The MGS Forum
Gardening in mediterranean climates => Water => Topic started by: Daisy on July 04, 2013, 05:08:11 PM
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I have just realised that this is the third summer for my little pond.
Although it is small, it brings the whole garden to life.
When I walk past it, it is through a cloud of butterflies and dragonflies.
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/9082262971_418e848df1_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9082262971/)
may 2013 003 - Copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9082262971/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5334/9082112725_0c0af2d8ae_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9082112725/)
may 2013 047 - Copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9082112725/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/8789895345_daa61b3b72_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/8789895345/)
may 2013 135 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/8789895345/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
Earlier in the year, with Zantedeschia aethiopica in the corner of the pond.
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5350/8789945055_663957822f_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/8789945055/)
may 2013 117 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/8789945055/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/9090562553_29fa7202fe_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9090562553/)
029 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9090562553/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
Nymphaea Mayla
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5482/9090551311_7430dd9bc7_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9090551311/)
040 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9090551311/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
The pond from above.
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2824/9090520793_65b6ce0449_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9090520793/)
048 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9090520793/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
Lythrum salicaria Robert with a visitor.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/9206109551_caf61e610b_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206109551/)
July 2013 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206109551/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
Nymphaea pygmaea rubra.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7381/9206435599_f5c392a813_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206435599/)
july 2013 004 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206435599/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7443/9209207818_9cf28ffddf_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209207818/)
july 2013 006 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209207818/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/9206354155_14a89a125d_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206354155/)
july 2013 042 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206354155/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/9206367763_6d66e0da70_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206367763/)
july 2013 039 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206367763/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/9209171330_72d7f8c62b_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209171330/)
july 2013 031 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209171330/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5520/9209178132_4f167b279e_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209178132/)
july 2013 027 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209178132/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
Nelumbo nucifera Mrs Perry D. Slocum.
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/9206403809_0cd241de2b_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206403809/)
july 2013 020 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9206403809/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/9209124384_d213abce1d_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209124384/)
july 2013 045 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209124384/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/9209144904_c857106fe0_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209144904/)
july 2013 040 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9209144904/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
Daisy :)
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Thank you for sharing such beautiful pics of your garden Daisy. I never cease to be amazed by your amazing garden and wonderful photography. :)
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Terrific, Daisy; thanks!!
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Hi Daisy, this is my third morning of looking longingly at your 'small pond' and wish I could have one just like yours. We do have one with water lilies which look wonderful when in bloom but lacks the lushness of yours. Thank you for posting the beautiful photographs.
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Thank-you all for your comments.
SusanIbiza, my photography is of the point and click type. I am just lucky that today's cameras are so good.
Charithea, can you not add marginal plants to your pond?
There are so many that can be used and they add a lot to a pond.
Why not post a photo of your pond, for members to make suggestions of what you could add to it.
Daisy :)
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss112/daisyincrete/040-6.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/user/daisyincrete/media/040-6.jpg.html)
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Our pond is even smaller than yours, Daisy, and I still suffer twinges of guilt at the amount of water it takes to keep it topped up. Here in Cyprus it is next to impossible to find any marginal plants at all on sale, much less ones of the quality and variety that you have. The choice of waterlilies is also limited, the ones in the photo are in bloom now, they are Nymphaea 'Moorei' (Mooreana). I believe they were originally bred in Australia, at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens if my memeory serves me correctly. Perhaps one of our Australian members can confirm, or deny, that?
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John J, I wouldn't feel too much guilt over keeping your little pond topped up. Think of all the swimming pools there are on Cyprus and how much water it must take to keep them topped up. Your little pond gives sanctuary to a lot of the local wildlife I'm sure. I know mine does.
I don't know where your Nymphaea Moorei was bred, but oh! isn't it beautiful. It seems to glow from within.
Most of my marginal plants came from...
http://www.cornwallgardens.com/
They send me a parcel of small, young plants (which doesn't cost a lot in postage) in October/November, when it is cooler here. They are always packed well and are in good condition.
