FAQs
Where are your plants grown?
All our plants are grown in the UK, in a prize winning nursery on the Hertfordshire borders. We have a very good relationship with the nursery and have selected them exclusively as we believe these to be the best cold water pond plants grown in the UK.
When will my plants be ready?
All the water plants we supply are grown in cold greenhouses, therefore they rely on the longer sunny days to start heating the water to get them growing well. An approximate date will be given if you have pre-ordered plants, but this is very weather dependent.
We are in weekly contact with the nursery from mid February onwards and as soon as the nursery manager approves them for sale they will be on their way to you.
The plants will grow much better in the greenhouses for even one extra week, they will develop a much better root system allowing them to travel better and be in great condition to be put straight in your pond. We will let you know once they have been dispatched.
How will my plants be delivered?
From April to October your plants will be delivery within 3/4 working days, please make sure you fill in the email and mobile phone information so you can be kept up to date with your parcels progress. Your plants will be dispatched straight from the nursery by either; Royal Mail - 1st Class,APC Hand Delivery or UK Pallets depending on the size of your order.
We suggest that you leave a note out for the postman/courier asking for your item to be left in a safe place that is shaded and cool.
Do you ship to Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland?
Unfortunately due to Brexit and new EU regulations and protocols on plants, we are not able to ship to Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland (updated March 2021).
What plants are suitable for my koi pond?
Koi unfortunately will eat all water plants. We have found the best solution is to cage off a section of you koi pond and put your pond plants in that section only. You could try Dutch rush (Equisetum hyemale) if you are unable to section off your pond, but depending how ravenous your Koi are this may not survive too long.
Orf and goldfish are much kinder when it comes to plants and all water plants will be fine.
Are water plants good for fish?
Yes. Fish produce waste which in turn increases the levels of Nitrates as the fish waste is broken down by microbes in the water. Aquatic plants feed off these nitrates. However, they will also be the reason your pond produces more algae, as this also feeds off the nitrates. Also, you should bear in mind that fish in a wildlife pond will eat spawn and other larvae and plants, potentially changing the eco-structure of your pond.
Are aquatic plants edible?
Some varieties are but we would never recommend you eat them unless they have been produced by a food safe producer as you could become sick.
What are pond plants?
Pond plants are plants that either require being submerged in water to survive such as waterlilies, deep water plants, oxygenators and floating plants or like to have permanently damp and boggy conditions such as Marginal plants.
Can pond plants go in an aquarium?
Yes, some people use our plants for aqua-scaping, our pygmaea waterlilies are very good for this.
Can pond plants survive winter?
Native plants are fine for the UK winter, non-natives may or may not depending on the climate they come from. If plants are frost sensitive, it says it on our website and we recommend moving them into a greenhouse or conservatory over winter in a container of water.
Do pond plants need soil?
Waterlilies are hungry plants so usually do best left in their Finofil Aquatic Baskets. Other plants can be taken out of their soil, but we usually recommend leaving them in their aquatic baskets for ease of being able to remove them to clean the pond, split and re-pot them.
What pond plants help with algae?
All plants help with algae as they take excess nutrients out of the pond which is what the algae survives on. Ideally, to create a balanced pond/ecosystem you are looking for 30% of the volume of the pond to be plants.
What pond plants keep water clean?
All pond plants help keep the water clean, plants that are particularly ‘hungry’ are Irises, waterlilies, oxygenators, watercress. iris, waterlilies, marsh marigold, pickerel weed, watercress.
When to plant pond plants?
Pond plants start to become available in the UK from April, frost sensitive plants will be available from mid-May onwards. All our plants are grown in the UK.
How long leave pond before adding pond plants?
If you are filling the pond up with rainwater, then plants can go in immediately. If you are filling with tap water, we would leave 72 hours to a week to let the chlorine in tap water evaporate.
Will pond plants grow in sand/gravel?
Yes, in a natural swimming pond this is how plants are planted. Soil is washed off and the bare root plant is planted in the gravel. You can try this method; you may find the plants go a little backwards before coming on again as they adjust to taking their nutrients from the water and not relying on the soil. But plants can do well like this and the water stays cleaner. However, it does means you cannot move the plants around, take them out or split them etc, as you can for plants that remain in their baskets or pots.