Growing Gardens

with Anita Morton

The natural pond

There aren't many benefits to a heavy clay soil, but one feature the green gardener can take advantage of is its capacity to hold water very well. This can be put to good use by making a natural garden pond that will help to sustain wildlife and improve the biological diversity in the garden.

A natural pond has no liner; it relies on dense clay subsoil to retain water. It obviously isn't for every garden, and people with the good fortune to be gardening on deep topsoil will not be able to make this kind of pond. Only those who have to wrestle with pure clay can enjoy a natural pond. These have several advantages, such as economy, flexibility of shape, and a perfect growing environment for plants such as waterlilies, rushes, and Louisiana or Japanese irises.

These plants will always do best when their roots aren't confined in pots, as they must be in a lined pond. In a natural pond they spread where they like, and a complex and self-regulating ecosystem develops. As long as the pond it a reasonably large size (minimum 1.5m) and at least 40cm deep, it will tend to take care of itself. The only care needed will be topping up the water level and occasional thinning of plants.

I think it best to site a pond at the lowest point of the garden, where it will look natural, but other factors also need to be taken into account. If you want to grow waterlilies, you will need to put it in full sun, while a shaded spot is best for ferns. Plant the edges thickly and place a few large stones on the rim for a natural look and also to provide habitat, and you will soon be enjoying the sound of frogs calling in your backyard.

Lismore Garden Club News

The 2005 City of Lismore Garden competition is coming. If you have a nice garden, then enter. Entry forms are available from 7 Charles St, Sth Lismore; 53 Kruseana Ave, Goonellabah; Youngberry's Nursery, Mitre 10, Rural Buying and Seedling House. Judging is September 4-5. For further information, phone Ron on 6624 7422 or 0421 021 451.

Garden jobs to do now: Plant grape vines while they are still dormant. Iona is still the best variety for a humid sub-tropical climate - it's resistant to fungal diseases, is a very hardy variety and produces an abundance of the best-flavoured grapes. If your nursery doesn't have Iona, ask them to order it. Fertilise sweet peas now with a large nitrogen flower and fruit liquid fertiliser. When they start to flower, pick them often to promote further flowering.

The next Club meeting is Thursday, August 4, at the Lismore Workers Club at 1.30pm. Guest speaker is Molly Crawford on garden birds. Visitors are most welcome.

Finally: "Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better" - Albert Einstein.

Happy Gardening
Ron Burns