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Allotment Articles1.
Allotment Articles 2.
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Pond Plants
Marginal plants are plants that go in the ponds margins, or edges around the sides of the pool. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, some with flowers and some are grown just for their foliage. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all marginal plants available, but it does detail the most popular.
Acorus. This grows like an Iris, but without the flowers. It comes as a plain green, or in a variegated variety. The height of this plant is about 2, or 3 foot, or 60-90 cm. Dividing the tuber increases its numbers.
Alisma. Water Plantain as it is commonly called grows to about 2 foot, or 60 cm and has very attractive leaves, but a non-descript flower. Alisma is not too fussy about the depth of water.
Butomus Umbellatus. This is a flowering rush that grows to about 2 to 3 foot or 60-90 cm and lives in fairly shallow water.
Cotula. Golden Buttons is the common name for this plant as it has very attractive little golden balls as its flowers. Cotula only grows to about 6 inches, or 15 cm and grows best in damp soil or very shallow water.
Calla Palustris. The popular name for this very pretty flowering plant is the Bog Arum. The flower is white with a yellow centre and grows amongst large oval leaves about 9 inches, or 23 cm tall in several inches of water.
Caltha. These are the Marsh Marigolds of which there are several species including a rare white variety. They are a clump forming plant which grow in shallow water to a height of about 12 inches, or 30 cm apart from the giant King Cup which will grow up to 2 foot, or 60 cm. The Marsh Marigold is the first pond plant to flower in Spring and heralds the start of a new season.
Eriophorum. This is the common cotton grass so called because it has seed heads that look like cotton wool. It reaches a height of between 1 and 2 feet in shallow water.
Iris. There are many water varieties and they must not be confused with the garden varieties. They look and grow identically except for the fact that they grow in shallow water. Water Irises are available in several colours and also in a variegated form.
Lobelia Cardinalis. This is actually an herbaceous plant that will tolerate very wet conditions. It is a little tender so it is best to bring the plant in for the winter and keep it somewhere frost-free. Lobelia grows to a height of 2 or 3 feet, or 60-90 cm and has very unusual red leaves and red flowers.
Lysimachia Nummularia. This plant is the same Creeping Jenny that grows vigorously on the rockery. However it will quite happily tolerate being in shallow water. It has abundances of pretty yellow flowers and like a lot of pond plants will die back in the winter.
Menyanthes. The common name for this plant is Bog Bean. It grows in shallow water and trails everywhere throwing up leaves and pretty pink flowers to about 9 inches, or 23 cm in height.
Mysotis Pallustris. Foget-me-not is a very popular, cheap and cheerful little plant growing to about 9 inches, or 23 cm in height in shallow water. This plant should not be confused with the garden variety. It has an attractive blue flower but does grow very quickly.
Mimulus. This is another cheap and cheerful flowering plant that is available in several colours.
Orontium Aquaticum. Commonly called Golden Club because of its unusual golden club like flowers. This plant likes slightly deeper water and grows to about 18 inches or 45 cm.
Pontederia. The popular name for this plant is Pickerel Plant. It has large leaves and a blue flowering head. Pontederia likes slightly deeper water and grows to about 3 feet or 90 cm in height.
Ranunculus. This plant comes in 2 varieties known as the Great and Dwarf Spearwort and is a cheap and cheerful plant with yellow flowers.
Scirpus Albescens and Zebrinus are 2 tall striped rushes. The former is striped vertically and the latter is striped like a zebra, horizontally. As large rushes that are not fussy about the water depth.
Typha. The popular name for this plant is Reed Mace or Bullrush. It typically grows to 4 feet (1 ½ meters) or more, but a smaller variety called Typha Minima is available. This dwarf species only grows to about 18 inches or 45 cm. Both varieties have the attractive seed heads for which the Bullrush is well known.
Veronica Beccabunga. This cheap and cheerful plant grows very quickly in shallow water with its pretty blue flowers. It will however only grow to about 6 inches or 15 cm. The common name for it is Brook Lime.
Zantdeschia. This plant, also known as the popular Arum Lily, has spectacular large white flowers commonly known as funeral flowers. Although grown in pots and herbaceous borders, this plant will happily grow to about 2 feet tall and over Winter in fairly deep water.
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