Welcome

It gives me great pleasure to start writing the Lincolnshire Pond Plant Blog.

Lincolnshire Pond Plants continued development of the nursery on the old RAF Binbrook site ‘Brookenby’.

The nissen huts have been stripped of all of the metal and the plastic sheet has been placed over the top turning them into perfect polytunnels. As the sun finally begins to shine our next task has been to create pools to house the 40 different types of water lilies that we hold in stock. Ranging from Dwarf for the ornamental bowls including small water features, through to the large that have a 2 to 3 meter spread. Water lilies through out the summer immense colour to a pond, but also provide vital shade to prevent the build-up of blanket weed. The range of lily flowers vary from almost black to the purest white and many variations between.

For any wildlife pond it is important to think about the submerged, floating, emerge and marginal plants. Looking at the submerged plants these provide oxygen as well as safety for small fry, native varieties consist of: Common Water-starwort Callitriche stagnalis, Spiked Water-milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum, Hornwort Ceratophyllum demersum, Water-crowfoots Ranunculus aquatilis and Water-violet Hottonia palustris.

Thinking of marginal plants native species include Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris, Water-plantain Alisma plantagoaquatica, Water Mint Mentha aquatica, Lesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula, Greater Spearwort R. lingua, Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides, Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, Ragged-Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi, Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata, Meadow-sweet Filipendula ulmaria, Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, Mare’s-tail Hippuris vulgaris, Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus, Flowering-rush Butomus umbellatus, Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum and Lesser Bulrush Typha angustifolia.

We finally move from our packing place at Market Rasen to the new nursery, and as the excitement builds so do the amount of jobs; pruning and potting, with some decorating of the new offices in between. Steam pipes are being laid and finally the watering system is sorted.

We take pride in growing plants that love to be in the water, at the edge of the water or just like to be in the area on damp ground. Our range of moist, damp ground, plants can help solve that awkward corner where very little grows.