bog garden 04-25-10

Yes you can remove the pump but there are many things you need to think about. Mosquitos breed in stagnant water. The fish and frogs and newts are needed to help cull the mosquito population. Does your pond now have a liner ? You would be best served to remove the liner and turn your pond into a rain garden ( see links below ). If your pond is shallow then possibly by your description of what you desire, you could leave the liner and add lots of dirt to basically fill in the liner and plant as you desire. You should not leave areas of standing water, areas that stay continually wet are just fine.I hope this helps and good luck to you on your new marsh.


Source(s):

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/rfb/rain-gar…

http://www.raingardennetwork.com/

1 year ago

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It would be fine to have a natural pond with no pump. You would need to keep the water for the frogs and newts, and also there would be no need to remove or feed the fish, as they would eat the natural food available, such as mosquito larvae, and would keep their own numbers in check. We have had a pond in our garden for over 30 years with thriving fish, frogs newts, damselflies, dragonflies etc, also waterlilies and other deep-water plants as well as marginals. Yes it does get a bit greener than it would if pumped and filtered, but it's a nice green which sort of goes with the garden, and it doesn't affect the fish and other wildlife, attracts lots of birds too. I'd say just remove the pump and see what happens. One more thing - fill it with rainwater as far as possible. I've run hoses from our 5 waterbutts along the back of the flowerbeds which enable me to drain rainwater from our roof into the pond, and this improves the water quality as we live in a hard water area and also of course the rainwater has no chemicals in it.


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groundcover list 05-05-10

groundcovers

Bacopa (Bacopa)

Ivy (Hedera)

Gazania (Gazania rigens)

Ground-elder (Aegopodium podagraria)

Ice plant

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Junipers of various low-growing types

Kudzu

Lantana, creeping species

Lilyturf (Liriope muscari and Liriope spicata)

Mint (Mentha)

Pachysandra

Pearlwort (Sagina subulata)

Periwinkle (Vinca)

Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum)

Soleirolia (Soleirolia soleirolii)

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Penstemon - Beard-tongue 03-30-10

Penstemon (pronounced /ˈpɛnstɨmən/),[1] Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae.




They have opposite leaves, partly tube-shaped, and two-lipped flowers and seed capsules. The most distinctive feature of the genus is the prominent staminode, an infertile stamen. The staminode takes a variety of forms in the different species; while typically a long straight filament extending to the mouth of the corolla, some are longer and extremely hairy, giving the general appearance of an open mouth with a fuzzy tongue protruding and inspiring the common name beardtongue.



Most penstemons are herbaceous perennials, the remainder being shrubs or subshrubs. Heights can range from 10 cm to as much as 3 meters.



The one Asiatic species previously treated in Penstemon is now placed in a separate genus Pennellianthus. This leaves Penstemon a mostly nearctic genus, with a few neotropical species. Although widespread across North America, and found in habitats ranging from open desert to moist forests, and up to the alpine zone, they are not typically common within their range.

Yarrow 03-30-10

Common yarrow is an erect herbaceous perennial plant that produces one to several stems (0.2 to 1m tall) and has a rhizomatous growth form. Leaves are evenly distributed along the stem, with the leaves near the middle and bottom of the stem being the largest. The leaves have varying degrees of hairiness (pubescence). The leaves are 5–20 cm long, bipinnate or tripinnate, almost feathery, and arranged spirally on the stems. The leaves are cauline and more or less clasping. The inflorescence has 4 to 9 phyllaries and contains ray and disk flowers which are white to pink. There are generally 3 to 8 ray flowers that are ovate to round. Disk flowers range from 15 to 40. The inflorescence is produced in a flat-topped cluster. Yarrow grows up to 3500m above sea level. The plant commonly flowers from May through June, and is a frequent component in butterfly gardens. Common yarrow is frequently found in the mildly disturbed soil of grasslands and open forests. Active growth occurs in the spring.




In North America, there are both native and introduced genotypes, and both diploid and polyploid plants.[2]



[edit] Establishment

Common yarrow is a drought tolerant species of which there are several different ornamental cultivars. Seeds require light for germination, so optimal germination occurs when planted no deeper than ¼ inch. Seeds also require a germination temperature of 18–24 °C (64–75 °F). Common yarrow responds best to soil that is poorly developed and well drained. The plant has a relatively short life, but may be prolonged by dividing the plant every other year, and planting 12 to 18 inches apart. Common yarrow is a weedy species and can become invasive.[3] It may suffer from mildew or root rot if not planted in well-drained soil.

