waterlilies.

that's all I've got to say. WATERLILIES.

that and, if you're going to get koi for your pond, I've got to plug a really great breeder that I've bought from in the past. REALLY nice guy. he's running sort of a combined business with a guy who specializes in pond stuff. the site is http://www.awatergarden.com/

you know I'd send you some of the scraggly plants from my indoor pond if it wasn't 20 degrees outside ::

Wish I had known in the fall, I had to compost a bunch of pickerel rush, might still have some, but everything is frozen here. I'll know in March or so. Are you interested in Siberian iris? I think they do well in bogs.

Marian,I have you down for some lotus in the spring.
Theresa

Marian, I have variegated iris 'ensata', Louisiana iris 'Black Gamecock', arrowhead, lizard tail, peruvian daffodils (these are great in ponds), some sort of light pink water iris (lost tag on that), Black Magic ears, 'Illustris' ears, and I can't think of what else right now... If any of that interests you, LMK.

I composted three trash bags full of water hyacinth and a bunch of something else that I don't know the name of. I hope my variegated cattails come back. I will probably have some extra lotus. I just have to see what makes it through the winter. I have some hardy water lilies but just started them last summer and have no idea if they multiply or not.
Karyn

Does anyone have miniature cattails? I'd like to try them by my 90 gallon pond but I don't know what zones they are good for so if you've grown them, I'd like to hear about them even if you don't have any to share.

Marian, Can you grow Java Moss in your pond? It just floats around or you can tie it to a rock or piece of wood & I don't know what zone it likes either.

I remember reading somewhere about brugs & ponds. You don't put them in the water but nearby or sitting above where they can stretch their roots into it.

Linda

Linda mini cattails are supposed to be hardy here. I'll find out in the spring because I planted some of those also. They did great last year. I left everything in the pond. The bigger pond isn't frozen. I didn't use a heater but the filters are still going. I was so afraid that it wouldn't be deep enough and would freeze solid. Then I'd have fishsickles.
Karyn

Oh my goodness I'm so thrilled with everyones response. Please know that I am very interested in all of you sharing your pond plants with me. Yes, I said everyone of you. (big fat grin) This pond is fairly large, although if I had it my way it would be even larger.(wink) I can use some of anything and everything I can get my hands on.LOL

I'm going to throw some stuff in the BIG stock pond too. I'll get in trouble but I'll just say I don't know how it got there. Of course I'll have to cross my fingers behind my back when I say that. LOL just a tiny white lie.

I can plant some brugs close to the pond but they will not be able to put their roots into the water as I have a liner to put in place and a small waterfall. That is of course if I ever get the rocks I'm talking my brother out of. He's in the landscape business and uses those huge 70 lb keystone bricks like the use for retaining walls. They are very similiar to the Widsor Bricks.They lock together with a little ceramic stick. They make an awsome bench to set on while watching the fish too.

Thanks for all of you replying and I wrote your names down and what you have I can trade for. Oh I just get so excited about this pond everytime I talk about it.

I can't wait to get some of Nancy's Siberian Iris.Yipee!

Wildflowers variegated iris, La. Black Gamecock iris, arrowhead, lizard tail (never heard of it), peruvian daffodils and a light pink water iris.(SMILE)

Karyn and Theresa some lotus..... oh boy am I excited?

I knew my brug buddies would have some water plants too.

Did I tell ya'll we tore the track hoe up twice while digging the pond. It's difficult to put the dumb thing back on the track when you mess it up. Took half a day each time just to repair the dumb thing. Oh well it sure as heck beat digging one that deep and that big my hand. I'd still be digging 5 years from now.

I took some pictures of before we started and now of the BIG HOLE in the front yard. I'll take more as the pond progresses. I know that this is going to be a very rewarding piece of work....

Thank each of you for your kind offer.
Love Marian

Sounds nice, Marian!
The waterlilies will multiply big time.You should divide probably every two years. They like shallow & wide containers, dishpans work well. The mini cattails will come back. They have been known to puncture rubber liners. They should be contained.Sink all hardy plants to bottom of pond for the winter. Fishies will be fine if pond is at least 18" below ground level. I do the same thing with leaving the filter running all winter.As long as there is a hole in the ice surface for gas exchange.I was really afraid the first winter, but all was good.Even if the ice is really thick, they will all group together at the bottom.
Theresa

Marian, Sounds like a nice big pond :) I have variegated sweet flag, pickerel, ribbon grass, and green taro. All of these grow in or around the edge of the water. In my small pond, the koi really eat the sweet flag roots. Would be happy to share :) Edna

That sounds like a great pond. I'd love to have a big one with a water feature. It took me 20 years to get my first pond. I've always wanted one but DH wasn't thrilled with the idea. As a surprise last summer DH and DS made me one for Mother's Day. It turned out that DH liked it so much he made another. lol Now he's saying that he wishes we had an area to build a big one. I was so tempted to say "I told you so"!!!!!!
Karyn

That's so funny Karyn, that your husband feel in love with the pond and ya'll wish it was larger. One of my places had 3 ponds on it and a wonderful waterfall. That's one of the reasons I want another pond with the waterfall. They are breathtaking and the sound of the water rushing over the rocks is so darn peaceful it's unreal.

I have had a koi/fancy goldfish pond every where I've lived for about the last 25 years. I've always built them myself with very little help from anyone. LOL but as I've aged it takes me so much longer to do anything I have to get some help.

