Raised Brick Pond – It’s a Jungle!

August 12th, 2010

The pond is doing fanastic this year. I finally deviated from my previous use of a solar powered pump in favor of a Mag pump and pond filter. The circulation is much improved, and the plants have gone crazy. Back in May, I have a single Penthorum sedoides survive the winter and sprout from one of my containers. Now, nearly all of the green mass of plant matter is the bush that the single plant has become.

Raised Brick Pond - Overgrown!

The only other plant that may be even more prolific is the Hyptis lorentziana. This is a beast of a plant that has spread in every direction from its original planting, creeping horizontally, reaching for sunlight vertically, and everything in-between. Fortunately, the purplish green leaves are very attractive.

Raised Brick Pond - Overgrown!

Left to compete for sunlight and space are a Ranunculus species, Bacopa monnieri, Limnophila sp. ‘Sulawesi’, Hygrophila odora, some frogbite, and Salvinia. Of course the Crinum americana plants are still doing well, but they seemed dwarfed by the other plants this year.

Raised Brick Pond - Top Down

My regular garden plants are also creeping into the pond’s normal space. A huge stand of okra is beginning to block a lot of light to the pond (it’s about 7 feet tall now and growing), and my thyme and tarragon are invading from the other side. I kind of like the jungle look, however, as do our frogs, which we rarely see anymore as they are taking cover in the jungle. Comments welcome!

5 Responses to “Raised Brick Pond – It’s a Jungle!”

  1. limeslide Says:

    Hey, I love the look of the tank, but what is the name of the plant that hides behinds the others, the little lily pad shaped ones with lots of incisions made in them? Right above the wood plank. Thank you.

  2. guitarfish Says:

    Thanks for the comment, limeslide! I’m not 100% sure which plant you’re talking about, but the little floating pads are either salvinia, frogbite, or Phyllanthus fluitans.

  3. limeslide Says:

    Thanks for the quick reply! 🙂
    This might help
    [IMG]http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd324/limeslide/4886433151_ff85a56dd5.jpg[/IMG]

  4. guitarfish Says:

    Ah, yes that helps! That’s a Ranunculus species I picked up at a local water garden store. Unfortunately, I don’t know the species name, and no longer grow the plant, as it didn’t do very well for me in my aquarium indoors. (There is a great aquatic variety called Ranunculus inundatus that can be grown in aquariums.)

  5. limeslide Says:

    Ah thanks! I didn’t expect it to be Ranunculus, because the pictures Google Search Engine provided didn’t quite look similar. 😛
    Thanks! I will be on the hunt for the terrestrial ones, they’d look pretty neat in any pond. 🙂
    Thanks!