Things weren't so good in pond world at the beginning of this month...
My Nymphea (Water Lilly) Frobelli snuffed it. I think the snail damage was too much for it and possibly I also put it in too early. It was originally a nice healthy looking specimen from a good aquatics supplier so I am a bit bemused. The one that came half dead from Crocus has perked up a bit. I moved the water Hawthorne into the centre of the pond which is about 30" to 3 foot deep and it has thrived and is starting to get healthy (photo?).
The water is beginning to go green again - probably as the chemicals from the algae mat disperse. I don't want to use it again as Golden Rudd are notoriously sensitive to chemicals and it's a pond not a chemistry experiment. In desperation at the lack of surface cover I have went out and bought two more lillies, a big healthy looking additional James Brydon and a wild water Lilly Nymphea Alba. The Alba is a very bad idea as they get enormous but I have dumped it in the centre of the pond and I will probably have to remove it when it gets too big. It is growing towards the surface at an amazing rate. I also bought some fairy moss and some water verbena (something like that - its another floater) so I'll be cursing and fishing the stuff out by the end of the summer no doubt. At least it will provide some surface cover - the Lemna Triscolor (duckweed) is being a bit pathetic as well.
The water hyacinths are looking a bit sickly and when the wind blows they can flip over - it's not good to have your roots in the air!! Oh and the Marsh Marigold looks quite sickly and a couple of the marginals are dying.
Mosquito larvae are still a problem - the golden rudd have decided that lurking in amongst the rocks and not showing themselves is a good idea. Still tempted by some Orfe but that would completely mess up the wildlife thing.
Well things can only get better. . .
. . . well thanks to a pH testing kit I worked out that the problem was a seriously high pH. The culprit was a slab that I had used to stabilize the pump platform in the pond. Apparently old concrete slabs can be pretty much solid lime. So after I removed it things started to get better.
My old camera got it on Election Night when my husband dropped it in the carpark at the count so I now also have a wonderful Sony DSC-P1. The photos will be a lot better from here on in!
Also on the day after election I gave in and bought 4 Shubunkins and 2 Goldfish (called Tony and William). They immediately set about solving the mossie problem and the golden rudd came out of hiding a joined them.
By the end of the month things were seriously looking up.
