Tips for water garden management

Tips for water garden management,

In his recent "Aquatic Plant Management" article, John Grimes gave excellent information about managing farm ponds and I can confirm the accuracy on some of his comments such as the ineffectiveness of grass carp in combatting some pond weeds. Although they seem to be doing a good job on hydrillia, a weed that showed up on its own, they have been ineffective on Nymphoides peltata (floating Heart) that I stupidly turned loose in our natural pond. Do a google search for my "Alternatives to invasive water and bog plants" for Water Gardening International article to see information on this and other invasive aquatic plants. 

Water gardeners face many of the same problems that farm pond owners face and unfortunately are often responsible for unleashing invasive plants into natural and man made waterways off their property. Just a few days ago I saw a marginal plant I was unfamiliar with for sale at Lowes. Rather than blindly buying it I did a google search that revealed it to be a potentially highly invasive plant that could become a real problem if turned loose in our area. Too bad that Lowes didn't do a little research prior to offering it for sale. To avoid unleashing an invasive plant stay with native plants if possible, don't buy any plants listed as invasive by the Department of Natural resources or the Nature Conservancy, keep them potted lined pools or tubs, dead head them before they

We specialize in growing alternatives to invasive aquatic and bog plants, write articles such as one on the false aster, which can also be seen by googling Alternatives to Invasive Water and Bog Garden Plants, promoting them and we welcome visitors who want to see our extensive display of them. Visitors are welcome friday through sunday from now through August. We are located at 3324 Panhandle Rd. , just around the first bend 1.5 miles east of Rt. 134, north of Lynchburg.

Unfortunately, in spite of our efforts, and those of other concerned citizens, there are people out there seemingly dedicated to spreading invasive plants. Case in point is a man who visited a couple of years ago specifically looking for purple loosestrife which in one of the most invasive plants imaginable. After I explained that we did not offer it, because it was extremely invasive, and suggested several less invasive alternatives we did offer he left to look for someone willing to "sell him what he wanted". 

On another occasion a young lady stopped by with an invasive plant that she had dug up from a pond that was drying up in order to save it. In a misguided attempt to be environmentally correct she was trying to find a home for a plant that has absolutely no reason to exist in our area. Luckily she stopped at our place rather than turning it loose in some natural waterway.

Please note that I am writing this as part on an ongoing effort to limit the expansion of invasive plants, not as a commercial for our facility.

Charles Leach

Co owner along with Ruth Leach of 

Hickory Bend Water Gardens and More.

To the editor:

In his recent "Aquatic Plant Management" article, John Grimes gave excellent information about managing farm ponds and I can confirm the accuracy on some of his comments such as the ineffectiveness of grass carp in combatting some pond weeds.
Although they seem to be doing a good job on hydrillia, a weed that showed up on its own, they have been ineffective on Nymphoides peltata (floating Heart) that I stupidly turned loose in our natural pond. Do a Google search for my "Alternatives to invasive water and bog plants" for Water Gardening International article to see information on this and other invasive aquatic plants. 

Water gardeners face many of the same problems that farm pond owners face and unfortunately are often responsible for unleashing invasive plants into natural and man made waterways off their property. Just a few days ago I saw a marginal plant I was unfamiliar with for sale at a local store. Rather than blindly buying it I did a Google search that revealed it to be a potentially highly invasive plant that could become a real problem if turned loose in our area. Too bad that the store didn't do a little research prior to offering it for sale. To avoid unleashing an invasive plant stay with native plants if possible, don't buy any plants listed as invasive by the Department of Natural resources or the Nature Conservancy.
  We specialize in growing alternatives to invasive aquatic and bog plants, write articles such as one on the false aster, which can also be seen by googling Alternatives to Invasive Water and Bog Garden Plants, promoting them and we welcome visitors who want to see our extensive display of them. Visitors are welcome friday through sunday from now through August. We are located at 3324 Panhandle Rd., just around the first bend 1.5 miles east of Rt. 134, north of Lynchburg.

Unfortunately, in spite of our efforts, and those of other concerned citizens, there are people out there seemingly dedicated to spreading invasive plants. Case in point is a man who visited a couple of years ago specifically looking for purple loosestrife which in one of the most invasive plants imaginable. After I explained that we did not offer it, because it was extremely invasive, and suggested several less invasive alternatives we did offer he left to look for someone willing to "sell him what he wanted". 

On another occasion a young lady stopped by with an invasive plant that she had dug up from a pond that was drying up in order to save it. In a misguided attempt to be environmentally correct she was trying to find a home for a plant that has absolutely no reason to exist in our area. Luckily she stopped at our place rather than turning it loose in some natural waterway.

Please note that I am writing this as part on an ongoing effort to limit the expansion of invasive plants, not as a commercial for our facility.

Charles Leach

Co-owner along with Ruth Leach of 

Hickory Bend Water Gardens and More.