The Allotment Water Garden Over the years, many customers have come to my retail nursery to purchase pond plants for water features in their allotments. These small container ponds can be created very simply by using half Oak barrels, old Belfast sinks, old style bath tubs etc… In fact, anything that is watertight and can […]
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Also known by their Latin name (Nepa Cinerea), Water Scorpions are insects that look similar to land Scorpions. Dark brown in colour and 3-5 cm in length, they certainly are a strange-looking insect. Strangest of it is their long narrow tail that looks like a sting. In fact, this is actually their breathing apparatus! They […]
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Why Wont my Water Lily Produce Flowers? People often ask me, why wont my water lily produce flowers? This is a question that I am frequently asked, but the good news is, it’s a question that can be easily answered. By going through the check lists below you should find an answer that will rectify […]
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Long before my aquatic nursery even existed, I used to visit another aquatic nursery in Newdigate, known throughout my childhood as the Field Station. This wonderful place sold all kinds of Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish as well as an interesting range of pond plants. You can read more about the Field Station on my article […]
Read in fullMy First Wildlife Ponds Introduction I have always had a massive interest in wildlife and plants. By the time I had reached the age of twenty five, I had kept and studied numerous Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Insects, Amphibians and plants. As a teenager I used to breed many species of Butterflies and Moths. No doubt […]
Read in fullMemories of Beam Brook Aquatic Farm in Newdigate, Surrey During my childhood, I used to frequently visit a very special place called Beam Brook Aquatic Fish Farm. Also known by locals as The Field Station, this wonderful place was just two miles down the road from my parents house and where my retail […]
Read in fullCalla Palustris-Bog Arum Calla Palustris is a single species aquatic pond plant that is native to the northern hemisphere including the UK. It also has the common names Bog-Arum and Marsh-Calla. It favours muddy margins and boggy conditions, and often grows wild at the edge of ponds, lakes, streams, ditches and in marshlands. Its glossy green […]
Read in fullPond Plants (Eco-Friendly Buying Guide) We are all aware of the state of our oceans, and the amount of plastic that finds its way down rivers and eventually into the sea. Sky Ocean Watch and Lewis Pugh have certainly been doing their best to make us all aware of the long-term dangers of plastic waste […]
Read in fullWhere Does Our Pond Wildlife Arrive From? This is a question I get asked a lot. Many people are often amazed at just how quick wildlife seems to arrive in their pond as if from nowhere. So, just where does it arrive from? All new ponds large or small will start attracting wildlife within days […]
Read in fullVeronica Beccabunga Veronica Beccabunga (also known as Brooklime and European Speedwell), is a low growing, evergreen marginal pond plant that is native to the UK and Europe. It has a creeping habit and grows in shallow water and muddy margins in a water depth of 0-4 cm. It appears in shallow streams, ditches, ponds, lakes […]
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