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Ponds in the UK
ruthven_gw

Gunnera query

ruthven
15 years ago

We have embarked on a positive extravaganza of a pond (or rather series of ponds and streams). The place has looked like Verdun for months, "pond man" and his helpers are now part of the family and the digger is starting to look almost ornamental. However, just as we had come to love the sea of mud and random giant monoliths scattered around PM has warned us that "we should be there by october" and need to be ready to start "planting in".

I have mentally set a space aside to have a Gunnera jungle and am now selling the concept to N0. 1 Husband whose major objection is that when it is dormant there won't be much to look at. Can anyone think of any early spring bulbs or plants that like slightly boggy conditions and will be happily dormant whilst the jungle is out?

Comments (3)

  • dampflippers
    15 years ago

    It sounds a fantastic project!
    Did you plant your gunnera?
    I would love to have one, but it would completely swamp the garden?
    Regarding bulbs, you could just experiment with a few of different types.
    Fritillaria (snakes head fritillary likes damp conditions)
    Otherwise, go out for walks now and see what is growing along the stream and pond banks in the wild and in other people's gardens.

  • ruthven
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Pond Man somewhat overstated the readiness of things, so as it happens we've not really started planting up yet - which is a good thing as in a weak moment in the summer I convinced No 1 Husband to steal some land from our field to expand the area of the "riverside walk" so I'm now thinking about putting the Gunnera in a totally different place. Sometimes a forced delay is a good thing!

    So far all we've planted are some little shrubs around the outside edge of the pond area (to close it off a bit - we have about 4.5 acres of garden so the pond isn't too overwhelming but because the topography is fairly flat I'm working on ways to vary the levels and create sight line dividers so you don't just get the whole thing at once. ) I've put in some witch hazels, cornus and a stagshorn sumach so far (all well spread out in a sea of mud and looking rather lonely and daft so I really do need to get to filling in the rest before too long, otherwise the weeds will just take over).

    Busy Easter I suspect

  • fernbank
    14 years ago

    We have a clump of Gunnera in our sunken bog garden - we live in Lancashire. When it dies back in the Autumn my husband protects the central growing areas from frost by placing the decaying leaves over it. Therefore there is a mound of collapsed gunnera through the winter and I can't see how you could grow anything under/nearby to disguise it. We quite like it because when I clear away the protective covering in the Spring we can see the new growths coming through. I wouldn't want it near the house but if you have a large acreage you can site a clump of it where it can have an impact in the summer, and not have to look at the decayed remains in the winter.

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