Monarda Bee Balm 3-30-10

Monarda species include annual and perennial upright growing herbaceous plants with lanceolate to ovate shaped leaves. The flowers are tubular with bilateral symmetry and bilabiate; with upper lips narrow and the lower ones broader and spreading or deflexed. The flowers are single or in some cultivated forms double, generally hermaphroditic with two stamens. Plants bloom in mid- to late summer and the flowers are produced in dense profusion at the ends of the stem and/or in the stem axils. The flowers typically are crowded into head-like clusters with leafy bracts. Flower colors vary, with wild forms of the plant having crimson-red to red, pink and light purple hues. M. didyma has bright, carmine red blossoms; M. fistulosa—the "true" wild bergamot—has smokey pink flowers. M. citriodora and M. pectinata have light lavender to lilac-colored blooms and have slightly decreased flower quantities. Both species are commonly referred to as "Lemon Mint." There are over 50 commercial cultivars and hybrids, ranging in color from candy-apple red to pure white to deep blue, but these plants tend to be smaller than wild species, and often developed to combat climatic or pest conditions. Other hybrids have been developed to produce essential oils for food, flavoring, or medicine.[4] "M. didyma" species can grow up to 6 feet tall. Seed collected from hybrids—as with most hybridized plants—does not produce identical plants to the parent. A number of hybrids also occur in the wild.[5][6]




[edit] Cultivation



Monarda in bloomThe Monarda plants prefer full sun and moist yet well-drained soil. Plants established in partial shade or filtered sun have higher incidences of rapid horizontal spread and flower less. An aggressive plant in the southeastern United States, bergamots can grow in a wide variety of soil conditions. Powdery mildew, rust, and (rarely) tobacco mosaic viruses disrupt established plants on occasion, but the plants are in general highly resistant to most wilts and viruses and are not easily damaged. Used most frequently in areas in need of naturalization, Monarda is often used in beds and borders to encourage and increase the appearance of hummingbirds, pollinating insects, and because of oils present in its roots is sometimes used as a companion plant around small vegetable crops susceptible to subterranean pests. While seed should be stratified briefly before starting, seed may be cast directly or started in coldframes or greenhouses at soil temperatures approaching 70° Fahrenheit. Generally, propagation occurs by hardwood and softwood cuttings, root cuttings, layering, and division; the latter, quite frequently, is the most popular method out of necessity: the plant should be divided every 3 to 5 years to reduce spread, keep the central core of the plant healthy, preclude root rot, and improve air circulation about the foliage.



[edit] Companion plant

Bee balm is considered a good plant to grow with tomatoes, ostensibly improving both health and flavor. It also is a good companion plant in general, attracting pollinators and some predatory/parasitic insects that hunt garden pests.



Monarda species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including case-bearers of the genus Coleophora including C. heinrichella (feeds exclusively on M. fistulosa), C. monardae (feeds exclusively on Monarda spp) and C. monardella (feeds exclusively on M. fistulosa).

Lepidoptera = butterflys 3-30-10

Lepidoptera (pronounced /ˌlɛpɪˈdɒptərə/) is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies (called lepidopterans). It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies and found virtually everywhere. Lepidoptera contains more than 180,000 species[1] in 128 families and 47 superfamilies. The name is derived from Ancient Greek λεπίδος (scale) and πτερόν (wing). Estimates of species suggest that the order may have more species and is among the four largest, successful orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and the Coleoptera.[2]




Species of the order Lepidoptera are commonly characterized as being covered in scales, having two large compound eyes, and a elongated mouthpart called a proboscis. Almost all species have membranous wings, except for a few who have crossvein wings. The larvae are called caterpillars and are completely different in form, having a cylindrical body with a well developed head, mandible mouthparts, and from 0–11 (usually 8) legs.



The Lepidoptera have, over millions of years, evolved a wide range of wing patterns and coloration ranging from drab moths akin to the related order Trichoptera to the brightly colored and complex-patterned butterflies.[3] Accordingly, this is the most recognized and popular of insect orders with many people involved in the observing, study, collecting, rearing and commerce of these insects. A person who collects or studies this order is referred to as a lepidopterist. Many species of the order are of economic interest by virtue of the silk they produce, and serve an important natural role through pollination.

Coreopsis 3-30-10

Coreopsis (pronounced /ˌkɒriˈɒpsɨs/;[1] common names include tickseed and calliopsis) is a genus of herbs in the family Asteraceae. Many of its 35 species are cultivated. Twenty-eight species are native to North America and the others come from Central and South America. The flowers are usually yellow with a toothed tip. They have showy flower heads with involucral bracts in two distinct series of eight each, the outer being commonly connate at the base. The name Coreopsis is derived from the Greek word koris, meaning bedbug, referring to the shape of the achene.


Coreopsis species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora acamtopappi.

Coreopsis is closely related to Bidens. In fact, neither Coreopsis nor Bidens, as defined in the 20th century, is monophyletic. One group which does seem to be monophyletic consists of temperate species from North America, including five sections of Coreopsis, Bidens coronata and Bidens comosa, and the genus Thelesperma (five species).[2]

pickerel pond plant 3-22-10

Pontederia is a genus of tristylous aquatic plants, commonly called the pickerel weeds. Pontederia is endemic to the Americas, distributed from Canada to Argentina, where it is found in shallow water or on mud. The genus was named by Linnaeus in honour of the Italian botanist Giulio Pontedera.




Pontederia plants have large waxy leaves, succulent stems and a thick pad of fibrous roots. The roots give rise to rhizomes that allow rapid colonization by vegetative reproduction. Species are perennial, and produce a large spike of flowers in the summer. There is a species of bee (Dufourea novae-angliae) that exclusively visits Pontederia cordata; waterfowl also eat the fruit of the plant.



Pontederia cordata, and another member of the family, Eichhornia crassipes, have become invasive in many tropical and temperate parts of the globe, but are, on the other hand, efficient biological filters of polluted water.[1] in constructed wetlands