As a pond owner I must say that when building ponds you should always make it the biggest you possible can. Usually after you finish one and get everything growing so well, you nearly always wish it was just a little bigger. (wink)

The deep end of this one is between 5 and 6 ft deep. I hope no one falls in the hole before I get it filled with water. LOL

I still need to make a few adjustments to the sides of the pond. I need to hand dig some shelfs into the sides to set some pots of water plants too.

As all of you can tell I'm a little excited about getting it finished and plants growing in it. Once I get everything established and growing well I'll add the fish. YOu don't want to add them too soon.

Once again Thank all of you for your kind offers, and Edna I would dearly love some starts of your water garden plants too.
I may have to rethink putting the cattails in the new pond if they grow through the rubber liners. Humm, maybe that's what punctured one of my old ponds.

Come on Spring or at least some weather so we can get outside and get our hands dirty.

Hugs to everyone for your help.
Marian

Hey - I saw some kewel colored rubber lily pads at Meijers today!

(Don't laugh - I almost bought 'em!)

Was gonna grab a couple and throw them into some perpetual puddles I have around here just to be funny.

Hey Annette: I saw them, too at OSH out here. They came in diff. sizes. I was thinking about getting them since I'll never be able to have a pond because of the RACCOONS! Bless their hearts, they just love playing in the water! And if it were stocked with fish ... OMG! Hope you're staying well. G.

Hey, the rubber things are a good idea. My husband just came in and asked if we had anything that would float and I said why? He said I put the leftover minnows in your water feature and they need someplace to hide under, lol. I put a board over it for now so they won't feel so exposed. I will get them something tomorrow. Wish I had a lilly pad in there for them.

Can I just in & do some begging since we are talking ponds? If anyone has an extra lotus in the spring I would love to get one. I had a nice big Red Scarf, but last spring I divided it. First time I had tried dividing, & it was definitely growing, but then died. I don't know if I just messed up dividing, or if the sudden very late frost got it. I don't have any brugs for trade since that same late frost took out what I had (stupid me, took them out & forgot about them). I do have a few daylilies or bearded iris though if anyone is interested!

Marian

All right, that settles it!!!

I'm gonna have to bring you your hostas, so I can visit and see your wonderful place!!!

I have a jointed grass, horse tails, that is kept in a pot in our pond-----ya want some of that? It needs to be divided!

Brenda B

ngraham, I will have extra lotus in the spring when I divide it.Shoot me an email with "lotus" in subject line & I can save to a folder so I don't forget.

Theresa

Oh you bet Brenda, I will take some of any pond plants I can get my hands on. LOL

Speaking of ponds I've got to tell ya'll something kind of funny.

Today it was rather nice outside. Temps in the 60's but the wind was horrible. Just about blew me away more than once.

Anyway I got the neat ideal I needed to cleanup a small pond in the back. So I went out there got my shears and sissors in hand and start chopping dead leaves off cattails, and things growing in the pond. Then I decided to clean the pump and filter. Dog-gone-it the thing was all wrapped up in the parrotts feather so I had to get the clippers out and whack that stuff too. Anyone that grows this stuff knows how tangled up it can get. LOL

I was nearly 100% sure that this pond had no fish left in it. You see it's ran over several times and I'd find the Koi out on the ground dead. Anyway, I pulled and pulled huge amounts of parrots feather out of the dumb thing and tossed it on the ground. Then I started tearing the pump apart to clean it and low and behold I broke it. No big deal for the time being. There's not fish in it anyway. I got to looking at the stuff I had pulled out and there were tadpoles all in it. So I just had to put the mess back in the pond. I picked it up and was just about to toss it back in when a full grown frog jumped out of the mess and nearly made me have a heart attack. I was worried about snakes and not even thinking about grown frogs.I nearly peed in my pants. LOL

I puttered around in the yard for a little while looking at everything and just dying to work in some of my flowerbeds. But it's been raining here and everything is too wet and too messy.

Next thing I know I'm at the little storage shed in the back and looking around and I notice my big fish net. You know the kind you take when you go fishing to haul your fish on board. Hmmmm, maybe I should just make one big scoop and see if there's anything in the pond.

Well sheeeesh as fast as I could scoop it up, the darn thing was full of Koi of all different sizes. Some fell through the net as it was coming out of the water and some were to big to fall through. I guess you all know the rest of the story.

Time to go to Lowes and pick up another pump to replace the one I broke. Oh and that gave me the excuse to look in the garden department and see what all they had. Picked myself up 5 different bags of Dahlia's. Didn't get anything accomplished, wasted the entire day. But I did find out I've still got koi in that pond.(smile) Now I can't wait to put some of them in the pond in the front when I finish it.

LOL

Oh and that pond in the back is only about 2 to 2 and a half feet deep. Those little suckers just been hiding under all that parrotts feather.

Come on Spring, I want to clean that pond out and see just how many fish are in there. Don't want to distrub it anymore this winter.

Ya'll take care, I thought ya'll might get a kick out of reading this. How was ya'lls day?

Marian The Little old Mermaid

Thats great Marian. I can't wait to have a little pond big enough to put koi in. I was excited about the minnows living in my water feature, lol. I have been having a bad week so haven't been able to do much. Hope I feel better soon.

Congratulations! So much fun to to find fish you hadn't expected, & koi are so much fun. I've tried koi a couple of times, but they don't seem to be long lived for me, goldfish do great. I do think the koi enjoyed "relations" with the goldfish though because I have some interesting looking goldfish now :) Parrots feather is a menace, I had a terrible time getting it out of my pond last summer. I left some, but I will have to stay on top of it from now on.