previously submerged in zone 2)

I had hoped that the oxygenating plants would keep the water clear but the previously submerged plants appear to have lost leaves which are turning to sludge so the pond will need to be drained again. I do need to install either a filter or fountain to move the water. I have no desire to stock fish. Normally the pond is covered by iron rods overlaid with three metal grids to prevent anyone falling in. There are no young children or animals present.

My questions are:
Have I got the right mix of plants and do the long stemmed ones need trimming to remove the dead growth?
Are the plants in the right place?
Do I need a filtration system or will a fountain be sufficient to provide movement?

I have not tested the water. Any comments or help appreciated.

Thanks,

Peter

 

[mgmine]

Peter, I wouldn't put the tall plants in the middle they don't look right. I would move them to an edge. I would instead plant another lilly or two. Lilies spread so you don't want too much of the surface covered. I also think that you have too many different types of plants for a small pond so next year I would limit what I put in. I think it would also be nice to do some planting around the pond. Here is an example of a small pond about the size of yours. You will need some sort of filtration as you pointed out so a waterfall as in the example would be nice and also easy to build. By the way, you have a very nice pond.

 

[Peter Weedon]

Thank you for the advice - appreciated.

 

[j.w]

@Peter Weedon

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!