Cotton Grass

What is a pre-order?
Pre-ordering reserves you a plant that is still growing and not ready for dispatch yet.

Payment is taken at the time the order is placed. 

The nursery will release these plants once they have developed a strong root system to enabling them to travel well.  Additionally some plants are also frost sensitive, so they will be held until the last frosts have passed.

When do you take payment for my pre-ordered plant?
Payment is taken at checkout at time of ordering.  This reserves a plant for you from the growing stock in the nursery.  In the unlikely event we are unable to supply the plant, then we will contact you to offer a suitable alternative or provide you with a full refund.

The plant I want to purchase says 'available soon', when will that be?
This season we are releasing plants in 3 phases, most plants on the website will be available in Phase 1 and Phase 2.  If a plant says 'available soon' use the 'e-mail when available' feature to sign up for an alert once it is available to pre-order or ready for dispatch.  We will take pre-orders for plants as below.

Phase 1 - Early Season Plants - these plants will be available in March and April. We will have all plants in this section shipped by the end of April.  Pre-orders for these plants is open now.  Plants in this group include Water Hawthorn, Marsh Marigolds, Iris and some waterlilies. 

Phase 2 - Late Spring Plants - these plants are available in May and we will have all plants in this section shipped by the end of May.  Pre-orders for these plants will open on 15 April.  Plants in this group include Loosestrife, Frogbit, Brandy Bottle and Pygmaea Waterlilies.

Phase 3 - Summer Plants - these plants are available in June and we will have all plants in this section shipped by the end of June.  Pre-orders for these plants will open on 15 May.  Plants in this group include Pickerel Weed and Powdery Alligator Flag

Not Available for Pre-Order - these plants are not available for pre-order and will be released for general sale once they are ready.

I want some plants that are ready now and others that are pre-order, will you send them separately?
No, if you mix the plants in your shopping cart then the whole order will be held until all the plants are ready.

We suggest in this scenario that you do two separate orders, one for plants that are ready now and one for the plants that are on pre-order.  This will ensure you get the plants that are available now sooner.

The 'Available From' is a guide and based on when this plant has been ready for sale in previous seasons.  

This is subject to change as our greenhouses are not artificially heated, so we rely on the British weather to be kind to us!

When will my plants be ready?
We offer an estimated date range on each product page but cannot give an exact date as each plant grows at a different rate.  Our plants are grown in the UK in unheated greenhouses and in cold water, this produces stronger plants for the UK climate but also means that our plants can take longer to mature for sale if the spring weather remains cold.

We are in daily contact with the nursery from mid February and once seasonal growing conditions are favourable, then we see big changes in plant growth on a daily basis.

We will only send out plants once they have established a sufficient root system, to ensure they travel well and reach you ready to be put into your pond.  

Although it may be frustrating waiting for a plant, we want to make sure we send you the best plant we can.  They grow quicker, stronger and develop a better root system under the glass in the greenhouses, so please be guided by us and our experts at the nursery, as we aim to only send plants once they are strong enough.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for an update.  

Will my marginal plants arrive potted?
The 1ltr, 3ltr, 5ltr, 10ltr and 30ltr Marginals arrive pre-planted in a Finofil aquatic basket, potted with aquatic compost and aquatic fertiliser.  

9cm plants need repotting.  They will arrive in solid pots and therefore will need repotting into aquatic baskets before placing them in your pond.  Aquatic Baskets and Aquatic soil can be found in our Essentials section.


Will the pots fit on my shelves, what are the dimensions?
9 cm Plants - These plants need repotting.  Purchase 1ltr square pots or above and re-pot them before placing in the pond.  Aquatic Baskets and Aquatic soil can be found in our Essentials section.

1 ltr Plants - Finofil 1 ltr square 11cm x 11cm x 11cm high

2ltr Plants - Finofil 2 ltr round 17cm dia x 13cm high

3 ltr Plants - Finofil 3 ltr hexagonal  18cm x 18cm x 16cm high

5 ltr Plants - Finofil hexagonal 3 ltr 18cm x 18cm x 16cm high

10 ltr Plants - Finofil 10ltr Square 29cm x 29cm x 19cm (weight 12 kgs)

30 ltr Plants - Finofil 30ltr Square 40cm x 40cm x 28cm (weight 50 kgs)

For further information on planting your pond - click here 


How deep do I place my marginals?
Depths vary with each variety, this information can be found on the the product page on our website and your plant will be delivered with a care label too.

Depth is measured from the top of the pot to the water's surface.


How many marginals do I need for my pond?
See Planting your Pond for more detailed information.  When planting your pond make sure you leave space between varieties to stop the dominate variety taking over.
5 x 1ltr per linear metre or 7 per square metre
3 x 3ltr per linear metre or 5 per square metre 


Do I need to line my basket with hessian?
No, Finofil baskets have been designed to have a very fine mesh structure to stop soil loss, if you want to add to this with liners it will not cause any harm to the plants.


What are your planting baskets made from?
Finofil aquatic baskets are made from 100% recycled plastic and manufactured in the UK.  They can be recycled at your local recycling centre or any kerb side recycling that collects black plastic.  Plant labels are recyclable.


Will carp and ducks eat my plants?
Yes!  Koi and other varieties of carp find all pond plants very tasty - so we cannot recommend any plants for your pond unless they can be protected by some form of barrier.

Goldfish will nibble at oxygenators and softer leaved plants in your pond.  They are omnivores so will also eat larvae, insects and tadpoles.

Wildfowl will also eat plants, we suggest buying more mature plants with established root systems and protecting the roots/rhizomes as best as you can to prevent damage from eating and nesting.