Gardens buffer us from the stresses and demands of everyday life. They serve as touchstones with the seasons offering serendipitous bursts of color and foliar changes, providing bounty for our tables and allowing us to commune with Mother Nature’s critters, large and small, fuzzy, scaled and feathered. But my favorite nurturing place is a modest pond with a stair-stepped stream located near a shady nook at the back of our home. The trickling sounds of water and the languorous sashaying of our fish quiets my soul and refreshes my spirit. Even the maintenance regimen is like playing and I love it.
The following steps keep our pond relatively clean and our fish healthy:
STEPS TO A CLEAN POND:
1.) Trim overgrown plant material
2.) If algae becomes a problem, scrub off with a brush
3.) Scoop up loosened algae with a net
SHARON’S POND PLANTS
Wedelia trilobata (water zinnia) is a tropical bog plant with shiny verdant foliage and bright yellow zinnia-like flowers that bloom primarily in the summer. Hardy perennial in zones 9-10, annual in cooler regions.
Cyperus papyrus ‘King Tut’ (King Tut papyrus) grows a manageable 2-3 ft. tall compared to the 5-8 ft. common papyrus. Also has thicker stems and more tassels and is hardy down to 20-25˚ F.
Nymphae (water lily) When planted in containers and placed at the bottom of the pond, most water lilies will come up year after year, bloom in full sun around late spring-early fall and are hardy in zones 3-11.
Wasabia japonica (wasabi) is considered one of the most difficult root vegetables to grow. It needs moist to wet, rich organic soil and grows best in continuously running water under shade. Native to areas with hot, humid summers and dry, cool winters, allow about 2 years for the rhizome to mature. Having never grown wasabi before, I love a good challenge!
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