Water plants

Picking the right plants for your kind of pond or water feature is part of the art of water gardening. Here are a few suggestions to inspire you - why not come along to Greenleaf to find out what's available now?

Acorus - Sweet flag

Scented leaves distinguish this attractive grassy-leaved plant. Gramineus is ideal for small ponds or water features, and needs water 2-10cm deep - Calamus is a larger variant and will thrive in water up to 25 cm deep. Greenleaf usually have this plant in stock in spring and early summer.

Elodea canadensis (Canadian pondweed)

Not one of the most decorative of plants, but if you have fish, and a problem with algae, it's well worth investing in some. Called the 'oxygenating weed', this tough water plant just needs to be dropped into your pond, where it will happily root itself and grow, oxygenating and clearing the water.

Iris

A wide range of these pretty plants is available at Greenleaf from spring through to early autumn, and there is one for almost every size of pond. Iris laevigata, pseudacorus and enseta are the water-lovers - don't try to plant ordinary garden or bearded irises in your pond, or they will simply sicken and die.

Nymphaea (Water lily)

Most of the water lilies require a large pond - such as the lovely Amabilis (pale pink flowers and large dark green leaves with a hint of red). Greenleaf do usually also have some of the smaller varieties such as

'Aurora' (yellow flowers, suitable for water 10-30 cm deep) and Pygmaea Alba ( a tiny water-lily which is very hardy , and can even be grown in an old sink!) Our water lilies are supplied by a specialist grower, so please do ask if you are looking for a particular variety - we may be able to get it for you.

Bog plants

If your garden is a bit on the soggy side, why not go with the flow and plant some of these bog garden plants, which will really appreciate the damp.

Geranium Phaeum

A bog garden plant rather than a true waterplant, this tough hardy geranium makes a real impact with its deep - almost black - flowers. It tolerates deep shade, and is ideal for the edge of a boggy patch.

Gunnera Manicata (giant Rhubarb)

This is the plant for a really damp spot - growing to 2 meters tall, with enormous flower spikes, it's no plant for a small garden but it is certainly spectacular. At Greenleaf, we grow it along the side of our small lake, and it loves the damp soil and sunshine.

Iris

There are Irises for the pool, but Greenleaf also have varieties which are suitable for the boggy garden rather than being completely underwater. Iris Sibirica, the Siberian Iris, is especially tough, with attractive

variants on blue and purple flowers. To make a real impression in your bog garden try Iris chrisographes 'black forms' for a deep purple Iris which is almost black, and slender grayish leaves. This is a Greenleaf speciality, and we have it in our own lake. The best time to introduce it to your bog garden is the early autumn, so it has time to get settled in before spring, so that is when Greenleaf stocks it.