They do not specialise in aquatics, but all of my Iris ensatas, Lythrums
and Lobelias came from there.
I lift the Iris ensatas out of the pond for a few months in winter whilst they are dormant. I put them back in, when I can see the new growth in late winter.
Here is Lobelia fulgens Queen Victoria and Lobelia vedrariensis this morning.
Daisy :)
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5342/9331438893_57e45b17f0_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9331438893/)
004 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93752583@N02/9331438893/) by Daisyincrete (http://www.flickr.com/people/93752583@N02/), on Flickr
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You are quite correct about the, unfortunately increasing, number of swimming pools there are on the island, Daisy, but when one is constantly advocating the waterwise approach several wrongs don't make a right, I'm afraid. Our pond does have mosquito fish to, hopefully, keep down the potential population of these little devils. It is frequently visited by a variety of dragonflies of assorted colours. Strangely enough our 4 cats seem to prefer to drink from the pond rather than the fresh water provided for them.
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What a beautiful pond - it's just the sort of thing I have in mind.
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Daisy, thank you for sharing such beautiful pictures of your incredible pond. Totally inspiring and I'm sure I'm not the only one now thinking "where can I put a pond"?
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My feelings about ponds are much like John's. As much as I'd love to have one I choose not to. We don't miss out on growing Japanese and other water irises and other aquatics though. We have three large water-holding pots, each one planted with a diverse range of plants, mostly chosen for having different and contrasting foliage. We also grow flowering plants, particularly Japanese and laevigata irises in regular pots that stand in saucers which we keep filled. Since the saucers do dry out from time to time the mosquito wrigglers rarely get a chance to pupate and hatch. I just wish I could keep gold-fish alive thru our Winters. It isn't really that cold here but the fish regularly die. Could the oxygen level of the 'ponds' be lessened when the aquatic plants go dormant and are cut down?
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Dear Daisy the photos of your water lilies are Amazing. I am also against using water to have large ponds BUT in your case I think the results are worthy. I am sure you economise in other ways. I am speaking from experience as we have a small water lily pond. It took me a few years of nagging to persuade John to have one. During the hot, dry days of Summer the water lilies stand out. They flower from early Spring to late Autumn here. They tolerate the burning rays of the midday sun. I try to ease my conscience by saving every bit of water possible. I have even trained my two grandchildren to be careful. I ration their bath water and then recycle it by giving it to my plants.
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Hi Trevor, I am so tempted to try the Japanese irises too but I have to wait. I have read an article of yours a while ago and that set me off to grow peonies. I have faint memories of my mother growing pink coloured peonies. That was in the days when the biggest river in Cyprus, Kouris, run by our field. The river has been dammed more than 20 years ago and the water diverted to other areas of Cyprus to grow potatoes which were exported for hard cash. I have tried on and off to grow peonies. I acquired the native ones but had no successes. I was once more tempted this Spring to buy a beautiful specimen sure that it will survive. It is still alive but had to be moved to total shade. I have not given up.
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Trevor I am surprised that the goldfish die during your winters.
It wouldn't be the cold, they can take it a lot colder than anything you would have there.
I wonder if it is an excess of oxygenating weed during the winter?
The oxygenating weed only gives off oxygen during the daylight hours.
It then consumes it during the night hours.
In winter, when the night hours are longer, it would be taking more than it is giving. I remove a lot of my oxygenating weed in the autumn, about two thirds of it.
It could be a different reason why your fish die during the winter, but lack of oxygen could be the cause.
Thank-you Charithea. My garden has to get by with just being watered once a fortnight. As it is closely planted it holds the moisture in, so once a fortnight is sufficient.
The pond needs topping up quite frequently in spring, but now that the water lilies are covering two thirds of the pond surface, the evaporation is a lot less and it only needs topping up now when I do the watering.
Daisy :)