WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2018

Hi Tetters, I do like your pond, , it has a nice visual "feel" to it. Well, Mares Tail is known to be a spreader but I have found if you plant marginals into pots or small plastic crates then they can be restrained quite effectively. The Skunk Cabbage I have is in a crate and is supposed to spread but, because it is in the crate, has been very well behaved.
Only my Marginal plants that are actually placed into the soil of the banks grow unrestrained which is what I want..

Again, I don't think that, planted in a crate, it would be as big a problem as you think. Ponds, as you know, are living things and grow and change so there will be always some maintenance and dividing of plants to do, besides keeping an eye on the pond and caring for it is half the fun!! Don't be put off by what you read on the Net from "experts". If I had taken the advice and warnings of them plants like Yellow Flag, Bull Rush, etc, would not have made an appearance in my pond. Do a bit of experimentation and have a little adventure with plants. No Marginal Plants will devour your Pond, some may decide to expand a bit but you can easily keep them in check. So try Equisetums in a pot or small plastic crate and enjoy your pond.

 

I've been fishing for all my life, Gail, but never in my pond

 

I use a Pole, Gail.

 

I have 7 rods and 3 Poles, and I've caught my biggest [32lbs] on the Pole..........besides it gets "exciting" when the rubber elastic runs out of stretch and the fish still keeps on going.

 

This is a good time of year to be working on eradicating them. It's best not to try and do it from late summer until mid Autumn. During that time the spores are on the underside of the bracken and are carcinogenic. Pulling or cutting down will certainly weaken it but it takes years to have a good effect. Be careful when handling them, especially when pulling or snapping them as the central stem quite often splits down the middle exposing a razor sharp edge. Glyphosate is better to be used when the leaves are fully open in July/August.